My trip to Matrimandir, Auroville

Right off the bat, does it sound awfully like the “My trip to the zoo” essay you wrote in 3^rd grade (I honestly have no idea what grade that was, excuse me for growing up 😜 ) ?  To answer the question, it is a bit like that but it is also a grown up version of that. So, here it goes:

I reached the parking lot of Auroville where the guard was quite taken aback when I informed him that we had reserved a spot online. Rolling in to the lot, I see almost all the shady (I mean trees and shade, not crackheads) spots taken. I do a round, and another until I find one with reasonable tree cover. Why, you ask? It was hot out there, scorching hot.

It is a 15-minute walk to the Matrimandir (which is essentially a meditation hall but what’s special about it, I leave it to the curious to Google) along a tree laden path. Treading along, I witness whom I assume to be an Auroville resident. She’s got a clown makeup on and is pedaling down the side road humming to herself. She seemed not to have a worry in the world. It felt like she gave me a momentary peek into the lives of people who choose not to run the rat race, an alien feeling but a good one.  

A little further down, there is a massive banyan tree. I mean it when I say massive- I counted 20ish aerial roots that had the width of a tree trunk each. Some stone benches had been thoughtfully laid down around the tree.

I move on and finally reach the Matrimandir, well not quite. I reach the Matrimandir Viewing Point. Matrimandir itself is off limits at the moment. The Matrimandir is a big golden sphere bang in the middle of a lush green meadow. It looks like it is propped up on the base by a leaf-like brick red structure. But the viewing point itself is not the essence here, the essence is the people around me. Allow me to try and recreate the scene for you.

Backdrop is the sound of rustling trees, chirping birds, falling leaves and the glaring sun.

• A kid, barely one-third my height is doing a little dance with her water bottle
• Two “dudes” in passionate conversation about the health of their hair follicles and what not
• I hear “Eppada andava, thanni illama mudiyala” (Oh God, can’t do this without water) from behind me. Turning around, I see a middle aged man who is visibly distressed from the walk to the Matrimandir and has just managed to have a few gulps of water from the nearby dispenser
• There is a young couple to my left, solemnly staring into the distance
• The viewing point is cordoned and a group of girls are intent on testing the security guard’s patience with all sorts of maneuvers around the barricade tape. There were surely better off at a professional photo studio than the Matrimandir
• An elderly man amidst a big group has got a “I didn’t sign up for this” look on his face but he’s of course got his swag on, with aviator sunglasses 😎

You get the picture. It’s a diverse mix- people from different stages of life, different geographies and different lifestyles. Maybe I could go on and say there were people of various colour, creed, caste, religion and gender. But one thing was common among all the groups of different colour, creed, caste, religion and gender- at least one in a group had a nice taut pot belly. It’s a good life ☺

Wrapping up, I get a move on back to the pavilion (car park). I thank the tree near the car for its selfless service as I turn on the ignition and put the gear in reverse.