AUROVILLE: AN EXPERIMENT UNDER THREAT
A public photo exhibition with conversations, testimonies, and documentaries. Saturday, June 6, 11am to 7pm, at Spaces, #1, Elliot’s Beach Rd, Besant Nagar, Chennai.
Auroville, the international township in Tamil Nadu, was meant to be an experiment in human unity and coexistence with nature. Today it is in crisis. Since July 2021, when a new Secretary and Governing Board took over the Auroville Foundation, the administration has overridden the Residents’ Assembly, broken the community’s self-governing structures, and pushed through construction without consultation. More than 40,000 trees have been cut, over 20,000 of them protected. Residents who raised concerns have lost their jobs, homes, status, and visas; more than 200 are now in exile.
This is our first public exhibition. Through photographs, testimonies, and documentaries, it places these events in their historical context and gives space to the residents who have been silenced for too long. It is also an invitation: to understand what is happening, to hear directly from the people living through it, and to ask what the crisis in Auroville means for the world we all live in. Come spend an hour, or the whole day. The full timeline is below if you want to read it before you arrive.
Read the full timeline and background document:
PDF file – 10 pages – June 2026
Framing the Global Fellowship Report
A new, comprehensive report about the crisis in Auroville and the way to resolve it was published on 14th January, summarizing key facts and proposing a specific plan of action in accordance with the Auroville Foundation Act, the Auroville Charter, and the principles of the timeless Indian dharma.
The report calls for an urgent, constructive intervention of the Government of India to reverse the direction of the Auroville Foundation’s current administration so that Auroville “can fulfill its purpose for India and the world in bringing about a brighter future for humankind.” It provides extensive documentation of actions that “threaten Auroville’s future with irreparable damage”, along with a proposal for solutions to set Auroville on a positive path forward.
The report was produced by members of the Auroville Global Fellowship, an independent network of more than 50 national and international supporters who have contributed to the world in diverse fields relevant to the evolutionary ideals of Auroville. Founded in 2024, the Fellowship seeks to support Auroville through information-sharing; dialogue on matters of global interest and concern; and by taking on projects that advance the spirit, values, and mission of Auroville. The Fellowship is not affiliated with Auroville International, the Auroville community, the Auroville Foundation, or any other Sri Aurobindo or Auroville centers.
Part One of the report summarizes important statutes of the Auroville Foundation Act and the history of its administration until 2021. Part Two documents key facts of the crisis in six areas: Governance, Financial Management, Planning and Development, Communications, Safety and Security, and Impact on Local Communities. Part Three provides a blueprint for resolution of the crisis and a positive way forward. A preface and executive summary offer a brief synopsis, and annexures contribute additional detail.
The report cites a failure of governance by the current administration in four key areas: repudiation of essential provisions of the Auroville Foundation Act; violations of foundational values of the Auroville Charter; extensive damage to Auroville’s assets and environment; and the nullification of fundamental rights of Auroville’s residents through extreme measures which have created a climate of fear, anxiety and hardship.
The concluding section outlines a practical plan to positively resolve the crisis by implementing four “clear, actionable, and achievable steps” which can “inaugurate a positive future for Auroville and its mission of accelerating human progress.”
The report concludes with a respectful request to the Government of India for wise intervention and assistance: “Auroville represents something precious not only for India but for the world – an unprecedented experiment in human unity which must be preserved and renewed.”