Access to Matrimandir for Aurovilians,
Guests of Auroville and other visitors

We remind you that the Matrimandir is a construction site and that construction is our first priority. We are trying our best to keep visits to the Matrimandir not only possible, but peaceful, but please understand that the temporary conditions in which we have to receive you are far from ideal, and never stop changing. The opening or the closing of the different areas and their timings are subject to predictable - but also unpredictable - variations. Therefore we ask patience of Aurovilians and guests, a flexible attitude, and some occasional sense of humour!
For any special request or for questions about the following information, please contact the Matrimandir office any day between 9 and 10 am at 2622268/2622204 .

I. FOR AUROVILIANS AND NEWCOMERS:

1. Visits to the surroundings of the Matrimandir

•  Aurovilians can go around the Matrimandir area from 6am to 7pm alone or with up to 5 people.

•  Please note that the area under the Matrimandir and the interior of the structure cannot be part of the visit.

•  Do also remember that the Banyan tree area is a silent area where many people come for concentration and meditation. Photography is allowed only outside this area.

For special gatherings of Aurovilians under the Banyan tree, please contact the Access Group to avoid misunderstandings (contact whoever is responsible for taking bookings, presently Srimoyi, Thulasi and Vinodhini, at the Matrimandir Office 9-10am, any day at the above numbers).

2. Petals / meditation rooms

•  Two meditation rooms of the Petals are completed: Peace and Equality. They are normally open from 4:30 to 6pm every evening. There is no special timing for Aurovilians.

•  Aurovilians can take one or two relatives or friends into the Petals between 4:30 and 6pm every evening without booking.

3. Inner Chamber

The Inner Chamber is open to Aurovilians and Newcomers:

•  on weekdays from 6am to 8am and from 5pm to 7pm

•  on Sundays from 6am to 2pm, and from 4pm to 8pm.

II. FOR GUESTS AND FRIENDS OF AUROVILLE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN THE INNER CHAMBER
(PASS HOLDERS OR ON OUR LISTS):

Note: Recognised “Guests” of Auroville are those who have a valid “Guest Card”. “Friends of Auroville” are AVI active members, Ashramites, etc.

1. Petals / meditation rooms:

•  The meditation rooms of the Petals, Peace and Equality, are open from 4:30pm to 6pm every evening.

Booking is not required. Please come to the Matrimandir Office entrance between 4:30pm and 5:30pm.

2. Inner Chamber.

•  Prior booking is required .

•  To book, please contact “the responsible person” (presently Srimoyi, Thulasi and Vinodhini) at the Matrimandir Office any day between 9am and 10am at the above numbers.

•  Concentration in the Inner Chamber, after booking only: from 5pm to 6pm every evening

III. FOR GUESTS OF AUROVILLE WHO ARE
FIRST-TIME VISITORS AT THE MATRIMANDIR:

Recognised “Guests” of Auroville are those who have a valid “Guest Card”. However, visits to the Matrimandir for such Guest Card holders may only be possible when staying in Auroville for around a week or more.

All visitors (including friends and family members of Aurovilians) who would like to visit the Inner Chamber of the Matrimandir for the first time are requested to take the following steps:

1) See the videos at the Visitors' Centre on Auroville and the Matrimandir. We recommend that they see both videos or at least the five minutes' video on the Matrimandir. 
The videos can be seen any day at the Visitors' Centre from 9.30 am  to 12.30pm . and from  2pm to 5pm .

2) Call the Matrimandir office any day between 9 and 10 am to put his/her name down on the reservation list for whichever day he/she would like to visit the Matrimandir, at the following telephone numbers: 2622268 or 2622204.

3) Arrive at the appointed day at the Matrimandir office gate no later than 4 pm.

Here, we will receive them, brief them about the Matrimandir, take them up to the Inner Chamber for a concentration of about 10/15 minutes each and bring them down by 5pm.

The 5 to 6pm concentration for visitors will continue as before but only for those who want to do a serious concentration.

They must be white pass holders, regular visitors and those who have done the first visit as mentioned above.

The  5 to 6 pm  visits must also be booked at the above numbers between 9 and 10 am . Passes for these visitors will be issued from 4.30 pm to 5.15pm only, after which nobody will be allowed to go into the Chamber as this causes disturbance to the serious visitors.  

The petals will remain open as usual from 4.30 to 6 pm for Aurovilians, Newcomers and Visitors. Visitors are recommended to see the video and book their Petals' visit too at the above mentioned time and numbers.

Please note that we do not accept group bookings.
Only individual requests are accepted.

The New System has been effective from 24.11.2006.

For further enquiry please call at the above numbers any day between 9 and 10 am .

IV. CASUAL VISITORS

Visitors who are not recognized “Guests of Auroville” are only permitted to visit the Amphitheatre in the Matrimandir Gardens , where they can also view the outer structure of the Matrimandir. We request them to respect the following procedure, area limits and timings.

Step one: Visitors Centre

To visit a part of the Gardens and see the Amphitheatre and MM structure from outside, first obtain a Gardens/Amphitheatre Pass at the MM Information Room. This will be issued only after you have first seen a 5-minute introductory video on the Matrimandir. (We also strongly advise people to see the 20-minute introductory video on “AUROVILLE” at the same time, so as to better understand the context of the Matrimandir.) Passes are issued 9.45am to 12.30pm and 1.45pm to 4pm daily, excepting Sunday afternoons, when the Gardens are closed to such visits.

Step two: Visits to the Amphitheatre

Visitors who have received a Gardens/Amphitheatre Pass at the Visitors Centre are admitted at the Visitors Gate of the Matrimandir 10am to 1pm & 2pm to 4:30 pm on weekdays, and 10am to 1pm on Sundays. They are directed to a designated section of the Amphitheatre from where they can see the Matrimandir and the Banyan tree.

V. POLICY FOR GROUPS OF MORE THAN FIVE PEOPLE

No group is admitted as such for concentration in the Inner Chamber. Visitors of all categories when in groups, including VIPs or invitees for conferences, etc, have to each apply individually if they wish to go to the Inner Chamber.

a) Large groups of Guests of Auroville .

- A group of Guests of Auroville can go as a group under the Banyan tree only.

- As individuals, the guests forming part of a visiting group have to follow the process described under the section ‘Guests of Auroville', and have to book individually if they want to be admitted in the Inner Chamber.

b) Guided visits for groups of more than five people, Guests of Auroville, or groups from outside (schools, ashrams, students, groups visiting Auroville for special projects in AV)

•  Groups of more than five people who want to go around the Matrimandir have to be accompanied by Gilles G, Pashi or Shiva. These guided visits do not include access to the Inner Chamber or other parts of the Matrimandir structure.

•  The number of people in the group should be limited (around 30 people maximum)

•  The visits should be completed before 4:30pm as other visitors who are sent under the Banyan will otherwise have the natural tendency to follow the groups around the Gardens.

•  Aurovilians who would like to bring a group for this type of guided visit have to ask in advance at the Matrimandir Office Monday to Saturday.

c) Outside groups of any other type

If an Aurovilian receives a request to “visit the Matrimandir” from an outside group (it could be a group from abroad), the information has to be communicated to the Access Group, who will study the request.

Please note that groups who are touring in India and simply include “Matrimandir” in their package are not accepted.

d) Participants to conferences, seminars and meetings

Aurovilians who organize conferences, seminars or other types of gathering which may include people who might wish to go to the Matrimandir, have to prepare their programme timing in advance in such a way that their invitees can first be given a short “Introduction to Auroville and the Matrimandir” by Gilles G., Shiva or Pashi, before being taken under the Banyan tree during the normal visiting hour of 5 to 6pm.

Following this group visit, any participants to the conference who might wish to meditate in a meditation room of the Petals, or eventually go on to the Inner Chamber, must make a personal / individual request to do so. They will then be required to follow the same process that other guests of Auroville are asked to follow.

Concentration in the Inner Chamber:
booking by individual request is necessary.
The time for the booking: 9 to 10 am everyday, Matrimandir Office, at the above numbers.

The Access Group of Matrimandir

For information call :

Matrimandir Information room (0413) 262-3449

E-mail: mmaccess@auroville.org.in