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A few of the new English books in this issue look back at the early history of the Ashram school, the beginnings of Auroville and the initial stages of the construction of the Matrimandir, and the span of years in which Karan Singh has been involved with Auroville’s development. Even the picture book for children is an old tale read out by the Mother to the Ashram schoolchildren in 1957. Then there is a compilation of the Mother’s writings on the Integral Yoga that helps prepare us for the future she and Sri Aurobindo have promised.

Last year the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education celebrated its 75th anniversary with special programmes and publications. A recent book, The Ashram School: Glimpses of the Early Years, recalls in text and photographs how the school began in 1943 and outlines its growth and development, from classes for the younger children in the 1940s to the creation of the Higher Course and the Free Progress system in 1968. Sections for dance, drama, and vocal and instrumental music were added to complement academic studies. The book chronicles the Mother’s intimate involvement in all aspects of the school, from appointing the administrators, to training the teachers, to taking French classes herself.
Anu Purani dancing to Sunil’s music
Siddheshwar (first Registrar of the school) with the Mother
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Singing with Dilip Kumar Roy in 1952
The first science laboratory

Next, two new books feature aspects of Auroville’s history. The Dawn of Auroville, a book of photographs accompanied by a brief historical narrative, traces the growth of Auroville, including the construction of the Matrimandir, during the Mother’s lifetime. Based on the 2018 exhibition organised by the Ashram’s Archives and Research Library and the Auroville Archives to commemorate Auroville’s fiftieth anniversary, the timeline of text and photographs affords a unique view of Auroville’s early pioneer years.
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Standing: Gérard Cruz, Oscar Lässer, Gilbert Gauché, Rukiya Dalal , Sushila Melvani, Nirmal Chandra Das, Anne Gauché, Bibi Heymann, Georges Richardet, Charles Gianferrari

Seated: Basanta Kumar Mukherjee, Michael Neville, Jany Anger, Nata, Gilbert Anger, Pournapréma, Navajata, Roger Anger, Pierre Braslavsky, Mario Heymann, Pierre Garrigues


A 1966 photo of the team of architects, engineers, and executive staff connected to the Auroville project
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Photo taken on 17 November 1973 evening, when the final concreting of the four pillars of the Matrimandir was completed at exactly 7.25 pm, the same moment the Mother left her body

Dear Aurovilians: Inspiration from Karan Singh’s Auroville Collaboration traces Karan Singh’s many years of association with the Auroville project, not only in his official capacity as Chairman of the Auroville Foundation, but more personally through his letters and messages to Auroville and selections from interviews on his work for Auroville.

The last two books in this introduction are a picture book, Yusuf and the Little Mouse, which illustrates a story read out by the Mother to the children during one of her evening classes in the Playground, and a compilation of the Mother’s writings, The Process of the Integral Yoga, that concentrates on preparing the sadhak for the psychic, the spiritual, and the supramental transformations that make the Integral Yoga a unique process. At the end of the book is an essay by the author that highlights the transition from spiritualisation to supramentalisation as expounded by Sri Aurobindo.



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ENGLISH

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The Ashram School: Glimpses of the Early Years
— Namita Sarkar
ISBN: 978-93-5210-170-2
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 49
Price: Rs 110

A simple narrative of historical events with more than fifty photographs to enliven the story, the book begins with the opening of a small school for thirty-eight children in December 1943 and moves ahead to the founding of the University Centre in 1952 and to the creation of the Higher Course and the Free Progress system in 1968. The aims and values of the school, the Mother’s guidance in all matters, and her methods of training for the teachers are explained through her own words. The overall development of the child included physical education activities and lessons in the fine arts, such as music, dance, and drama. The true aim of the Ashram school education is to prepare children for a higher life where they can thrive as living souls and express their true beings.

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The Dawn of Auroville
(1964–1973) A brief history in photographs
— Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives and Research Library In collaboration with Auroville Archives
ISBN: 978-93-5210-171-9
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry
Binding: Hard Cover
Pages: 236
Price: Rs 850

A collaboration between the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives and Research Library and the Auroville Archives, this book of photographs, woven together by a simple historical narrative, traces the growth of Auroville during the Mother’s lifetime.  Based on an exhibition presented in February 2018 to commemorate Auroville’s fiftieth anniversary, it covers the conception and initial planning of Auroville, the preparation for and description of the inauguration day, 28 February 1968, and then the construction of the Matrimandir through 17 November 1973. Included are some of her messages on the aims and ideals of Auroville and a few then-and-now photographs of the centre of Auroville that portray the transformation of that landscape.

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Dear Aurovilians: Inspiration from Karan Singh's Auroville collaboration
With a Special Addendum – Light on Karan Singh
— Compiled and edited by Aryadeep S. Acharya
ISBN: 978-81-933675-5-1
Publisher: PRISMA, Auroville
Binding: Hard Cover
Pages: 215
Price: Rs 600

In 1988, when the Parliament of India passed the Auroville Foundation Act, Karan Singh was appointed its first chairman. He served four more terms as Chairman, presiding in that capacity over the growth of Auroville for twenty-two years. This book is a collection of some of Karan Singh’s speeches, selections from interviews on his association with Auroville, a few articles he wrote on Auroville, selected letters and messages to Auroville, a look back on his early connections to the Ashram and Auroville, and an addendum of tributes to his person and his achievements. The book includes many large photographs in colour and in black and white, and five QR codes that can be scanned to watch videos featuring Karan Singh in Auroville.

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Yusuf and the Little Mouse
— Illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane
ISBN: 978-93-82474-20-3
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research, Auroville
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 28
Price: Rs 200

During a Friday evening class in the Playground in March 1957 the Mother read out to the children a story meant to illustrate the value of patience and perseverance. The young man in the tale, seeking initiation from his guru, learns the hard way that in order to truly possess any knowledge, one must put it into practice, one must master one’s nature in order to express that knowledge in action. Only after understanding this truth is he worthy to receive initiation from his guru. Illustrated with numerous drawings, this picture book for children presents the story told by the Mother and her comments to the children of the Ashram school.

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The Process of the Integral Yoga
— A compilation from the Mother's writings and an essay by Paulette Hadnagy
ISBN: 978-81-933675-6-8
Publisher: Auroville Foundation, Auroville
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 476
Price: Rs 450

In this work, the compiler has gathered extracts from the Collected Works of the Mother focussing on some of the major aspects of the Integral Yoga, specifically highlighting the triple transformation at the core of the sadhana: the psychic, the spiritual, and the supramental.  In the section on the supramental transformation, she quotes heavily from Notes on the Way (Volume 11) where the Mother describes her work on the mind of Matter and the cellular mind. The book concludes with an appendix written by the compiler to highlight the transition from spiritualisation to supramentalisation as elucidated by Sri Aurobindo.

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Rebirth
— Selections from the Works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
ISBN: 9788170604051
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 50
Price: Rs 60

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Religion & Spirituality
— Selections from the Works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
ISBN: 978-81-7060-403-7
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 49
Price: Rs 60

GERMAN

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Weiße Rosen
ISBN: 978-81-87372-37-0
Publisher: The Havyavahana Trust, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 151
Price: Rs 350

A new German translation of White Roses

Description of content for original work:
        The Mother wrote many letters and sent daily notes to Huta. These notes were always accompanied by white roses, which became the title for the book consisting of extracts from these letters and notes written over a period of fifteen years, from 1955 to 1970. The book is divided chronologically into three parts, as the letters originally appeared as three separate booklets. In these extracts, the Mother offers Huta advice, encouragement, and explanations on an array of spiritual matters that arise in the course of sadhana.

ITALIAN

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Riflessioni sul tema La donna
— Nolini Kanta Gupta
ISBN: 978-93-5210-176-4
Publisher: Domani, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 111
Price: Rs 350

Italian translation of the Bengali book Narir Katha

Il libro è una raccolta di tredici articoli scritti da Nolini Kanta Gupta in un lungo periodo di oltre vent’anni dal 1926 al 1949. Sebbene si tratti di tredici articoli differenti e indipendenti fra di loro essi rientrano in un mosaico dettato dall’interdisciplinarietà del tema trattato. I vari saggi intitolati ‘Riflessioni sul tema “La donna”’, ‘Il problema delle donne’, ‘La peculiarità della femminilità’, ‘Il matrimonio e la relazione coniugale’ ecc., trattano il problema della donna a livello individuale, sociale e culturale e, allo stesso tempo, spaziano nel passato, presente e futuro del mondo femminile.
Su questa interconnessione Nolini K. G. costruisce una relazione fra le analisi storiche, psicologiche e spirituali che si rivela d’immensa importanza, perché una visione unificata di tal genere, uscita dalla sua penna, rende la lettura di questi articoli un’esperienza più contemplativa che la semplice lettura di un libro.

RUSSIAN

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Savitri: Legenda i Simbol (Tom 1: Knigi I–II(1))
— Sri Aurobindo
ISBN: 978-5-88947-051-9
Publisher: Mirra, Russia
Binding: Hard Cover
Pages: 399
Price: Rs 900

Russian translation of Savitri, Book I and Book II (Cantos 1 to 6)

BENGALI

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Sri Aurobindo Smaranika
— Trija Roy
ISBN: 978-81-9316-254-5
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Pathamandir, Kolkata
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 112
Price: Rs 70

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Shudhu Tomar Jonyo
A Collection of Poems
— Dheemoyee
Publisher: Rama Debi, Midnapur
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 182
Price: Rs 100

GUJARATI

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Savitri Shabdamrut - 9
— Shraddhavan
Publisher: Yoga-Yukta Prakashan, Vadodara
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 460
Price: Rs 220

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Purnatane Panthe
— Rambhai Chunibhai Patel
Publisher: Yoga-Yukta Prakashan, Vadodara
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 124
Price: Rs 60

TAMIL

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Eric
— Sri Aurobindo
Publisher: LKM Publication, Chennai
Binding: Hard Cover
Pages: 269
Price: Rs 250

Tamil translation of Eric

Sri Aurobindo began writing Eric, a dramatic romance set in Norway centuries ago, in 1910, shortly after his arrival in Pondicherry. The play was first published in 1960.

TELUGU

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Maharushivaryulu Sri Aravindulu
— Ganne Shripati Naidu
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Centre, Tadpatri
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 20
Price: Rs 20

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Santhoshamu – Prasantata
— Compiled from the Writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Publisher: Samata International, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 44
Price: Rs 30

Telugu translation of Happiness and Peace

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Prarthana – Japamu
— Compiled from the Writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Publisher: Samata International, Pondicherry
Binding: Soft Cover
Pages: 40
Price: Rs 25

Telugu translation of Prayer and Japa



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