Auroville Foundation plans next edition of literature festival

Auroville Foundation convened a meeting to give shape to the next edition of the Auroville Literature Festival scheduled in December.

According to a press note, the meeting held in Auroville was attended by officials from Puducherry and Gujarat who discussed preparations for the literary festival being hosted as part of the ongoing celebrations commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo.

Sharat Chauhan, Chief Secretary of Puducherry, Jayanthi S. Ravi, Additional Chief Secretary of the Government of Gujarat and Secretary of the Auroville Foundation and senior officials and secretaries from the Puducherry administration attended the meeting. The discussions focused on the coordination, planning, and execution of the forthcoming festival, envisioned as a significant cultural and educational platform that celebrates Sri Aurobindo’s vision of human unity, consciousness, and creative expression, the press note added.

The inaugural edition of the Auroville Literature Festival was held in August, 2023.

In addition to the festival preparations, the officials also reviewed infrastructure development plans, with particular focus on the newly-proposed Outer Radial Road, designed to enhance connectivity in and around Auroville. As part of this initiative, care would be taken for the relocation and preservation of over 60 mature trees, the press note said.

Among those who participated were A. Muthamma, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government of Puducherry and Mohammed Ahsan Abid, Secretary, Art and Culture.

Following the meeting, the officials visited key cultural and artistic landmarks in Auroville, including Bharat Nivas (India Space), Kala Kendra, and the Tamil Heritage Centre — all of which are set to play a pivotal role in hosting activities for the Auroville Literature Festival, the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo, and the upcoming ‘Margazhi Utsavam’, the press note added.