R.'s idea is an island at the center, with water around, running water which will be used for the whole water supply of the city; and when it has flowed through the city, it will be sent to a plant, and from there to irrigate all the cultivated lands around. So this center is like an islet, and at this center, there is what we first called the "Matrimandir" - which I always see as a very large hall, absolutely bare, you understand, and getting a light from above: it should be so arranged that the light from above gets concentrated on a spot where there would be ... what we want to put as the center of the city We first thought of Sri Aurobindo's symbol, but we can put anything we like. Like that, with a ray of light constantly striking from above - revolving and revolving ... to follow the sun, you understand. If it's done well, it would be very good. And then, below, people would be able to sit and meditate, or just rest, but there would be NOTHING-nothing except something comfortable below so they can sit without getting tired, probably with pillars acting at the same time as backrests. Something like that. That's what I always SEE. A hall with a ceiling high enough to allow sunlight to come in as a RAY, depending on the time of the day, and fall on that center which will be there. If that is done, it will be very good.

So then, for the rest, it's the same to me, they will do as they like. They first thought of building a dwelling for me, but I'll never go, so it's no use, it's quite unnecessary. And to watch over the islet, it was agreed there would be a small house for H. who wanted to be there simply as a guard .... Then R. had arranged a whole system of bridges to link that to the other bank. The other bank would be entirely made of gardens all around. Those gardens ... we thought of twelve gardens (dividing the distance into twelve), twelve gardens with each of them concentrated on one thing: a state of consciousness with the flowers representing it. And the twelfth garden would be in the islet, around (not around but beside) the "Mandir" with the tree, the banyan which is there. That's what is at the center of the city. And there, there would be a repetition of the twelve gardens around, with the flowers arranged in the same way ... There are now two Americans here, husband and wife, and the husband studied there for more than a year the art of gardening, and he came here with that knowledge. So I asked him to start straight away preparing the plan for the inner garden: they're working on it.


Page 494-95 , Mother's Agenda , volume 10 , 31st Dec - 1969

Mother, I told Paolo [the Italian architect] to come, he is waiting outside.

Yes.... There is an interesting thing.

For a long time I had been feeling something, then we spoke about it the other day, and I SAW ... I told R. [Auroville's architect] about it, I asked him to see Paolo, and I also told him that I had seen what should be done. Naturally, he didn't say no, he said yes to everything, but I felt he wasn't too keen.... But here is what happened. I clearly saw - very, very distinctly saw, which means it was like that, and it still IS like that, it's there (gesture showing an

eternal plane) - the inside of that place [the Matrimandir].

Maybe you should tell Paolo about it?
Tell him right now?... All right.... I'll speak more easily if I am alone with you.

Fine, then, Mother.
I could describe it. It came like this. It will be a kind of hall which will be like the inside of a column. No windows. Ventilation will be artificial, with this kind of machinery (Mother points to an air conditioner), and just a roof. And sunlight striking the center; or, when there is no sunlight (at night or on overcast days), an electric spotlight. The idea is to build right now an example or a "model" for a hundred people or so. Once the city is built and the experiment is made, we will make a BIG thing of it - but then it will be very big, for one or two thousand people. And the second one will be built around the first, which means that the first will go only when the second is built.

There's the idea.

Only, in order to tell Paolo about it (and if possible, if I see it's possible, to tell R. about it), I wanted to have a plan. I'll have it made - not myself, I can't do it anymore; I could have done it in the past, but now I don't see clearly enough. This afternoon, I'll have it made in front of me, and with that plan, I'll be able to explain really well. But to you I simply wanted to say what I have seen....

It will be a tower with twelve facets - each facet representing one month of the year - and the top, the roof of the tower will be like this (Mother makes a gesture showing something like this:)

Then, inside, there will be twelve columns - the walls and twelve columns - and right at the center, on the floor, my symbol, with, above it, four symbols of Sri Aurobindo joining in a square, and above ... a globe. A globe possibly made of a transparent substance, with or without a light inside, but the sun will have to strike this globe; so, depending on the particular month or hour, it will be from here or there or there ... (gesture showing the sun's course). Do you understand? There will always be an opening with a sunbeam. Not a diffused light, but a beam that will have to come and strike the globe. That requires technical knowledge for its execution, and that's why I want to make a drawing with an engineer.

But inside, there will be neither windows nor lights, it will always be in a sort of clear half-light, night and day: during the day with sunlight, at night with artificial light. And on the ground, nothing, except for a floor like this one [in Mother's room], that is, first a wooden floor (wooden or something else), then a sort of thick rubber foam, very soft, and then a carpet. A carpet covering everything, except for the center. And people will be able to sit anywhere. The twelve columns are for those who need a backrest!

But then, people will not come for "regular meditations" or anything of the kind (the internal organization will be taken care of later): it will be a place for concentration. Not everyone will be allowed in; there will be a time of the week or the day (I don't know) when visitors will be allowed, but anyway without mixture. There will be a fixed hour or day to show the visitors, and the rest of the time only for those who are ... serious - serious, sincere, who truly want to learn to concentrate.

So I think that's good.

It was there (gesture of vision above), I still see it when I talk about it - I SEE. As I see it, it's very beautiful, really very beautiful. ... A sort of half-light: you can see, but it's VERY peaceful, and with very clear and strong beams of light on that globe (the projected, artificial light will have to be slightly golden, it shouldn't be cold - it will depend on the spotlights). A globe that will be made of plastic or ... I don't know.

Crystal?
If possible, yes. For the smaller temple, the globe won't need to be very big: if it were this big (about one foot), it would be enough. But for the bigger temple, it will have to be big.

But how will the bigger temple be built? Over the small one?
No, no, the small one will go.

Oh, it will go, another one will be built.
But the big temple will be built afterwards, and then on a huge scale.... The smaller one will go only once the bigger one is built. But of course, for the city to be completed, we must allow some twenty years (for everything to be in order, in its place). It's the same with the gardens: all the gardens that are being prepared are for now, but in twenty years, all that will have to be on another scale; then it will have to be something really ... really beautiful. And I wonder what substance that globe should be made of, the big one?... The small one could be made of crystal: for a globe this size (gesture about one foot) I think it will do. The globe will have to be visible from every corner of the room.

It shouldn't be too high above the floor either, should it?
No, Sri Aurobindo's symbol doesn't have to be very big, it has to be this size....

Ten to twelve inches?
At the most, at the very most.

So it would be more or less at eye level.
At eye level, yes, that's right.

And a VERY peaceful atmosphere. And NOTHING, nothing but big columns.... There remains to see whether the columns' style ... whether they will be round, or themselves with twelve facets ...? But TWELVE columns.

And a roof with two sides?
Yes, a roof with two sides so as to get sunlight. It will have to be so arranged that rainwater can't get in. Something that needs to be opened and closed every time it rains won't do, it's not possible; it will have to be in such a way that rainwater can't get in. But sunlight must get in AS A BEAM, not diffused. So the opening will have to be limited.... It requires a clever engineer, who knows his job really well.

When would they start?
I'd like them to start immediately, as soon as we have the plans. But there are two questions: first the plans (workers can be found), and then money.... I think it can be done with this idea of building a small specimen ("small," well, it's a manner of speaking, because to hold a hundred people easily it will still have to be big enough), a small specimen to begin with. While building the small specimen we'll learn, and we'll build the big one when the city is finished - that won't be right now.

I told R. about it, and the next day he told me, "Yes, but it will take time to prepare." (I said nothing of all I've just told you, I just spoke of doing something.) Afterwards I had a vision of that room, so I no longer need anyone to see how it should be - I know. What's needed is an engineer more than an architect, because an architect ... It has to be as simple as possible.

I told Paolo what you had seen, that large room, empty, withoutanything. It touched him a lot, he in fact could see that large

empty room. He understands quite well. So "empty" simply

means a shape.

But a shape ... like a tower, but ... (that's why I wanted to have a sketch to show) twelve regular facets, and then we need a wall that's not straight, a wall slightly like this (gesture of a slight slope), I don't know if that's possible. And inside, twelve columns. So we'll have to find a way to capture sunlight, so that at any time of the year sunlight can get in.... We need someone who knows his job well.

As for the outside ... I didn't see the outside; I didn't see it at all, I only saw the inside.

I wanted to explain to Paolo once I would have the papers, it would be easier, but since you called him ...

(Sujata goes out and comes back with Paolo, who comes in with

a garland of pink "Harmony." Mother gives him an orange hibis

cus - Auroville's flower - looks at him, and starts speaking:)

Since we decided to build that temple, I have seen - I have seen the inside. I have just tried to describe it to Satprem. But in a few days I will have plans and drawings, so I'll be able to explain more clearly. Because I don't know at all how the outside is, but the inside I know.

(Paolo:) The outside comes out of the inside.
It's a kind of tower with twelve regular facets representing the twelve months of the year, and absolutely empty.... Only, it will have to hold one to two hundred people. So, to support the roof, there would be inside (not outside, inside) twelve columns; and right at the center, the object of concentration.... And with the sun's concentration, all year round it will have to get in AS A BEAM (not diffused: it will have to be so arranged that it can get in as beams); then, according to the hour of the day and the month of the year, the beam will revolve (there will be some device at the top) and it will be directed onto the center. At the center, there will be the symbol [of Mother], then Sri Aurobindo's symbol supporting a globe. A globe which we'll try to have made of a transparent substance such as crystal or ... A large globe. Then people will be let in in order to concentrate - (laughing) to learn to concentrate! No fixed meditations, nothing of the sort, but they will have to stay there in silence - silence and concentration.

(P.:) It's very beautiful.
But the place should be absolutely ... as simple as possible. And the floor in such a way that people may be comfortable, without having to think that it hurts here or there!

(P.:) It's very beautiful.
And in the middle, on the floor, my symbol. At the center of my symbol, we'll have four parts (like a square), four symbols of Sri Aurobindo, upright, supporting a transparent globe.

That was seen.

So I'll have small plans prepared by an engineer, simple ones to show, and then I'll show you when they are ready. There. And we'll see.

As far as the walls are concerned, they will probably have to be in concrete.

(P.:) The whole structure can be in reinforced concrete.
The roof will probably have to be sloping, and at the center there will have to be a special device for the sun.

(Satprem:) You said that you saw the walls with a slight slope.
Either the walls or the roof will have to have a slope - whatever will be easier. The walls can be straight with the roof sloping. And the higher part of the roof resting on the twelve columns. And on top, the device for the sun.

Inside, nothing. Nothing but the columns. The columns ... I don't know, we'll have to see if they will be with facets (like the whole thing), twelve facets, or simply round.

(P.:) Round.
Or simply square - that has to be seen.

Then, on the floor, we'll have something thick and soft. Here ... (are you comfortable when you are sealed?... Yes?), there is first a wooden floor, then that sort of rubber, and above, a woolen carpet.

(Satprem:) With your symbol?
Not on the carpet. The symbol, I first thought it should be done out of some solid material.

(P.:) It has to be in stone.
The symbol ... everything will be around it, of course. The symbol will not cover everything, it will only be at the center of the space - (laughing) people shouldn't sit on the symbol!... It will be at the center.

The proportion between the symbol and the whole has to be seen carefully, in comparison with the height.

(P.:) The room will be rather large?
Oh, yes, it should be. There should be a sort of half-light with those sunbeams - the sunbeam should be SEEN.

A sunbeam.

So, depending on the hour of the day (the hour of the day and the month of the year), the sun will go round. Then, at night, as soon as sunlight has vanished, we'll switch on spotlights which will have the same effect and the same color. Night and day the light will remain there. But no windows or lamps or things of the sort - nothing. Ventilation through air conditioners (they're set inside the walls, that's very easy).

And SILENCE. No talking inside!

It will be fine.

So as soon as my papers are ready, I'll call you to show them to you.

(P.:) Very good.
(To Sujata:) Give me a rose for him.

(Mother gives two red roses,

Paolo withdraws)

I didn't ask him if he had seen R. because ... R. is quite in nowadays' "practical" atmosphere.

Good, it has to start off!

page 15-22 , Mother's Agenda , volume 11 , 3rd Jan - 1970

(Laying of the foundation stone of the Matrimandir. Mother is

ninety-three years old. She gives the following message:)

"Let the Matrimandir be the living symbol of
Auroville's aspiration for the Divine."

page 49 - Mother's Agenda , volume 12 , 21st Feb - 1971

Last time I told you I was looking for the twelve attributes (Mother takes out a sheet of paper). Here they are, someone found this.


Sincerity - Humility - Gratitude - Perseverance

Aspiration - Receptivity - Progress - Courage

Goodness - Generosity - Equanimity - Peace


The first eight concern the attitude towards the Divine, and the last four towards humanity.

And we also found a text from Sri Aurobindo (with a colored chart of the twelve petals):

Centre and four powers, white. The twelve all of different color

in three groups: top group red,

passing to orange towards yellow.

Next group, yellow passing through green

towards blue. And third group, blue passing

through violet towards red.

If white is not convenient,

the center may be gold (powder).

March 20, 1934

The center is gold.

But what did you need these twelve attributes for?

They're going to build twelve rooms around the Matrimandir, at ground level, and R. wanted each room to have a name: one of the twelve attributes of the Mother, and the corresponding color. [[It may interest the reader to know that according to Sri Aurobindo, these colors generally have the following significances, though the exact meaning may vary "with the field, the combinations, the character and shades of the color, the play of forces": red = physical; orange = supramental in the physical; yellow = thinking mind; green = life; blue = higher mind; violet = divine compassion or grace; gold = divine Truth; white = the light of the Mother, or the Divine Consciousness. (See also Agenda IV, May 18, 1963.) ]]


page 41-42 - Mother's Agenda , volume 13 , 19th Jan - 1972-1973