Auroville is HUGE. Its impossible to get around without a moped or a car, or a LOT of time. We're staying at the Center Guest House which has a huge Banyan tree in the courtyard. I think its the first time I've seen a Banyan tree - they are amazing things. With their long tap roots reaching down towards the earth from the long branches, like hair.
We borrowed bikes and rode to Matrimandir (a golden dome at the heart of Auroville). They're still working on the dome which was cool because we could look at the enormous gold disks that they're attaching to the dome. They're made of gold-flake tiles. One has to question how much such a project costs. This community supposedly does a lot of community outreach, but apparently its very expensive to live here, which would disclude the local population. And then this huge gold building in the center of it, hmmmm...
We went inside and there was a ramp circling up the dome to a room at the top. Signs that said, "Silence"all the way up. When we reached the top, we were met by a woman sitting next to a box of white socks. She put her finger up to her lips, "shhh" and handed us socks to put on (we had left our shoes at the door). Then she opened a door to her right and gestured for us to enter. I was almost knocked over at what I saw - a stark white white white cylindrical room with a ceiling about 100ft up. There were about 10 huge tall pillars in a circle near the center of the room. The floor was padded with white cloth. People were meditating in a huge circle around the outside of the ring of pillars and in the very center of the room was a HUGE crystal ball (said to be the largest in the world). It felt as if the crystal ball had a consciousness all to itself. Strange.
Auroville is in beautiful nature. We heard the strangest birds singing all night long. Beautiful haunting songs all around us. It was also pitch pitch pitch black as soon as night came, due to their conservation of energy. I would like to learn more about Auroville, I feel I judge it too quickly. We visited the health center where they help many of the local population every day for free. While we were there we must have seen about 7 injuries, all resulting from farming. 
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