Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years

In this beautiful 23rd episode of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, we converse with Vishwajit, who shares his rare personal memories of growing up under the direct guidance and love of The Mother. Born in 1950, Vishwajit was blessed to see Sri Aurobindo in real life during his very early years. He recounts his unique closeness with The Mother, who generously granted him her time from mornin...

In this inspiring 22nd episode of our historical series, Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, Jayanti shares profound personal recollections of life under the guidance of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Born on Shankara Jayanti, she reflects on her destiny as a child of the Ashram and the deep support she received from senior sadhaks such as Madhav-ji and Champaklal-ji. Jayanthi recounts moving m...

In this 21st episode of our ongoing historical series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years," we are deeply honoured to sit down with Jayanti Rao. She takes us on a breath taking journey back to her childhood and youth, sharing extraordinary personal memories of her encounters with Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Through her vivid reflections, Jayanti captures the sublime atmosphere of...

Step back into the magical early days of the Ashram in this 20th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." In this beautiful continuation, we sit down once again with Vinodini as she shares more deeply personal, moving, and sometimes humorous stories of her life under the loving care of The Mother. From the inner chamber of the Mother’s presence to the everyday rhy...

Step back into the magical early days of the Ashram in this 19th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." In this moving session, we are joined by Vinodini as she shares her deeply personal journey of spiritual awakening, inner openings, and life under the grace of The Mother. Vinodini recalls the foundational moments of her childhood and youth that led her to Pon...

Step back into the magical early days of the Ashram in this 18th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." In this episode, we continue our beautiful conversation with Lata Jauhar as she shares her memories of a major milestone in her life: leaving the Ashram as a teenager to pursue higher education abroad in Europe. Lata ji takes us on a fascinating journey across...

Step back into the magical early days of the Ashram in this 17th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." In this captivating session, we are joined by Lata Jauhar as she shares her extraordinary memories of arriving at the Ashram as a young child in the 1940s and growing up under the direct care of The Mother. Lata ji brings to life a time when children were a ra...

Step back into the magical early days of the Ashram in this 16th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." In this beautiful continuation, we are once again joined by Ushaben and Chunibhai as they share precious, lesser-known stories of the elder sadhaks and their intimate experiences with The Mother. This episode captures the profound spiritual atmosphere of the e...

In this 15th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years," we are delighted to be joined by Ushaben and Chunibhai as they recount their journey from Zambia to Pondicherry and their decades of dedicated service in the presence of The Mother. Together, they share a touching narrative of a life defined by "Divine Protection" and the practical application of Moth...

Step back into the magical 1940s in this 14th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." This week, we continue our immersive journey with Pushpa, who arrived at the Ashram as a young girl in 1942. In this concluding part of her conversation with Narad, Pushpa shares deeply personal stories that reveal the profound care, discipline, and "Divine Grace" that...

Step back into the magical 1940s in this 13th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years." This week, we are joined by Sunanda, who shares her soul-stirring introduction to the Ashram as an eight-year-old child arriving from Nairobi. Sunanda paints a vivid picture of an era where the boundary between the physical and the spiritual felt as thin as a veil, and the prese...

In this 12th episode of our series, "Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The Early Years," we continue our deep dive into the creative and spiritual journey of Dhanavanti. In this second part of our conversation, she opens her heart and her portfolio to reveal the profound experiences behind her soul-stirring paintings. Dhanavanti shares how her art serves as a form of Sadhana, offering an intimate l...

Step back into what Dhanavanti calls the "Celestial atmosphere" of the early Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Having first visited Pondicherry in 1935 as a toddler, Dhanavanti shares her firsthand memories of a foundational era when the physical presence of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother defined every aspect of daily life. In this moving interview, she recounts the rare privilege of being among the first child...

Step back in time to the foundational years of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In this deeply personal and historical interview, we sit down with Chandrakant, a dedicated sadhak who arrived in Pondicherry from Africa in the 1940s. His stories offer a unique "behind-the-scenes" look at the physical labor, the athletic spirit, and the intimate moments of Grace that built the Ashram community. 🌟 Highlight...

In this deeply moving conclusion to her interview, Nirata shares "jewel-like" memories of her intimate interactions with the Mother, revealing the intense compassion and practical wisdom that defined life in the early Ashram. She recounts personal stories of moving from a sense of distance to receiving the "intimate touch" of the Mother—from the special distribution of saris to the Mother’s promis...

In this captivating first part of our interview with Nirata, we travel back to 1943, when a ten-year-old girl arrived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and immediately felt she was exactly where she needed to be. Nirata shares intimate, firsthand accounts of the Ashram’s early atmosphere—a time when the Mother could be approached at any hour in the playground and when spiritual discipline was woven into...

In this episode, Kittu Reddy continues his conversation with Narad, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the pivotal year of 1972—the Sri Aurobindo Centenary. Kittu shares the deeply personal story of being tasked by the Mother to organize the Centenary Exhibition despite having no prior experience. He recounts the profound spiritual guidance he received, the "blow" of a reminder f...

Join us for a heartwarming journey back to the 1940s with Kittu Reddy, who arrived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram as a young boy in 1941. Kittu shares delightful anecdotes of being a "notorious" and mischievous child in an Ashram that had no formal school yet. From being locked in his room for his pranks to the moment he felt a real inner contact with the Mother through the simple offering...

In Part 2 of this interview, Vasanti explores the inner workings and expanding horizons of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in the 1950s. She details the unique discipline Kapali Sastry provided to M.P. Pandit, focusing strictly on Integral Yoga rather than traditional Sastras. Vasanti also shares a fascinating account of Medhananda, the German judge and occultist who became the Ashram’s librarian after f...

In the 4th episode of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, we introduce Vasanti, who shares an intimate look at the lives of Madhav Pandit (M.P. Pandit) and his mentor, the great Vedic scholar Kapali Shastri. In this session, we explore: The Ashram Atmosphere: Life in the powerful physical presence of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The Path of M.P. Pandit: How a brilliant young man traded a secu...

In this episode, Amita shares vivid memories of her journey from 1930s Burma to the spiritual atmosphere of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Episode Highlights: Life in Rangoon: Memories of a 3-year-old "writing" circles in notebooks and the early discipline of a meditative household. First Spiritual Impressions: A child’s-eye view of a Ramakrishna Mission Puja and the "royal blue" wa...

In the second part of his interview with Amita, Narad (Richard Eggenberger) explores her lifelong journey into the world of art and education within the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Amita-di shares delightful and profound anecdotes of her early years, including:     The Banana Lesson: Her first drawing lessons at age nine under Sanjiban-da and the Mother's clever way of keeping a sleepy child awake w...

In the debut episode of Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Early Years , Narad (Richard Eggenberger) interviews Amita , a long-standing inmate of the Ashram. Amita shares her personal journey of arrival and her early experiences of living under the direct guidance of The Mother. This episode captures the unique atmosphere of the Ashram's formative years and the intimate bond between the Master, the Mot...