Discover the Magic of Auroville Through Their Products - Food, Clothes, Homeware and More (2019)!

Auroville, (City of Dawn) is a township in the making and the name has been derived from French language; ‘Aurore’ meaning dawn and ‘ville’ signifies city. Also, it is named after Sri Aurobindo (an Indian philosopher, yogi, patriot, nationalist and guru; 1872 – 1950) and was founded in 1968 on a barren piece of land by Mirra Alfassa (called as ‘The Mother’), who was a spiritual Guru and disciple of Aurobindo. Auroville is planned in about 20 km sq. area and is located 10 kms north of Puducherry and 5 kms from the coast of Bay of Bengal. This township is round shaped and has six zones inside it.

This experimental International Township was inaugurated on 28 Feb 1968, when 5000 people from 121 nations, including people from all States of India brought soil from their Homelands and deposited it in a marble urn which is preserved till date in an Amphitheatre in Auroville. Currently, people from over 50 nations and in all age groups, caste and genders are included in the 3000 odd population (one-third of whom are Indians) of this dream township and represent the humanity as a whole. The centre of the township is called Peace Area which has a Matrimandir surrounded by lush gardens, the amphitheatre which has the urn containing soils from 121 countries and 23 Indian states representing Human Unity and a proposed site for a lake to create a calm environment, and also serves as a groundwater restoration place. The Peace Area is surrounded by four more zones namely Industrial Zone, Residential Zone, International Zone and Cultural Zone. All the four zones are collectively encircled by a Green Belt where organic farms, dairies, forests, orchards and wildlife areas have been developed to provide a green and clean atmosphere to the residents as the original plan is to inhabit close to 50,000 people in this township.

The industrial zone in Auroville houses many small and medium scale businesses, which are engaged in various enterprises as handicrafts, health and wellbeing, offset printing of stationary, toy making, garment manufacturing and food processing etc. Auroville has over 180 small enterprise units and it provides employment to four to five thousand people from inside Auroville and the nearby villages which have a combined population of 40,000. Auroville products are all organic and mostly made by hand from the residents of the town and the local villagers.

Auroville provides Natural Health products under the brand name of ‘Aurospirul’ and their Spirulina products are considered superfood. Be it the Supergreens or the erbal Supplements, they are all power packed with the superfood Spirulina. But what is Spirulina? It is a minuscule blue-green coloured algae which is a spiral coil shaped slime and is one of the oldest greenery which grows over water. It’s origin dates back 3.6 billion years ago and acted as a bridge between bacteria and green plants. This algae grows naturally in mineral-rich lakes which are alkaline in nature and is found on every continent, mostly near volcanoes or places where thermal activity takes place.

But what is so special about Spirulina and how is it beneficial for our health? The largest volumes of Spirulina is found in Mexico and many civilizations like Mayan Indians in Gautemala and Incas in Mexico have been using Spirulina for ages and have benefited from its healthy properties. Spirulina is termed as super food, as it is a food source which contains all the essential micro-nutrients required by our body in concentrated form. It’s a low fat, cholesterol free and low calorie nutrient which has a very high level of protein, essential vitamins and other essential nutrients. These products can be purchased from aurospirul.com or from the premises of Auroville in case you visit this place.

Aurospirul Spirulina is grown in shallow ponds and the Lonar species of spirulina is used in the production process, which is found in Lake Lonar, a meteoritic crater lake in India. These ponds are about 15 cms deep and special minerals and salts are added to get the suitable conditions in which the algae grow. The pH level of water is maintained at a strong 10.2 ensuring that no other micro-organisms or microcystins can develop in that environment. Later, in the harvesting process, the spirulina is cleaned through many layers of filters and drained and again cleaned with water. After this, the collected spirulina is pressed between two granite slabs removing 80% of the water, leaving behind the solid paste. In the final stage, the paste form is dried in sun and then in a hot air dryer to achieve the final result, which is ready for consumption. The Spirulina products are shaped and mixed in different forms like Spirulina Crunchy (in the form of small and crunchy crumbs), Spirulina Chilli Crunchy (mixed with chili powder, pepper and masala powder to give a nice flavor), Spirulina Powder, Spirulina Capsules (500 mg spirulina per capsule), Spirulina-Amla Capsules (350 mg spirulina and 150 mg amla powder) and Tablets (500 mg spirulina and 100 mg corn starch to bind) form.

In the Herbal Supplements segment, Aurospirul has supplements made of few herbs and plants which are recommended in Ayurveda and have amazing medicinal and nutritional value. The range includes Ashwagandha (energy, strength and stress relief), Brahmi (mental performance booster), Neem (blood purifier and strengthens the immune system), Triphala (body cleanser and improves digestion), Amla (rich in anti-oxidants and Vitamin C), Stevia (natural sweetener - stabilizes blood sugar), Shatavari (useful in women's health), Neem (natural immune booster) and Arjuna (strengthens the heart muscles).

Various art and crafts related items are prepared by skilled artisans and these include Musical Instruments, Ceramic Art, Pottery and Up cycled items.

Keeping in mind the concept of peace and humanity, Auroville has selected the Musical Instruments which are melodious and produce tranquil sounds. The list includes different types of swinging chimes, wind chimes and door chimes, percussion instruments as bamboo tongue, children educational instruments, different types of rattles (rain rattle, nut shaker, hope rattle, etc.) and dafli, etc. Also included are various mallet instruments like Swara Tarang and Shruti Thali, different types of flutes and winds, strings and accessories are a part of this segment and can be purchased from svaram.org.

Beautiful and intricate rural designs are engraved on these earthen and ceramic pottery and all the items are prepared on foot powered potter’s wheel by hands of artisans who are dedicatedly working in Mantra and Mandala, which are units in Auroville, honing art and craft skills among the local villagers for the last two and a half decades. The serving items are microwave and dishwasher safe and are completely food safe as no toxic materials are used while preparing them. The range of pottery items includes wide range of Tableware, Incense Holders and Perfume Diffusers.

The toiletries manufactured by Auroville under the brand Maroma has a diverse range of grooming and beauty products including body care, hair care, face care, personal care, fragrances, mother and baby care and also a range of wellness and gift collections. You can check the entire range at maroma.auroville.com.

In the face care arena, Maroma provides you a complete range of cleansers and moisturisers which are made from 100% natural and no synthetic fragrance, base or colour is used to prepare them. Almost 24 types of moisturisers and five varieties of cleansers are available with them and one can choose as per their skin type and preference.

The hair care products by Maroma are made from 100% natural essential oils and extracts and no artificial agents or chemicals are used, thus cleaning, nourishing and protecting your hair and scalp. Maroma offers a varied range of Hair Shampoos, Hair Conditioners and Hair Oil products available to choose from, in different fragrances and natural ingredients like coconut, amla, hibiscus and brahmi to name a few.

Men, women or children, Auroville provides a wide range of clothing and accessories made from cotton, linen, wool and even bamboo for everyone! Let’s check a few items available in this category.

Several manufacturers like Auroknits, Kimaya, To Be Two and Gecko! are providing trendy and comfortable clothing for women. These clothes not only look good, but are also soft to your skin. Few designs include Kimono Top, Hoody Top, Tunic Shirt, Bamboo Top, Silk Top, Hand Knit Sweaters and Khadi cotton shirts. All the clothes are designed in line with the latest fashion and colors are sober and serene. You can check the range on kimaya.auroville.com and auroville.com as well.

Nice range of shirts, t-shirts and trousers made of bamboo, linen and cotton are available in the Men’s section. Also, the colours are solid or white in shirts and the t-shirts have nice graphics on them. To Be Two and Gecko! are their two major manufacturers of men’s clothing items.

A wide range of jewellery is available in Gold, Silver, Metal and even Ceramic by different manufacturers like Matrigold, Aurosunshine, Shradhanjali, Dream Studio, Saraswati, To Be Two and Vasuki which include Necklaces, Earrings, Chains and Pendants, Rings, Bangles and Bracelets, Hair Accessories and Anklets. The prices are fair and can fit in every budget, whether you want to purchase a souvenir or gold jewellery as the next party wear.

The food products are 100% organic and mostly prepared in Auroville by trained workers with minimal machines. Most of the process is manual and is done under strict supervision and quality guidelines to provide safe and fresh food.

Bored of the similar tasting food items which you purchased at your local kirana? Give a try to Auroville’s Snacks and Cereals, Jams, Cookies, Syrups, Cheese, Nuts and Dried Fruits, Pickels and Chutneys, Pastas and even Spices and Oils and you’ll surely feel the difference in taste as these items are all organically prepared.

Coffee and tea lovers will get a delight enjoying the range of these caffeinated drinks available with Auroville. Not only different flavours of Tea (Masala Tea, Yogi Tea) and Coffee (Cocoa Raw Beans and Turkish coffee), but also the Health Drink Kombucha (made from lemon grass, a probiotic drink which is fermented in bacteria and yeast to provide health benefits) is equally rejuvenating.

If you like having handicrafts, earthen showpieces and bamboo items; then you would love their collection of homeware which includes kitchenware, home décor items, home cleaning products and their exclusive and beautiful collection of lamps.

The Kitchen and Dining segment includes earthen and ceramic cups and mugs, plates and bowls, trays and coasters, table mats, serveware sets and kitchenware which can be used as a decorative piece as well in your glass cupboard and guests will keep guessing or even better, asking you for the shop from where you brought these beauties.

This section has a huge range including Wall Art, Murals, Sculptures, Trays, Tray table, Tea table, Baskets, Flower Vases, Quilts, Door Bells, Garlands, etc. are available in rural and raw art mixes manufactured by Wellpaper, Kolamandala, Shradhanjali, Nymphea Creation and Malar Quilts.

Fragrances in the form of room fresheners, candles, gift collections and incense items are manufactured under this range.

You may have used the room fresheners which run ads everywhere and you think they smell lovely. Try the perfume oils and air fresheners by Maroma and you would not like to leave your room as your senses immerse in the natural aromas. The range includes wardrobe sachets, air fresheners, diffusers and fumers to light the natural oils and let the scent spread in your home.

Auroville Papers team started their journey about 20 years ago and tried making paper items from waste paper. The journey was fruitful and today Auroville Papers create stationery and much more from not only paper waste, but also from natural materials as cotton, jute, straw and leaves from the different trees in the town.

Auroville prints various books on the paper manufactured by Auroville Papers. The books are on various interesting topics like art, design, architecture, and education, history, about Auroville, nature, environment, philosophy, and spirituality.

Soft toys, educational toys and wooden toys are made by artisans from the village and inside the township. All of the toys are handcrafted and contain no toxic elements, hence suitable for the children.