Visit during weekday mon-fri to go inside matrimandir. Sunday is holiday for matrimandir. Parking and food is available inside auroville visitor center. Elders, kids can get free bus passes from visiter center to reach matrimandir. People visit here as a tourist places. But it's ideal for people who love nature, trying to find inner peace, medidate toward goodness. The place built from zero by the mother and their followers and it does not belongs to anyone and it's for everyone.

Auroville is one of the most peaceful and inspiring places I have ever visited. Located just outside Pondicherry, it feels completely different from the busy city life. The atmosphere is calm, surrounded by greenery, red soil paths, and simple architecture that blends beautifully with nature. The concept of Auroville — where people from all over the world live together in harmony — is truly unique and worth experiencing in person. The highlight of my visit was the Matrimandir, a golden dome at the center of Auroville. It’s not just a tourist spot but a symbol of peace and meditation. Visitors can view it from a distance or, with prior permission, enter the inner chamber for silent meditation. Walking around the area, you can see how the community focuses on sustainability, organic farming, and eco-friendly living. Auroville also has small cafes, art studios, and shops run by residents, giving a glimpse of their simple yet creative lifestyle. Spending a few hours here feels refreshing for the mind. If you want to slow down and see how peaceful life can be, Auroville is the perfect place. It leaves you with a deep sense of calm and positivity.

The Auroville Visitors Center is an excellent starting point for understanding the unique vision and purpose of Auroville. The exhibitions are very informative, and the staff at the Information Desk were exceptionally helpful and friendly. It provides a peaceful atmosphere and all the necessary facilities (cafés, boutiques, bookshop) for a pleasant visit. The walk to the Matrimandir viewing point is also a lovely experience.

Beautiful place that welcomes all guests. There is a book store here and books are mainly about Auroville, Arabindo and the Mother and their vision etc. From here visitors are directed to the pathway to the Matrimandir viewpoint. Visitors can either go by bus or by foot to the viewpoint. A Guided Cycle tour also is available for ₹500 per head. Most of the visitors go to the viewpoint by foot and return by bus. Overall a good experience here.

Visiting the Auroville Visitor's Centre is a fantastic experience. There is a parking fee of ₹150 for vehicles. After parking, the entire journey is on foot. Around 500 meters in, you’ll come across a map of the Visitor’s Centre. Drinking water is available, and the surroundings are very clean and well-maintained. Before visiting the Matrimandir, you first watch a short 3-minute introductory video in the video room. This video helps you understand the purpose and significance of the Matrimandir. After this, you’ll receive a free pass to visit the Matrimandir viewpoint. To go inside the matrimandir ,online pre booking is required and it is free of cost. If you're interested in birdwatching or other nature activities, there is a separate fee of around ₹250 per hour. Cycle rentals are also available at an additional cost. Once you get your free pass, you’ll need to walk about 1.5 km to reach the Matrimandir viewpoint. Along the way, about 1 km before reaching the viewpoint, there is a wildlife photography spot where you can take pictures. The charge for photography here is about ₹30 per person. It’s a nice place to take memorable photos. Finally, after reaching the Matrimandir, you’ll see its beautiful and unique architecture. It’s truly a peaceful and remarkable place. For the return journey, bus facilities are available from the viewpoint area.

Went with lots of expectations. As a free visitor you can only go for outer view from a distance of Matri mandir. Cannot experience the unique society. They have expensive paid trips to visit the living area. Hence satisfied.

1. Auroville Visitor Centre – Your First Step into Conscious Living. 2. Where Curiosity Meets Consciousness. 3. Discover. Connect. Feel the Vibe. 4. Auroville Begins Here – Peace, Purpose, Possibility. 5. Explore the Heart of Auroville. 6. One World. One People. One Place to Begin. 7. Walk in with Wonder, Walk Out with Wisdom. 8. Auroville Vibes Start Here.

We went to Sadhana Forest on a Friday at 4pm, we were welcomed and informed that there would be an orientation session at 4:30pm. Luke held the orientation session with over 200 active listeners. He was very engaging, and captivated and engaged the audience and explained all about how the live sustainably at Sadhana, care for nature and animals, how they plant trees, cook their own food and conserve every drop of water. Luke later took us around on a tour of the facility, showing us the kitchen, homes, the forest, mud lake and the gaushala. All are welcome at Sadhana, irrespective of age, gender and caste - a very humane way of living. They welcomed us to a free Vegan organic meal after the tour, but could not stay back due to prior engagements. I strongly recommend that you should go and experience this place at least once, to learn that there are other ways to live too!

I’ve been following Sadhana Forest for a long time, and finally visiting it in Auroville was truly inspiring. The place is more than just a forest. It’s a living project focused on sustainability, afforestation, and creating a thriving ecosystem. The volunteers there live and work with such dedication, protecting the environment. You can feel their passion in everything they do, from planting trees to caring for the wildlife and nurturing the land. It’s a rare place where people are genuinely committed to making a difference for our planet, and visiting it leaves you both peaceful and motivated.

Awesome place to learn the art of living. Traveled along with my 3 year old kid. It was a great experience for my kid to learn and explore. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Again I will come back as a long time volunteer. Thanks team for having us.

Fantastic place to be close to nature. Rejuvenating experience. Forest spirit, birds chirping, good 100% vegan food. I stayed there with my family and 2 kids. Kids enjoyed the place to the fullest. Certainly we are coming back.

I went there to learn some sustainable living practices and boy I was awestruck. The concept of minimal living, up-cycling, re-cycling were at display in a detailed workaround the forest along with a sumptuous vegan meal. I also did some seva of arranging the cushions for the guests for that evening as an attempt to give back something to their cause. You might choose to volunteer for a day, just have a day tour, choose to stay for 4 days or you might end up embracing that life forever but I am pretty sure each one of us will take back home something for sure.

Had the opportunity to volunteer here and got amazed to see such a place exists where community living, zero waste and minimalistic living with animal compassion into heart of nature  have rediscovered the lost indian cultural loving. As an indvidual i got the chance to make freinds from Germany, Italy, Yurugua, israel, japan,usa, canada and all parts of india from kerala, tamil nadu, pune, maharashtra, rajasthan, himachal pradesh and many more. Had lots of fun with during many seva(tasks) with my favourite being of firewood collection for yhe kitchen. The stay is not that comfortable of the city lofe but after living it, i felt that i dont even need that comfort, as the life is so fulfilling in this. The jamming sessions, mud pools for swimming, going out with all people to explore other parts of city was really fun. The creative and innovative ways of water conservation, arcitecture building, tree plantation is highly fascinating. The people who have been a long volunteer here have the combination of mind and physical yoga. Just being around them you can feel the unique kind of energy which you would want to emulate. The founders live here only and they are considered as volunteers only. I myself considered them as a visitor and tried to guide them when i first met them (quite an embarrassment, had a great laugh with them). So yeah i think everybody should atleast come a visit and enjoy a delicious meal with them and feel the place. More better way would be to go live for 4-5 days. Best would be 1 month to 1 year or beyond.

I couldn't volunteer because I had come with parents but I got the details from designated staff and was informed I can come anytime and work m, I was happy

I love the service Susan provides at Chai-Yurveda. She is well researched in Ayurveda and is very passionate about helping people learn more about Ayurveda diets, and suggesting lifestyle adjustments to support overall health and well being.

My Ayurvedic Nutrition Consultation with Susan was higher my expectation. Susan is so kind, patient and professional. She find what is good or not for you accordingly to your lifestyle, taste and background. It was so helpful to have this consultation now I know what I need and specially what I don’t need. It’s so changing my life! I 100% recommend to anyone. Thank you Susan

I made an ayurvedic nutrition consultation with Susan in february 2019. Susan has a good knowledge in ayurveda and she gave me a lot of useful and effective advices for my health. If you are interested in improving your wellbeing by eating consciously book a consultation with her or just visit her in her cute shop for a cup of herbal tea.

Got to know about my body and mind type and was given a list of foods that works well with my body type according to Ayurveda. The learnings were in line with what I believed about myself but never really compartmentalised. Some of the suggestions (such as eating the largest meal at noon for my body type , vatha, as that is when the digestive fire is the strongest) were already being implemented by me and this gave me an explanation to why they were more effective than other things I tried. Susan was helpful after the consultation as well and provided several resources to help me work well with my body type.

Tried the Butterfly Pea Tea at this place located just near Greens Guesthouse, Auroville. It is a totallly different experience to have tea made by Susan who runs the shop. Anyone visiting Auroville must stop here as well to have an amazing cup of tea here.

staff is incredibly kind and attentive. only issue is that i have rented the sporty bike on 3 separate occasions and have needed to service the bike all 3 times either due to the gear coming lose or the battery not working anymore. however the staff is very understanding and quick to fix any issues.

Rented an EV bike and experience was great. The manager, Mr. Debo is very polite and helpful. You get bike till 4PM only. They have variety of bikes and around 30 bikes but they get booked very soon so make sure to book as soon as you can. Their main downside is bikes speed is limited to 20 kmph only which consumes our time if you are going outside of Auroville. You can also rent a petrol scooty from main the highway to save your time. The manager on his way home also dropped us to an auto else we would have to walk around 3-4 kms. Big thanks to you. Highly recommended.

Best rental place! All electric bikes and scooters, you can charge them for free around Auroville and they are open everyday also on holiday’s! Really Nice place contributing to keeping Auroville green!

Excellent service and wonderful people! Kinisi is hands-down the best place to rent electric bikes and scooters in Auroville. Mani and the entire team have an outstanding service attitude — they’re warm, patient, and go out of their way to help. Everything was explained clearly, and the rental process was smooth and efficient. The bike was in great condition, and it made exploring Auroville easy and enjoyable. Highly recommend Kinisi for their eco-friendly transport and the genuine kindness of the staff. Brother Ben.

The best place to rent bicycle and e scooter in Auroville. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Mr. Debu helped me choose the right bike as I wanted to go outside Auroville to. They maintain their vehicles very nicely. Best way too move around in Auroville. Kudos KINISI !!!!

Had a fantastic experience. We rented 2 bikes. Both performed well. We rode about 60-70 km during the 3 days and had to charge batteries only once. A very convenient mode of transport. Would highly recommend. It would be a great service if they could provide doorstep delivery or pickup as the location is in one corner of Auroville with limited ways to get back to where you're staying. Best wishes...

I rented an e-bike for 10 days, and it was in perfect condition. I never had any problems during that time. Furthermore, I received excellent assistance from Vasanth both during the delivery and return of the e-bikes. Highly recommended!

It is a showroom space where you can go try and play musical instruments and also purchase it. Just opposite to the showroom they have a craftsmen area where they make these musical instruments.

They exhibit Indian cultural instruments that are part of the heritage while also promoting healing instruments. The exhibits are available for sale as well.

This is a must visit if you’re in Pondi. They have created unique instruments which also get exported to 30 different countries in the world. It’s a real pleasure to see artists research with such commitment to create instruments that simulate sounds of nature. It was a delightful experience to be in this place. They also let you play with the instruments, and that’s good. Definitely recommended ✅ Visited and reviewed on 26.03.2024

Lovely place. The staff are really nice. The workshop area, and sound garden or lovely. Highly recommend. Opened my ear to creative instruments that aren’t traditional but even better. You can even test out all the instruments.

Pricing: ₹150 per entry. Experience: The attraction is small but suitable for children. Be aware that you may have a significant wait time after purchasing your ticket, as a staff guide accompanies visitors in groups.

I booked a sound healing session in advance via their website. It was a good experience. There is a store downstairs if you would like to shop windchimes and all. It is a bit expensive compared to the local market orices but the produ ts are authentic and good so its worth the spend.

This place is a must visit location!!! Let’s begin with the sound garden. This outside music workshop garden is just amazing! The garden is full of fantastic and innovative instruments that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s truly worth a visit. Then we have the music shop, here you can buy all kinds of cool instruments. Everything is handmade and high quality. I bought an instrument myself and I absolutely love it and playing on it all the time. (See the last photo). I also bought some gifts to my friends. Then they also offer sound healing. I tried out the sound healing bed. This can’t be described with words, you simply just have to try it out. Highly recommend!! Wow what an incredible experience.

This is only the factory and one can't visit anymore. No reason to come to this place

Here you really see happy people who make conscious clothing, from handwoven clothes to ecological colors. One understands the different stages of the handwork of dyeing. Jesus narration of his conviction and experience in dyeing makes him a pioneer in this field and very inspiring.

Good view

Helpful staff in getting trousers dyed successfully. Lovely clothes and accessories in the shop. Beautiful organic cotton.

A really busy place all day through. But they do an amazing job with natural dyeing. Shanti handles the place with a charm.

Beautiful and inspiring place managed by lovely and welcoming people. If you're in auroville dont miss a visit in the colours of nature.

Fantastic place and the staff were very friendly/helpful. Loved it. Visit this out of the way gem, you'll be surprised.

Humans made Forest. It took 40+ yrs of sheer dedication to create this Sub-Tropical forest. Nature's love is everywhere here.....!!! Must visit place in Auroville.

It's beautiful! They do amazing work and the people you'll meet are so warm and lovely. Recommend writing to them for volunteer opportunities!

One of the most amazing regenerative projects of forest and water you will find in all south india.

Beautiful forest with a lot of wildlife and fauna

a masterpiece in restoration by Joss Brooks and his team of ecologists and architects at Auroville! the years of work really shows in the result that is the forest in terms of sheer biodiversity. they also have a nursery in the campus which is used to nurture the plants and serve in the conservation effort and also a museum within the forest to educate

This place is closed for public. Such a shame. The security guard doesn't allow anyone inside, citing some rule.

If you wanna take a stroll, then this is the right place for you ! You can find a lot of flora and fauna around... one memorable moment for us was that we found a lovely dog which continued to follow us everywhere we went till we reached the roadside... !!!

Went there to do some souvenir shopping...but didn't match my expectations...But they do have a quite variety of items...Seems like scented candles and aroma are handmade...small gift items can be found

Mostly a place for scented products but you can get auroville products here

Beautiful products and variety but it's quite expensive. Good for finding gifts.

Good place to shop. Prices are on a little higher side. But great variety ranging from pottery, clothes, bags, and knick knacks. Best collection of candles. Most beautiful I've ever seen anywhere. Worth a visit!

Exquisite boutique, only niche clientele should visit who are not price conscious. Products are very nice but not value for money for a higher middle income group , perhaps, the products can be found at reasonable prices in the market.

A good boutique for collection of organic products from auroville. I have bought shirt , t-shirts and a cane hat. The quality is very good and clothes are soft as well. Their another branch is in auroville.

Aurovilla sales outlet.Echo friendly and natural products. There are different products from hand made products like hand made paper,cards,pressed flowers, Natural perfumes.etc.Price range is on the higher side

We had breakfast here twice. The food was delicious although some of the dishes’ portion sizes were too small. The dosa here was delicious, especially the tomato chutney. The almond croissant is 🤌. I had an espresso and cafe latte and both were great. The sadhu sandwich was unfortunately not that filling although still delicious. The beetroot kvass is a must try. The ambience is what you’re paying the premium for. We were able to get a table for two without too much of a wait. The service here is pretty good. This place is highly recommended.

one of the best croissants i've had. breads is clearly their X factor. intentionally curated food place, with beautiful details. ambience is cosy, warm, and bright. best time to go is for breakfast/brunch. bumped into Agnez (founder & chef) in the place, and it was clear how much she loves her craft. and it shows in the food that the cafe provides. FOOD I HAD- had a quiche, two cutu croissants (almond & pistachio). all three slapped! they even added some lovely salad with flowers on the side, which shows how every small thing is thought through. not the best omlette, but definitely not complaining.

During a recent visit to Marc's Café with my cousins, we tried a variety of items from their menu, including an Almond Croissant, Italian Omelette, Big Ben Evolution, Hot Chocolate, Mixed Fruit Juice, Egg Cream, Ciabatta, and Grilled Sandwiches with Coffee. The coffee and hot chocolate were exceptional, while the rest of the food was above average in terms of taste. Additionally, I recommend trying their Cappuccino Salad from The Milk Roasters. Overall, everything was satisfactory, though I would say it's not particularly great value for money. Nevertheless, Marc's Café is worth visiting if you're planning a trip to Auroville.

Marc's cafe has a vibe. A vibe that you associate with what would be a hip coffee cafe. It's exactly that and bit more. Great coffee, fun atmosphere, packed to the brim, everyone having a good time. Also to add their focus on sustainability is wonderful.

The pastries and the coffees…. too good. The staffs were really good and polite. Both cold drinks and hot drinks were very good.

I had a great experience! The Masala Dosa and Pesto & Dairy Cheese Dosa were delicious, and the Chicken Sandwiches were a tasty treat. The Classic Big Ben (masala chai) and Iced Cold Coffee (Vanilla) were highlights perfect flavors! Service was quick, and the ambiance was cozy. The only downside was the pineapple juice not being available. Overall, highly recommend for a satisfying meal. Total bill was ₹1775 for 5 items, great value!

To have a good coffee experience, visit marcs. This is to be added in you pondicherry bucket list for sure. The Manual Brew V60 pour over was just brilliant. Very friendly and happy to help staff, on point food, Marc's is a total package for sure.