Auroville: A City of Dreams

In 1967 the Mother founded Auroville, a planned utopia that would be both self-sustaining and, through the yogic practices of Sri Aurobindo, a community that would herald the next evolution of humanity. She designed a city to resemble the galaxy, and to house 50,000 people from around the world who, through a series of utopic ideals—transforming the desert into self-sustaining farmland, eliminating the need for money, removing religious conflicts, among others—would transform the world into a more just place.

Despite the death of the Mother, contentious infighting, and the Indian government taking control of the city, Auroville has survived, and still attracts thousands of visitors every year. And in 2018, one of those visitors was Katarzyna Boni, a renowned Polish reportage writer, who wanted to try and understand what Auroville really means—as a city, as a community, as a beacon of hope for the future.

Boni merges the official history of Auroville with her experiences with the people she meets while living in this unique city, from Daniel who owns a local bakery, to Auroson, the reincarnation of the first child born in Auroville. A fascinating work that is never judgmental, Auroville: A City of Dreams looks at the successes and failures of this unique attempt at utopia, and the benefits such ambitious dreams can have regardless of outcome.