Sri Aurobindo & The Mother stayed for 50+ years in a block of 4 houses known as the Ashram Main building at Pondicherry. The Samadhi is located here as well.
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother stayed for over half a century in a block of four houses that came to be known as the Ashram main building at Pondicherry. It was the centre of life in the Ashram when they were physically present and will remain so even in their physical absence. Hundreds of people go inside daily to breathe the serene atmosphere and come out spiritually charged. On special occasions, long queues are formed and visitors wait patiently to get a glimpse of their rooms. The building has become a means of contact with their subtle-physical presence. It is this reverence for the House of the Lord that has inspired this book on the Ashram main building.
By "Ashram" is meant the building in which the Mother and Sri Aurobindo lived. This building consisted of four small and big houses. They were at first separate; when the Ashram was formed they were one by one bought and, after they had been broken, repaired, their parts joined here and there or doors made, they were welded into one large building. These houses occupying the four corners in a rectangular fashion were constituted into one whole structure, which we call the Ashram. More correctly, it is the main building of the Ashram.
When one enters here through the main gate, the two-storey building that first catches the eye, was the origin of what we call the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In 1922 Sri Aurobindo and the Mother came to this house with some disciples. The Mother founded the Ashram while living in this house. Sri Aurobindo used to live on the first floor in the south-east part. On 24th November 1926, he attained the Realisation known as the Descent of the Overmind and, leaving the entire charge to the Mother, he retired from that day into seclusion "obviously to work things out" as he wrote to Nirodbaran.
Sahana Devi 1
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Page 3
The Ashram main building measures approximately 60 metres long from east to west, and 45 metres wide from north to south with many open courtyards within it. The main entrance is from the road to the south, Rue de la Marine (School side). To the west is Rue Manakula sVinayagar Koil, earlier called Rue d'Orléans (Atelier side). To the north is Rue Saint Gilles (Balcony side). To the east is Rue François Martin (Dispensary side). Although it is now difficult to believe, there were originally four separate houses in this block. Compound walls separated them from each other. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother first took the four houses on rent and later purchased them one after another. To permit internal access from one house to another, the inner compound walls and small outhouses were demolished. The main courtyard of the Ashram as it is at present became possible only after demolishing an entire house on the north side called the Secretariat (also called Pavitra's old building).
Ramakant Navelkar 2
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The four houses that constitute the Ashram Main Building are the Library House, Rosary House, Meditation House and the Secretariat. The main entrance of the Ashram building on Rue de la Marine is actually from the main gate of the Library House, which extends all the way up to Rue Saint Gilles to the north. The house got its name from the library that was previously there in the present Ashram Reading Room. The main gate of the Rosary House also opens on Rue de la Marine and faces the north gate of the Ashram School. The house was named after the roses that were grown on its terraces in the early days. The main gate of the Meditation House opens on Rue Fran>çois Martin to the east and is opposite the Ashram Dispensary. This is the house where Sri Aurobindo and the Mother lived from 1927 onwards. The name seems to have been derived from the two Meditation Halls in this house (one upstairs and the other downstairs), where the Mother held collective meditations for the sadhaks of the Ashram between 1927 and 1938. The big gate of the garage where the Mother's car is kept and the small door east of it opening on Rue Saint Gilles are both within the Secretariat. The main gate of the original house before it was entirely demolished and rebuilt, stood a few metres further to the east of the above-mentioned door. The four houses were so well integrated into a single interconnected structure that it is difficult now to distinguish them. However, the demarcations can be noticed with a little careful observation of the design and level of windows and cornices.
Editor's Note
Page 5
A great change was impending all unknown to us. The first seed of the future Ashram was going to be sown. One day I casually heard that a fine house was to be had in Rue de la Marine for rent situated very near our own. It belonged to a Mahomedan official of the French Govt and at that time it was tenanted by a mistress of a brother of a certain Raja in Madras Presidency. The landlord wanted to get rid of her. I casually consulted Sri Aurobindo about taking the house on rent.... Sri Aurobindo took me apart a day or two later and told me that this new house must be taken soon as it meant much to our Yoga. They had seen that the new house was very auspicious and it was destined to play a great part in our spiritual activities in future.
I went to the owner and he demanded Rs. 100 as rent - an unusually big sum in Pondicherry. Sri Aurobindo said money did not count as it was essential that we had the house soon. So a suit of ejection was started and it took three to four months to get the house vacant for our inspection.
Circa 18 May 1922
Barin Ghose 3
Sri Aurobindo paid Rs. 300 on 18 May 1922 as advance to Abdoul Aziz Khan, the previous owner of the Library House, on the condition that a list often repairs would be carried out to the house. The monthly rent was fixed at Rs 100, which was very high for Pondicherry in those days. "Three to four months" elapsed before the old tenant could be ejected and the necessary repairs done. Sixty more rupees were paid for the installation of a new water pipe, after which Abdoul Aziz Khan finally informed Sri Aurobindo that he could "occupy the building on Wednesday next, 25 October 1922". The first rental receipt of Rs. 20 for the last six days of October 1922 confirms that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother did move in on that day.
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Note from the landlord to Sri Aurobindo
Monsieur Aurobindo Ghose
Pondichéry, le 22 Octobre 1922
Monsieur,
Comme il reste encore quelques petites réparations à faire dans la maison j'ai l'honneur de vous faire connaltre que vous pouvez prendre possession de l'immeuble le mercredi prochain, 25 Octobre 1922.
Veuillez agreer, Monsieur, l'hommage de mes sentiments respectueux.
Abdoul Aziz Khan 4
Earliest Rental Receipt
Reçu de M. Aurobindo Ghose la somme de vingt (20) roupies, loyer échu du 25 au dernier octobre 1922, soit pour 6 jours.
Pondichéry, le 16 Novembre 1922
Abdoul Aziz Khan
English Translation
Mr. Aurobindo Ghose
Pondicherry, the 22nd of October 1922
Sir,
As there are still a few minor repairs to be done in the house, I have the honour of informing you that you can occupy the building on Wednesday next, 25 October 1922.
Sir, please accept the homage of my respectful sentiments.
Received from Mr. Aurobindo Ghose the sum of rupees twenty (20) towards rent for six days from the 25th to the end of October 1922.
Pondicherry, 16 November 1922
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The Library House
View from south (1922-1929)
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View from south (2007)
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Description of the Library House
It had a big gate with a canopy of creepers and an imposing and attractive frontage. On entering, first came a small garden abutting a verandah; on one side of the verandah was a door leading to the back of the house and, on the other side, a staircase going up to the verandah on the first-floor. At the entrance of this verandah were Datta's two small rooms. Then came the Mother's two rooms along the entire length of the verandah. On the south-east corner was Sri Aurobindo's room. On the north-east corner were the bathroom and a staircase for coming down. This was the layout of the first floor of the Library House.
In the room just below Sri Aurobindo's room, lived Amrita on the ground floor - it has now become the Library. On the west of it was Nolini's room facing the gate; later the Mother used to distribute here vegetable soup as 'Prasad' at night. Next to it was a narrow passage going towards the inner garden on the north where a wooden staircase led to Datta's two rooms on the first floor. Under this staircase, adjoining the building and yet separate, was my room. In this garden, I had planted twenty to twenty-five banana and papaya trees and there used to be sometimes so many papayas that we used to get thirty to forty of them daily for a month.
Barin Ghose 6
The Mother's Account of Expenses for moving to the Library House 7
Rupees
Annas
for the garden
3
electricity
150
for the well’s covers
6
12
blinds (verandah)
13
basket
1
4
carpenter
2
tubs (mending)
0
14
locksmith
tar
coolies
mat
8
carpenter (tables)
ropes
Amrita’s bill
20
partitions and shelf
blinds
5
electricity (repair)
250
water pipe
60
310
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View from south-west (1975)
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7 Rue de la Marine
Rental Receipt for July 1925
Reçu de Monsieur Barindra Kumar Ghose la somme de trente roupies loyer de ma maison située rue de la Marine No. 7.
Pondichéry, le 5 Août 1925
Carounamballe Françis
Translation
Received from Mr. Barindra Kumar Ghose the sum of thirty rupees towards the rent of my house located at No 7, Marine Street.
Pondicherry, 5 August 1925
The earliest rental receipt for the Rosary House is dated 5 August 1925. The premises must have been occupied in the previous month, July 1925. The Rosary House, named after the rose pots kept on its terraces, is also known as the "Cartonnerie" from the cardboard boxes that were being made there by Harikant Patel in the mid thirties. The house was eventually purchased in December 1937, long after the other three houses comprising the main Ashram building had been bought. One of its early occupants was Pavitra, who came to Pondicherry in December 1925 and spent "a little over one year" in the room south of what became later Pujalal's room. The same room, symbolically named "Entire Consecration" by the Mother, was occupied by Dyuman from 1927 to June 1932, after which it became the ladies dining room for a short while. Around the same time, Dara and Rene stayed on the ground floor and Kanai Ganguly on the first floor, of the east wing of the house.
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The Rosary House
In the foreground is the Rosary House with its main gate facing south. On the left is the Library House. On the right is the Meditation House in a lighter shade of lime wash.
View from south-east (1922-1929)
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On the right is the Rosary House. On the left is the Library House with its long chimney. Top centre is the Meditation House. Top left is the Old Secretariat.
View from south-west (1922-1929)
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Note the structures on the terraces which are not there in the early photographs
View from south (2006)
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8 Rue Saint Gilles
Rented from 4 May 1926
The Secretariat was rented from 4 May 1926 for Rs. 15 a month with an advance of Rs. 45. The house was already in a dilapidated state when Pavitra, the Mother's secretary, occupied it in 1926. It was entirely demolished and rebuilt after it was purchased in 1929. The terms "Old Secretariat" and "New Secretariat" have been used in this book to refer to the old and new buildings of the same property.
There is no photograph of the Old Secretariat which shows the full building as it was except from a distance or only in parts. The best view that we have of it is in the photograph on the next page. For a full view, see the reconstructed drawing of the Old Secretariat on pages 32-35.
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The Secretariat and the Meditation House
View from south (1926-1929)
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The Old Secretariat
The Old Secretariat seen between the Meditation House (on the left) and the newly built Balcony block (in the centre). The Mother's car is parked in front of the main door of the Old Secretariat. The figure seen on the terrace is most likely the Mother.
Circa October 1930, View from north-west (Rue Saint Gilles)
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The New Secretariat
The motorcycle parked on the road is in front of the door of the New Secretariat (not to be confused with the big garage door under the balcony). The main door of the Old Secretariat was farther to the east.
2001, View from north-west (Rue Saint Gilles)
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28 Rue François Martin
The Mother's Inspection of the Meditation House
Soon after coming back from Calcutta I heard that the house adjoining ours was vacant. I don't know what impelled me to go and see it. I casually mentioned it to Mother Mirra. She wanted to see it too. We did not know at the time that this house would be Sri Aurobindo's abode and the very centre of the Ashram buildings. Mother might have felt something of the kind but she did not give us any inkling until I actually took her there.
A Bengali young man from Hyderabad (the Nizam's capital) was in correspondence with me at this time on Yoga and kindred matters. He mentioned one Ibrahim in his letters, a young Mahomedan idealist, who wanted to come to Pondicherry and take up Yoga. Ibrahim subsequently wrote to me and actually came for a short visit. He was stout, fair, very quiet and unobtrusive, with large lustrous eyes and a great hankering for things spiritual. He went away promising to come later, renouncing the world for good and sit down at the feet of the great Master to learn Yoga.
As soon as the key of the new house was procured, the Mother went to inspect it. So far as I remember, it was a sweet and clear morning with white fleecy clouds suspended in the blue sky. Ibrahim had returned by this time. He also accompanied us. As Mother Mirra went up the grand staircase of the new house, she fell into a trance. Gently she entered the hall, looked about in her peculiar dreamy and absorbed way. Turning to me with her luminous mystic smile, she said, "I see untold wealth here, Dara has brought it with him." She moved about the house in a tense indrawn state.
Ibrahim was later renamed Dara (after the eldest brother of Emperor Aurangzeb) by the Master. She at once began negotiating for the purchase of the house. The owner wanted as much as Rupees 14000, an exorbitant sum for it. Mother said money wasn't of any consequence as this house meant so much for the future of the colony. So it was purchased and repaired for Sri Aurobindo to live in. Gradually, all the four houses in this block of buildings were taken on rent. The dividing walls were either demolished or doors were opened in them and the entire block became the living beehive of the new spiritual colony.
Circa 17 June 1926
Barin Ghose 9
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The Mother's letter to her son Andre on 16 January 1927
Our community is growing more and more; we are nearly thirty (not counting those who are scattered all over India); and I have become responsible for all this; I am at the centre of the organisation, on the material as well as the spiritual side, and you can easily imagine what it means. We already occupy five houses, one of which is our property; others will follow. New recruits are coming from all parts of the world. With this expansion, new activities are being created, new needs are arising which require new skills.
The Mother 10
The house referred to in the phrase "one of which is our property" is the Meditation House. Eight days before the Mother's letter to Andre, that is, on 8 January 1927, Sri Aurobindo had signed an agreement of sale after paying the first instalment of Rs. 7000 to Raghava Chettiar, the previous owner of the Meditation House. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother moved to the house on 7 February 1927. The second and final instalment of Rs. 7000 was paid on 13 July 1927. Out of the five houses occupied by the growing community of the Ashram, the Meditation House was rented last but purchased first. The rental agreement was signed on 24 December 1926 for a monthly rent of Rs. 75 for a period of three years starting from 1 January 1927. An advance of Rs. 450 was paid on the condition that a few repairs would be carried out to the building before occupation. But within a fortnight, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother decided to buy the house, and an agreement of sale was signed on 8 January 1927.
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother move to the Meditation House
One afternoon all the inmates of the Ashram houses were told to go out; the gates were locked and the Mother led Sri Aurobindo to the new house. When we came back we knew that the great Master had removed to the new house, which would henceforth be his abode. I, Nalini Kanto Gupta, K. Amrita, and a few others removed there too. The old building at Rue de la Marine was used for housing the Library and the stores department. Sri Aurobindo's room was given to Anilbaran Roy, the Congress leader of Bankura (a district of Bengal) who had come to the Ashram sometime back straight from jail after his release from internment.
Barin Ghose 11
Mother, last night during my personal meditation I saw a cat, probably one of your cats, the one which sleeps on the staircase; it came and entered my drawing room where I was meditating. But I at once opened my eyes. Kindly let me know the meaning of this cat and why I opened my eyes.
Rajani Palit
If it is the cat Bushy, she has some strange connection with the siddhi in the physical consciousness. It was she who ushered us into our present house running before us into each room. The change to this house marked the change in the sadhana on the vital to the sadhana on the physical level.
July 1936
Sri Aurobindo 12
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On the street is a pousse-pousse (an old type of rickshaw)
1922-1929, View from north-east
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The Meditation House
Note the balcony on the second floor which is not there in the previous photograph.
The Mother gave Darshan from this balcony from 1963 to 1973.
2005, North-east corner
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6th and 7th February 1927
The work has begun, test after test is being passed through. I entered to live in the New House at 7 p.m. Shri Aurobindo and Mira Devi entered the New House at 8.30 p.m. approximately. The House breathes of grandeur.
Haradhan Bakshi 13
8 February 1927
When they moved to Meditation House from Library House on February 8, 1927, Mother told me to carry certain things of Sri Aurobindo to Meditation House....
Champaklal 14
Two dates are available for the change of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother's residence from the Library House to the Meditation House. One would tend to give more credence to Haradhan's diary notation than Champaklal's recollection noted down at a much later date. Haradhan even notes down the time when Sri Aurobindo and the Mother "entered the New House". As his diary notation refers jointly to the events of 6 and 7 February 1927, it can be assumed that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother "entered the new House" on the day he wrote his diary notation - 7 February 1927. At any rate, there is no mention of the change of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother's residence in Haradhan's diary notation of 8 February 1927. It is possible that Champaklal dated the same event by the first day Sri Aurobindo and the Mother spent in the Meditation House, which is 8 February 1927. The 7th of February 1927, strictly speaking, was the day of shifting when Sri Aurobindo and the Mother spent most of the day in the Library House before moving to the Meditation House late in the evening at 8.30 p.m.
Page 24
The Mother's letter to her son Andre on 16 February 1927
I think I told you about our five houses; four of them are joined in a single square block which is surrounded on all sides by streets and contains several buildings with courtyards and gardens. We have just bought, repaired and comfortably furnished one of these houses and then, just recently, we have settled there, Sri Aurobindo and myself, as well as five of the closest disciples.
We have joined the houses together with openings in some of the outer walls and outbuildings, so that I may walk freely in our little realm without having to go out into the street — this is rather nice. But I am busier than ever now, and I can say that at the moment I am writing to you in a hurry.
The Mother 15
The phrase "one of these houses" refers to the Meditation House. The repairs were done by a local contractor called Subramaniam. Chandulal, the Ashram engineer, had not yet arrived. Among the five disciples who moved in with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother were Barin, Amrita, Nolini and Haradhan. The last of the five houses mentioned in the first sentence is the Guest House, where generally guests or new disciples stayed for some time.
Sri Aurobindo signs the Sale Deed of the Meditation House
An interesting incident happened yesterday:
Sri Aravind signed on the deed for the house he has purchased in the presence of local French citizens as per French law. Among the citizens were Philippe [Pavitra], M. Potel (husband of Madame Potel), David (barrister), Doraiswamy (not as a citizen but at Babuji's invitation), and the house owner. When everything was arranged in one of the rooms on the first floor of his house, the above named people went upstairs. Chairs were already placed there. First, Matushri [ the Mother] came and saw if all had come. Then she went inside. Next, they both came out, Sri Aravind in front and Matushri behind him. Doraiswamy made sashtanga-dandavata. Sri Aravind's seat was, as always, immediately beside the door. Everyone folded their hands. He himself was very serious. Taking the deed from the owner, Doraiswamy gave it to him. He read the whole of it. Meanwhile, Doraiswamy took the pen from the table, opened it and put it in Matushri's hand. She was standing beside his chair. Then he said, "Where have I to sign?" Doraiswamy pointed out the place. After signing, he immediately got up, bowed with folded hands to all and, without saying or doing anything, went inside.
Doraiswamy was saying that his body appeared very tender and much fairer than before. This was the first time he came out after November [24, 1926].
Write the above account to Chandulal at Bombay. To identify the room, write that this was the room where Matushri and Sri Aravind sit for meditation.
14 July 1927
Punamchand's letter to Dikshit
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