February , 21/2025 *Mother's Birth Anniversary in Auroville* Mother Mira Alfassa, 1878-1973, is the creative force behind the birth of Auroville. Every year in the fourth week of February Auroville celebrates two anniversaries. Mother's birth, February 21, and the creation of Auroville, February 28. Mother's birth anniversary is celebrated in Auroville on February 21. There are still many Aurovillens who met Mother during her last years, 1970-73, and who tell of their profound experiences of meeting the embodiment of love and wisdom. Many attribute their arrival and settlement in Auroville to her gentle presence and encouragement. Her birthday is celebrated by meditating at dawn in the Matrimandir Amphitheatre. On February 21, 2023 the amphitheater was decorated with beautiful flowers and the residents and guests of Auroville greeted the magnificent sunrise with deep devotion and contemplation. Mother's Birth Anniversary Flower Mandala, February 21, 2023. Readings from the Mother's Writings, February 21, 2023 This year, the dawn meditation was performed with beautiful floral decorations and Mother's words on Mahalakshmi. " .... Harmony and beauty of mind and soul, harmony and beauty of thoughts and feelings, harmony and beauty in every outward act and movement, harmony and beauty of life and surroundings, this is the demand of Mahalakshmi ... Where love and beauty are not born or are unwilling to be born, she does not come ...." Wisdom and power are not the only manifestations of the Supreme Mother; there is a subtle mystery of Her nature and without this, wisdom and power would be incomplete things and without this, perfection would not be complete. Above them is the miracle of eternal beauty, an unattainable mystery of divine harmony, a hypnotic magic of an irresistible universal attraction and fascination which draws and binds things and forces and beings together and compels them to meet and unite so that a secret joy may play behind the scenes and make them form their own rhythms and their own shapes. This is the power of Mahalakshmi and no aspect of divine power is more attractive to the heart of embodied beings. Maheshvari may appear so calm and noble and distant that the pettiness of earthly nature cannot approach or contain her, Mahakali may appear so fiery and terrible that its feebleness cannot endure her; but all men turn to Mahalakshmi with delight and longing. For she radiates the magic of the intoxicating sweetness of divinity: to be near her is an intense pleasure and to feel her in the heart makes existence a joy and a marvel; Grace, charm and tenderness flow from her like light emanating from the sun and wherever she fixes her wonderful gaze or radiates the charm of her smile, the soul is captured and held captive and plunges into the depths of unfathomable bliss. The touch of her hands is magnetic and their mysterious and gentle influence refines the mind, life and body and wherever she presses her feet a miraculous stream of enchanting bliss flows. And yet it is not easy to satisfy the demand of this enchanting power or to maintain its presence. Harmony and beauty of mind and soul, harmony and beauty of thoughts and feelings, harmony and beauty in every outward action and movement, harmony and beauty of life and surroundings, this is what Mahalakshmi demands. Where there is intimacy with the rhythm of the secret cosmic bliss and response to the call of the All-Beautiful and harmony and unity and the blissful flow of many lives turned to God, in that environment she consents to dwell. But whatever is ugly and vile and mean, whatever is poor and dirty and filthy, whatever is cruel and uncivilized, prevents her coming. Where love and beauty are not born or are unwilling to be, she does not come; where they are mixed and deformed with vile things, there she is soon gone or does not care to pour out her wealth. If she finds herself in the hearts of men surrounded by selfishness, hatred, envy, malice, jealousy and strife, if treachery, avarice and ingratitude are mixed in the sacred cup, if the coarseness of passion and crude desire degrade devotion, then in such hearts the kind and beautiful Goddess will not abide. A divine hatred overcomes her and she withdraws, for she is not one who insists or strives; or, hiding her face, she waits for this bitter and poisonous satanic substance to be rejected and disappear before she regains her pleasant influence. Ascetic nakedness and rigour are not to her liking, nor the suppression of the deepest feelings of the heart and the harsh repression of the beauty parts of the soul and of life. For it is through Love and Beauty that She casts the yoke of Divinity upon men. The riches of the world are gathered and coordinated into a supreme order, and even the simplest and most common objects are made marvelous by the intuition of Her unity and the breath of Her Spirit. Finding entrance into the heart She raises knowledge to the heights of wonder and reveals to it the mysterious secrets of ecstasy which transcend all knowledge, unites devotion to the passionate charm of God, teaches power and strength the rhythm which keeps the might of their actions harmonious and in measure, and casts on perfection the charm which makes it last for ever. Sri Aurobindo - The Mother with Letters on the Mother: CWSA, Volume 32, pages 20-22 Photos of floral decorations on February 21, 2023 Sports The Mother's room at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry was open for darshan for the first time since her birth anniversary in 2020. Devotees from Auroville and across the region made the pilgrimage to the Ashram to visit the Mother's room and Samadhi, which were beautifully decorated with white lilies, pink roses and carnations and fragrant jasmine flowers. There are many works about the Mother. For complete information about the Mother, visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram pages. We have selected some dates here: Born in France to Jewish parents, a Turkish father and an Egyptian mother, Mira had profound spiritual experiences that gave her a sense of her future path. As an accomplished painter at the age of 14, she exhibited paintings at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1903-05. He also learned to play the organ, a talent that later delighted his followers. She met Max and Alma Theon, Theosophist leaders of the Movement Cosmique in Algeria and wrote articles in the Movement's magazine Revue Cosmique in Paris. Later she stayed in Algeria and explored occult practices with Max and Madame Theon. Mira meets Sri Aurobindo on 29 March 1914 and in 1915 starts a magazine together with Sri Aurobindo and her then husband Paul Richard. The name of this magazine was Arya. On 24 April 1920 Mira Alfassa settled in Sri Aurobindo's ashram in Pondicherry, 6 years later in 1926 Sri Aurobindo appointed her the head of the ashram and took all responsibilities from her. In 1927 Mira Alfassa became known as "Mother", a name given to her by Sri Aurobindo. In 1960, the idea of Auroville began to take tangible form, as the Sri Aurobindo Society was formed to help manage the ashram as well as develop the civic project of Auroville. 1968, February 28: At the age of 90, the Mother inaugurated the international urban experiment Auroville, twelve kilometers from the ashram. The Mother had handwritten the Auroville Charter just a few weeks before the city's inauguration. More About the Mother The Mother's Agenda 1951-1960 The Mother dictated her meditations to her disciple Satprem. 13 volumes are available online, translated into nine languages. The Mother's Collected Works The Mother's lifelong writings and teachings have been collected. The earliest of the 17 volumes begins in 1912, Prayers and Meditations. The Spiritual Significance of Flowers The Mother's unique insights into the psychic nature of flowers. Since 1927 Mother has given a “name” or “significance” to certain flowers.