Architectural designs of Puducherry's Matrimandir on show

Posted on 3rd Jan 2015 by ram kishor

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Over 100 exhibits offer a deeper insight into the architectural dimensions of Matrimandir - a sacred structure in Puducherry - at an exhibition here.

The five-day exhibition titled "The Future Realisation" was inaugurated at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Thursday with the aim to reveal little known cosmic secrets of the architectural dimensions of Matrimandir that was originally envisioned by the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

"These exhibits have been carefully chosen to showcase the superlative vision of the Mother about a sacred architectural form in an easily understandable manner," said Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet, director of Aeon Centre of Cosmology, organiser of the exhibition.

Bachelet has been studying the Mother's original plans for the Matrimandir for many decades.

"These designs explain the significance of the numbers and precise measurements that she mandated for the sacred structure - what they mean and why she chose them," Bachelet said.

Bachelet also revealed that this symbolism is being revealed to the public for the first time in 44 years.

It was in 1965, that the Mother had started speaking of her intention to build "a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities".

With this view she proposed this idea and briefed French architect Roger Anger, to start working on Matrimandir, saying that she had had repeated visions of its "Inner Chamber" and gave him a measured drawing of it.

However, Bachelet, through this exhibition, has highlighted how the builders at Auroville rejected her plan and designed their own version while constructing the Matrimandir.

"The result is that the final outcome is only a shadow of the real thing, not its exact manifestation," Bachelet said.

"What I am preserving and presenting to the public is precisely that - the vision's power and knowledge," she added.

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