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Sri Aurobindo Ashram
In Brief
Address : 8 Rue Saint Gilles
Location : North part of the Ashram. The building
divided on (named from east to west):
(1)
Secretatiat properly (connected with Meditation House, to the west from it)
(2) Balcony Block
(3) Prosperity Block (connnected with Cold Storage
Block, to the east from it).
Siginificance : After rebuilding it provided the Mother with much needed additional space to work and rest — the Green Room and Salon. Pavitra too had an office and room on the first floor with a balcony attached to it, which the Mother later used for the Balcony Darshans
till 1962.
Photographs
1. Old Secretariat
2. New Secretariat and
Balcony Block under construction (1929-31) 3. New Secretariat, Balcony block and
Prosperity block together 4. New Secretariat 5. Balcony Blok and Prosperity Block 6. Balcony Block (south views) 7. Prosperity Block (south views)
1.Old
Secretariat
The Mother with disciples in front of the main gate of Old Secretariat
Circa October 1930
PHOTO ID: 00023
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.74,
Circa October 1930
PHOTO ID: 00008
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.18.
Mother on a roof of Meditation House (middle part, west wing — M.P. Pandit office in 1993)
1926 — 1929
PHOTO ID: 00015
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.42.
Mother with Pavitra on terrace of Old Secretariat
1926 — 1929
PHOTO ID: 00014
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.40.
Mother coming down from the roof of the Meditation House
1926 — 1929
PHOTO ID: 00006
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.17.
Balcony Block from courtyard
Circa October 1930
PHOTO ID: 00022
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.72.
The Rosary House
1922 — 1929
PHOTO ID: 00005
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.14.
2. New
Secretariat and Balcony Block under construction (1929-31)
Balcony Block under construction
Circa September 1929
PHOTO ID: 00020
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, pp.70-71.
Balcony Block under construction
1929
PHOTO ID: 00019
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, pp.68-69.
Old Secretariat partly demolished, New Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00026
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.81,
Meditation House
1931
PHOTO ID: 00028
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.83,
Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00029
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.83,
Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00032
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.85,
Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00033
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.85,
Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00030
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.84,
Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00031
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.84,
3. New
Secretariat,
Prosperity Block under construction
1932 — 1934
PHOTO ID: 00035
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.87,
Panorama of the north side
1947 — 1948
PHOTO ID: 00055
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.122.
Panorama of the north side
September 1955
PHOTO ID: 00056
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.123.
Panorama of the north side
September 1955
PHOTO ID: 00057
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.124.
Panorama of the north side
1958 — 1962
PHOTO ID: 00043
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.93.
Panorama of the north side
PHOTO ID: 00069
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.138.
North side in 2001
2001
PHOTO ID: 00009
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.19.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
North side
PHOTO ID: 00134
Meditation House
April 2004
PHOTO ID: 00071
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.139,
The Mother's Balcony Darshan
1950
PHOTO ID: 00074
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.143,
The Mother's Balcony Darshan
1950
PHOTO ID: 00104
The Mother's Balcony Darshan
PHOTO ID: 00105
North side
16 January 2006
PHOTO ID: 00107
North side
16 January 2006
PHOTO ID: 00109
North side
16 January 2006
PHOTO ID: 00106
4. New
Secretariat
Meditation House
2005
PHOTO ID: 00011
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.23,
Samadhi
February 1957
PHOTO ID: 00053
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.116.
Samadhi
2001
PHOTO ID: 00047
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.99.
Panorama of the south side
1932 — 1942
PHOTO ID: 00034
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.86.
Samadhi
Circa 1951
PHOTO ID: 00054
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.117.
Samadhi
2001
PHOTO ID: 00045
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.97.
The Mother with disciples in front of the main gate of Old Secretariat
Circa October 1930
PHOTO ID: 00023
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.74,
North side in 1930
Circa October 1930
PHOTO ID: 00008
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.18.
Prosperity Block under construction
1932 — 1934
PHOTO ID: 00036
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.88,
Prosperity Block under construction
1932 — 1934
PHOTO ID: 00037
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.90,
Cold Storage Block under construction
1935
PHOTO ID: 00039
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.91.
6. Balcony Block
Mother has walked across the scaffolding of the New Secretariat under construction
Circa June 1931
PHOTO ID: 00027
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.82.
Samadhi
February 1957
PHOTO ID: 00053
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.116.
Samadhi
2001
PHOTO ID: 00047
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.-
2008, p.99.
Balcony Block from courtyard
Circa October 1930
PHOTO ID: 00022
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.72.
Balcony Block from courtyard
2001
PHOTO ID: 00021
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.72.
The central courtyard during demolishing of the Old Secretariat
1931
PHOTO ID: 00025
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.80.
Secretariat under construction
1931
PHOTO ID: 00030
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.84,
Cold Storage Block
1935
PHOTO ID: 00040
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.91.
7. Prosperity Block
Library House Backyard
2001
PHOTO ID: 00017
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.46.
Cold Storage Block
1947 — 1948
PHOTO ID: 00041
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.92.
Panorama of south side
1949
PHOTO ID: 00001
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.3.
Fruit room
1948
PHOTO ID: 00042
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.92.
Cold Storage Block
1935
PHOTO ID: 00040
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.91.
Cold Storage Block under construction
1935
PHOTO ID: 00038
SOURCE: ‘Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building’.- 1st ed.- Pondicherry.- 2008, p.90.
Description
The ground floor. Plan and occupants
The first floor. Plan and occupants
The Old Secretariat
The ground floor. Plan and occupants
No
Function |
The Mother's
Symbol Names
1-1
Purushottam's room | Life Energy
1-2
1-3
A workshop with a car-repair section and a garage |
Atelier
1-4
1-5
1-6
1-7
2-1
Bulletin Office
3-1
Dyuman's room (from 1932.06.21) |
Fulfilment
The first floor. Plan and
occupants
No
Function |
The Mother's
Symbol Names
1.1
Terrace west from Balcony Block
1.2
Pavitra's office | Realisation
1.3
Pavitra's bedroom |
Occultism
1.4
Laboratory | Alchemy
1.5
Staircase from the ground floor
1.6
Green room (the Mother's Boudoir) |
La Réserve
2.1
Corridor
3.1
Connection
3.2
Roof of portico
3.3
Salon
4.1
Terrace of Champallal's kitchen (right — staircase
from the courtyard)
4.2
Terrace with staircase to the roof of Meditation
House
The Old Secretariat. Plan Drawn
in July 1929
Grownd floor
First floor
History
Schema of elevation of the north side. 1922 —
2000
1926.05.04
The Secretariat was rented
The Old Secretariat Building 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.
1929.03.23
Secretariat was bought
1929.08 — 1932.04
Construction of the New Secretariat building
1929.08 — 1930.10
Construction of the Balcony block
1931.02
Old Secretariat building was demolished
The decision to rebuild the Secretariat came after a few unsuccessful attempts to repair the dilapidated old building.
1932.04.24
Mother's Salon was opened
This seems to have been celebrated by a music programme during which Dilip and Sahana sang in front of the Mother in the Meditation Hall downstairs.
1932.06.21
The ground floor of the Secretariat was ready
The ground floor was taken up and Dyuman occupied his new room on 21 June 1932, two days after his 29th birthday. On this day, the Mother snipped selected portions from the manuscript of her Prayers and Meditations and distributed them to the sadhaks during a “Prosperity meeting” in the Library House.
1932.07
The Prosperity block was ready
Purushottam, the sadhak in charge of Prosperity, moved into it in July 1932
1932.09
Electrical wiring of the entire Prosperity block was completed
