February
The Mother's Birth Anniversary
February 21 each year
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram marks the birthday of Mirra Alfassa, known as The Mother, with silent meditations at the Samadhi, collective readings, and the rare opening of her private room to visitors.
Who the Mother was
Mirra Alfassa was born in Paris on February 21, 1878. She arrived in Pondicherry in 1914, and from 1926 until her death on November 17, 1973, she co-founded and ran the Sri Aurobindo Ashram with Sri Aurobindo. After his death in 1950, she guided the community alone for another twenty-three years, running its schools, workshops, and correspondence, directing its daily practice of Integral Yoga, and conceiving the international township of Auroville, which was inaugurated in 1968. She was 95 when she died.
The celebration at the Ashram
February 21 is one of the most significant days in the ashram's calendar. The Samadhi, the white marble shrine in the central courtyard where both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are interred, draws a continuous stream of meditators from before dawn. Collective readings from her writings accompany the silent prayers throughout the day. The Mother's personal room, normally closed to visitors, is opened on her birthday.
At Auroville
The international township 10 km north of Pondicherry holds a dawn meditation at the Matrimandir Amphitheatre. The amphitheatre is decorated with fresh flowers. A few Aurovilians still in the community met the Mother during her final years; their presence at these gatherings is something rare and not announced.
Planning your visit
February 21 draws large numbers of devotees and spiritual tourists. Book accommodation several weeks in advance. Dress modestly at the ashram: shoulders and knees covered. The ashram website (sriaurobindoashram.org) publishes its programme for the day.
The Pondy App
Take this guide with you
Offline maps, street-level history, restaurant picks, and hotel guides — everything on this site, in your pocket.