As we enter 2026, the work at Matrimandir in Auroville is unfolding with renewed energy and quiet determination. The shared aspiration remains clear: to complete Matrimandir, together with the Park of Unity and the encircling Lake, as a sacred offering to The Mother on the occasion of Her 150th birth anniversary on 21 February 2028.
Across the site, progress continues on many fronts development, refinement, maintenance, and the daily welcoming of the many thousands of visitors who come to experience this extraordinary place. Matrimandir and the Park of Unity feel very much alive, blooming like a giant flower that brings forth new leaves and petals with each passing season.
The Heart of the Work: Matrimandir Itself
At the centre of all activity stands the Matrimandir main building. Its upkeep alone engages a dedicated team every day, ensuring that the physical integrity of the structure matches its spiritual significance.
Alongside maintenance, two important development projects are advancing in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.
The first involves the long-anticipated Golden Doors set into the four main pillars of Matrimandir. These doors are designed to slide discreetly below the sphere when open and, when closed, to complete the perfect golden surface. IIT Madras is currently developing the sophisticated drive mechanisms and sensor-guided control systems that will make this elegant movement possible.
The second project focuses on the heliostat, the vital system that directs a precise sunray onto the Crystal at the centre of the Inner Chamber. The existing heliostat, now around twenty years old, is due for an upgrade or replacement. IIT Madras is testing an innovative alternative that uses two lenses and contains no moving or digital parts. If successful, this new system would offer a simpler, more reliable, and nearly maintenance-free way to capture and focus the sunray.
Gardens in Bloom: Utility, Bliss, and Harmony
Work in the Gardens continues steadily. The Garden of Utility is on track for completion by mid-February, and one of its most striking features has recently been revealed. In mid-January, scaffolding was removed from the newly completed vaulted stone arch bridge, unveiling its graceful, curving lines rising above a tranquil lily pond below. The bridge brings both beauty and quiet strength to the Garden, embodying harmony between function and form.
The Garden of Bliss has also undergone careful refinement in recent months. Its five marble-clad fountains now send flowing curtains of water into the air, creating a soothing visual and auditory experience for all who visit.
Meanwhile, work in the Garden of Harmony, newly begun, is now in full swing, with excavation of the central water body progressing well.
The Lake: A Vision Taking Shape
On the southern edge of the Park of Unity’s oval, significant work is underway in the Lake area. Preparations are being made to cast the concrete foundation for a new wall at the western end of the Lake. This follows the loss of the original central Lake wall, which was swept away during Cyclone Fengal a little over a year ago.
In the coming summer months, a 300-metre section of the Lake will be waterproofed. When joined with the already completed 100-metre stretch of Lake Section 1, this will create a continuous 400-metre-long Lake section, bounded by retaining walls at both ends. Seeing this long expanse filled with harvested rainwater will be a deeply rewarding milestone.
Beyond this, Lake Section 3 is being prepared for excavation, with work expected to begin soon.
Modernising Infrastructure Beneath the Surface
Excavation of Lake Section 2 has opened the door to another major undertaking: the modernisation of Matrimandir’s entire electrical distribution system. All power—whether solar, generator-based, or from the state grid—reaches Matrimandir and the Park of Unity from the far southern shore of the Lake. New electrical cables must therefore be laid beneath the Lake itself.
Recognising the opportunity, the electrical team has embarked on a large-scale upgrade, replacing old systems with new ones while ensuring that power supply is never interrupted.
Preparing for the Future: The Service Facility
To complete the Lake around Matrimandir, existing support facilities—laundry, catering, workers’ amenities, storage, and more—must be relocated from the eastern side of the site. To accommodate these essential functions, a new Service Facility has been designed by two Auroville architects after several years of study.
The first phase has now begun, with test holes drilled to assess soil strength beneath the proposed foundations. Structural engineers are engaged in final design calculations. Construction is planned to begin in early 2026, with completion targeted for mid-2027.
The Viewing Point: Witnessing a Living Vision
South of Lake Section 2, rising ten metres above it, stands the extensive Viewing Point. Each day, an average of 5,000 visitors walk up from the Auroville Visitors Centre to witness the evolving Matrimandir, surrounded by the Park of Unity with the Lake in the foreground.
Improving and maintaining the Viewing Point facilities remains a constant labour of love for the Matrimandir team, ensuring that all who come can experience the site with comfort and clarity.
A Call to Join Hands: Fundraising for Completion
“The Matrimandir will be the soul of Auroville.
The sooner the soul is there, the better it will be for everybody and especially for the Aurovillians.”
— The Mother, 15 November 1970
With just two years remaining to reach the goal of completion, fundraising has become a vital part of the work. The Matrimandir team is reaching out to all of The Mother’s children—and asking each of us to reach further, to our own networks and communities.
Would it not be wonderful if we could join hands across the world and offer a completed Matrimandir to The Mother on Her 150th birthday?
Much remains to be done, and many projects are still underway. Among those currently under detailed study are the Reception Pavilion, to be located on the western outer shoreline of the Lake, and the 100-metre bridge that will one day cross the Lake, connecting the Pavilion to the Park of Unity.
From Red Earth to Living Waters
When digging began in 1971, the land was dry, dusty, and red, forming a crater for the future Matrimandir. Today, more than five decades later, a bridge is being designed to cross a Lake that embraces the golden sphere at the centre of Auroville.
If anything may be called a miracle, it is this: the profound transformation of the land—and the steady, collective effort that continues to bring Matrimandir closer to its destined wholeness.