Sri Aurobindo Ghose was a philosopher, poet, and nationalist leader in India during the early 1900s. He supported India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule through his writings. However, he was arrested and falsely accused of being involved in terrorist acts in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case. This caused him to withdraw from political life until he was finally cleared of all charges.

Disillusioned with politics, Aurobindo focused on spiritual development and moved to Pondicherry. In this French colony, he could practice his beliefs in Integral Yoga without fear of persecution from British authorities. There, he met Mirra Alfassa, a Parisian bourgeoise with Sephardic Jewish ancestry, and together, they established an ashram dedicated to the practice of Integral Yoga. Inspired by Aurobindo’s vision of human unity and spiritual evolution, Auroville was founded near Pondicherry in 1968. Auroville aims to be a universal town where people from different backgrounds and nationalities can coexist harmoniously, governed by sustainability principles, community living, and spiritual growth.