Day 5, "Is it a bird? a plane? No, it's Dan on a motorbike!"

Day 5 of our stay in Auroville started with a misty walk to the Matrimandir, accompanied by a furry friend who led the way. This was the day we finally got to go inside the Matrimandir and spend some time in the meditation chamber. While none of the group members have quite reached divine consciousness, it certainly was a powerful experience. 

After a relaxing morning of self-reflection, we launched into our work for the day. Maeve and Spencer visited the Arka Guest House to meet with Surya, an Aurovilian who has done amazing work in health and dental care in and around Auroville, from delivering babies to filling tooth cavities. 

The rest of the group went to Kuilapalayam for an impromptu Lalit tour of some of the schools Auroville runs in the villages. Later, the whole team had a chance to connect with some students at the New Era Secondary School. The students, some Aurovilian, some from the villages, offered profound insights on Auroville’s impacts on their lives and education. They also had the opportunity to ask us their own questions about our project and life in Canada. We all really enjoyed getting to know them; one student was even a k-pop fan like Wendy!

After a much-needed burger at Cafe 73, the afternoon was spent working away at our data analysis and report planning. We ended the work day with a cold beverage over avideo call with Wendy at mission control to catch her up on our most recent findings. 

Finally, we capped off the night with a trip back into Kuilapalayam to attend a DJ and tacos event on the rooftop of Marc’s cafe, where we got a taste of Auroville’s unique nightlife.

Epic moment of the day:

The group, waiting for Spencer and Dan to arrive at the Matrimandir, hear a motorbike engine in the distance.

Caley: “Who would be more likely to show up on a motorbike, Dan or Spencer?”

At that moment, the motorbike rounds the corner and comes into view and… it’s Dan on the back of Lalit’s bike!