Matrimandir Gardens

On the Matrimandir Peace area - 2003

Page 105

-In 2001, Dr. Subhash Kashyap, member of the Governing Board, initiated an effort at true compromise: a compromise that would honour the respective truth of initially opposing viewpoints and integrate them in a single wholesome solution. The following proposal was thus elaborated: Two thirds of the periphery of the oval island would be surrounded by a moderately-sized water-body, varying from 8 meters to about 50 meters width, while the Eastern part of the outer gardens, which has not yet been landscaped, would be made into a fairly large expanse of water. This proposal had the very essential virtue of both honouring the work already done during the last 30 years also, and upholding the principle of not wasting. This very crucial aspect of "waste" has somehow been consistently ignored in the current, yet unresolved polemics, as if the energies that have been dedicated throughout the entire life of Auroville so far towards a creation of the Matrimandir park and gardens, by countless Aurovilians, workers, donors, not to mention the spirit in which they have been committing to this task, were of no concern and no consequence.