journal d'une transition

1208

The understanding that has generally been shared amongst all those who worked at Matrimandir since the beginning has been that, since there was not sufficient water to fill a larger lake throughout the year, the solution of a narrower channel was elected as a compromise. Reading carefully all the various recorded conversations and statements of the Mother between 1965 and 1973, and trying to picture for each description a visual representation, there is definitely a change occurring in the later years. We will follow chronologically this development. Her first recorded description was made to Satprem on 23-6-1965. The plan is at that time to build the Mother’s Pavilion near an existing lake (Lake Estate). Huta would have her own guardian house next to the Mother’s by the lake. “… This central point is a park which I saw when I was very young… perhaps the most beautiful thing in the world from the point of view of physical, material Nature…” Let us remember that the location of this Pavilion, at the centre of the Park, is “by the lake”. Mother continues : “… A park with water and trees, like all parks, and flowers, but not many, flowers in the form of creepers, palms and ferns, all varieties of palms, water, if possible running water, and possibly a small cascade…” The following part of the sentence is interesting as it gives a definite clue to the Mother’s practical sense: “… From the practical point of view, it would be very good: at the far end, outside the park, we could build reservoirs that would be used to supply water to the residents…” So, even though at that time it was planned to build the Mother’s Pavilion by an existing lake, She did not see the lake itself as being a reservoir for the residents’ water consumption. She stated clearly that “ reservoirs could be built ”. Later on, in the same recorded conversation, the Mother continues: “ That is the centre. All around, there is a circular road, which separates the park from the rest of the town. There would probably be a gateway – in fact there must be one – in the park. A gateway with the guardian of the gate .” So here it is unmistakably clear that what separates the park from the rest of the town is a circular road. And in fact, until a few years ago, there was the clear understanding in Auroville that the Outer Gardens of Matrimandir would be surrounded, encircled by a road, the radius of which had been formally fixed at 300 metres. The Mother goes on to describe the “four big sections, like four big petals ” of the city itself. Again, a little later in the talk, the Mother observes that: “ Huta wants to be quiet, silent, aloof, and that is quite possible in her park, surrounded by a road, with someone to stop people from entering, one can stay very quiet – but if I am there, that is the end of it! ” .Part I – Her Dream, “by the lake”.

Let us remember again that, at the beginning of this conversation, Mother spoke of the Pavilion as being built “ by the lake ”.