Peacefully nestled in the Viluppuram district near Puduchery, Tamil Nadu, is a township like none other. Transcending money, politics and religion, welcome to Auroville, the City of Dawn. "Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creed, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity." It was founded on 28th February, 1968, by Mirra Alfassa (known as "The Mother") as a project of the Sri Aurobindo Society. Mirra Alfassa was the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, who held the notion that "man is a transitional being". It was designed by Roger Anger.

Mother believed that the "universal township" of Auroville would contribute decisively to the Indian renaissance.

She expected that Auroville would "contribute significantly in the progress of humanity towards its splendid future by bringing together people of goodwill and aspiration for a better world."

"Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness."

People who inhabit Auroville come from around 50 nations, hailing from all age groups, social classes, cultures and backgrounds. In short, Auroville represents humanity as a whole. Its population currently stands at close to 2,400 people.