10,000 devotees pay tribute to Sri Aurobindo on 150th birth anniversary

PUDUCHERRY: Over 10,000 devotees from across the world paid tributes to Sri Aurobindo on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary on Monday.

Long lines of devotees thronged the Sri Aurobindo Ashram's 'samadhi' and some visited the room of  Sri Aurobindo, kept open for devotees during the darshan. The day began and ended with meditation. In the evening, students of the Ashram school and members participated in a marching drill in front of the 'Spiritual Map of India' in the playground.

Meanwhile, the ashram issued a darshan message, “A spiritual ideal has always been the characteristic idea and aspiration of India. But the progress of time and the need of humanity demand a new orientation and another form of that ideal.... Our ideal...is to accept the world as an effort of manifestation of the Divine, but also to transform humanity by a greater effort of manifestation than has yet been accomplished” The best homage that we can render to Sri Aurobindo on his centenary day is to have a thirst for progress and to open all our being to the Divine Influence of which he is the Messenger upon the earth, it added

Meanwhile, Auroville residents held a 'light mandala and sacred fire offering' at Inuksuk near the Visitors Centre at Auroville. The singing of Vande Mataram, and the reading of some of Sri Aurobindo's writings was held. An exhibition on his life and works is under way in the ashram exhibition hall on Beach Road.