Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Its Role, Responsibility and Future Destiny

The Pioneers

Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry, the great Institution known the world over, which draws its appelation from the name of Mahayogi Sri Aurobindo, was formally established on or around 24 November 1926. But even before that date some young seekers had already started flocking to the then capital town of French India in order to live near Sri Aurobindo and shape their lives under the spiritual guidance of the Seer.

The first to arrive was Suresh Chandra Chakravarty (Moni) who reached Pondicherry on 31 March 1910 and made arrangements for Sri Aurobindo's stay there. A few days later Sri Aurobindo arrived at Pondicherry, accompanied by Bejoy Nag: the date was 4 April 1910. Thus Bejoy became the second young pilgrim of the Dawn. After a few months in the same year, two other young souls came to live with Sri Aurobindo: they were Saurin Bose in October and Nolini Kanta Gupta in November. The fifth person to join Sri Aurobindo's household was a Tamil youth Va Ra. After a few years, in 1919 to be precise, another local youth, K. Amrita by name, came to join the group. The next year 1920 brought two more additions, Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Kodandaraman. Rajangam, a young doctor fresh from the college campus, heard the call and reached the haven of Sri Aurobindo's feet on 7 April 1921. A couple of years passed and, in different months of the year 1923, five more young aspirants, four from Gujarat and one from Bengal, came to live with Sri Aurobindo: they were A.B. Purani, Champaklal, Punamchand and his wife Champaben, and Kanailal Gangulee. The year 1924 saw the arrival of Punjalal, again from Gujarat. A French army engineer Phillipe Barbier Saint-Hillaire (Pavitra) came and settled down in 1925. And the following year 1926 saw the arrival of Anil Baran Roy.

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Let us salute the memory of these sixteen ardent seekers of Light who, between the years 1910 and 1926, left behind them everything worldly men yearn after and came from different parts of India and abroad to reside near Sri Aurobindo, the fountain of eternal wisdom. Interestingly there is an extant photograph dating from the early months of 1923; this is reproduced in Champaklalji's book Champaklal's Treasures and is entitled "1923: Inmates" showing the pictures of seventeen people who were staying with Sri Aurobindo at that time. Saurin Bose had already left for Bengal; instead, four new persons figure in the group photo. The list of the inmates of Sri Aurobindo's household as given by this particular photograph is as follows:

(1) Suresh (Moni), (2) Bejoy, (3) Nolini, (4) Amrita, (5) Rajangam, (6) Purani, (7) Kanai, (8) Kodandaraman, (9) Mrs. Kodandaraman, (10) Champaklal, (11) Punamchand, (12) Champaben, (13) Saiyen, (14) Kshitish, (15) Tirupati, and (16) Manmohan.

In the meantime the Mother had come back from Japan and joined Sri Aurobindo in his Tapasya aimed at the divine transformation of human nature and life. One Miss Dorothy Hodgson, for many years a companion of the Mother, came with her and joined Sri Aurobindo's entourage. She was known by the Indian name Datta.

A few more years rolled by and then came the momentous day, 24 November 1926. This day, known in the Ashram as the 'Siddhi Day' or 'Victory Day', marked a decisive stage in Sri Aurobindo's Sadhana, since it meant -as explained by him later - the descent of the overmental Godhead into the physical. There was a collective evening meditation on this 24th of November 1926. All the inmates - permanent residents and temporary visitors alike -attended that special meditation. The Mother and Sri Aurobindo blessed all those who were present. Here is the

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list of the twenty-four souls who were with Sri Aurobindo on that special occasion of twenty-fourth November charged with a tremendous significance for the earth's destiny.

(1) Suresh (Moni), (2) Bejoy, (3) Nolini, (4) Amrita, (5) Datta, (6) Barindra, (7) Rajangam, (8) Purani, (9) Kanai, (10) Punamchand, (11) Champaben, (12) Champaklal, (13) Punjalal, (14) Pavitra, (15) Satyen, (16) Lilavati (Purani's wife), (17) Dr. Upendra Nath Banerjee, (18) Nonibala (Upendra Nath's sister), (19) Rajanikanta Palit, (20) Kshitish Chandra Dutt, (21) V. Chandrasekhar, (22) Puru-shottam Patel, (23) Rambhai Patel and (24) Rati Palit. (All these 24 pioneers have since "left" us.)

November 24, 1926 marked a watershed in the history of the world-redeeming Sadhana undertaken by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and on this particular day Sri Aurobindo Ashram was formally founded as an integrated community of spiritual seekers.