- When: Exhibition opening on Friday 16 Sep 2022 at 04.30pm. Exhibition Date’s 16th Sep – 01st Oct. Gallery hours Monday to Saturday Mon – Sat 02.00pm – 05.00pm. Sunday is closed.
- Where: Centre d’Art Gallery, Citadines, Auroville
- Free pickup and drop from the visitors Center on Friday and Saturday from 02.30pm to 04.30pm. Please Park at the town hall.
Numerous communities in the Green Belt devoted their work to restoring the eroded earth and to planting forests: Pitchandikulam, Samriddhi, Fertile, Revelation, Hermitage, etc… This work necessitated using iron mining bars to make holes in the laterite and to then plant highly-resistant species such as the “Work Tree” (Acacia auriculoformis). Dams and water retainers were built to capture the monsoon rains, as well as thorny fences to protect the saplings from the wandering herds of cows and goats. In 1982, the Government of India, impressed by the work of the Aurovilians, granted considerable funds over a period of 5 years to plant trees and carry out a scientific study on the results, so they could be reproduced elsewhere in India.
Seeds of indigenous species that are typical of the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF) were gathered from the sacred groves. This seed-collection work enabled saving these species, safeguarding them within Auroville, and then propagating them throughout India. An identical work has been carried out for the re-introduction of indigenous medicinal plants.
by Nadia Loury.
Photo credit: Valentina Garozzo and Nadia Loury.
