Paintings depicting various parts of the main building of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.

Dear Friends,

Wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother believed that poetry, music and art could act as aids in sadhana so Their disciples were encouraged to pursue artistic endeavours. To quote Sri Aurobindo’s own words: ‘Spirituality is a wider thing than formal religion and it is in the service of spirituality that Art reaches its highest self-expression. Spirituality is a single word expressive of three lines of human aspiration towards divine knowledge, divine love and joy, divine strength, and that will be the highest and most perfect Art which, while satisfying the physical requirements of the aesthetic sense, the laws of formal beauty, the emotional demand of humanity, the portrayal of life and outward reality, reaches beyond them and expresses inner spiritual truth, the deeper not obvious reality of things, the joy of God in the world and its beauty and desirableness and the manifestation of divine force and energy in phenomenal creation.’ (The Hour of God, p. 248)

The Sri Aurobindo Ashram of the yesteryears had some of the finest artists of India as its inmates. Krishnalal Bhatt, Jayantilal Parekh, Sanjivan Biswas, Nishikanto Roy Chowdhury and a few others were among the first generation of the Ashram artists.

As a Christmas offering, we are happy to present before our readers a collection of paintings made by the artists of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. These paintings, made by Krishnalal Bhatt, Jayantilal Parekh and Chinmayee in the 1930s and 1940s, depict the various parts of the main building of Sri Aurobindo Ashram as they were in those days.

With warm regards,

Anurag Banerjee

Founder,

Overman Foundation.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1939.
Main Gate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram; Library House behind.
The room where Sri Aurobindo sat writing His correspondence in the 1930s.
The Corridor—eastern end.
The Corridor—western end.
Another view of the Ashram courtyard.
Sri Aurobindo’s chair in His room.
Stairway leading to the Library House and Pavitra’s room.
Eastern side of the Ashram.
The staircase leading to the first floor.
Glazed almirah for documents.
The Mother’s seat near the window.
The Service Tree.
The Library.
Library House.
A carved seat for Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
Ashram courtyard as seen from the Mother’s room.
The palm tree near the Meditation Hall.
Courtyard outside the Meditation Hall.
North-east corner of the Ashram main building with the Mother’s balcony at right.
Evening meditation in and around the Meditation Hall.
South-west corner of the Ashram.
Pathway to the Mother’s rooms.
Central courtyard seen from the south.
The mango tree outside the window.
Garden in the central courtyard.
The Mother’s Green Room.
Window overlooking the garden.
Arched passage leading to the Prosperity courtyard.
Pavitra waiting for the Mother.
Steps leading to the rooms of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
Central courtyard from the west.
The Mother’s seat in the Meditation Hall in the 1930s.
The Service Tree.
A view of the Ashram courtyard.
The Mother’s window.
The Rosary Gate of the Ashram.
The Mother’s Salon with the chest-of-drawers.
The Mother’s chair in the Meditation Hall.
Garden in the central courtyard in the 1930s.
Image of Lord Buddha near the window.
The Mother’s Couch.
Window as seen from the courtyard.
Prints of paintings courtesy: Shri Narendra Patel.

36 Replies to “Paintings depicting various parts of the main building of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.

  1. An unscheduled Darshan on an auspicious day, thanks to these glimpses of where the Mother and Sri Aurobindo lived.

  2. It gave some inner joy and peace after having look of all these Graceful paintings from the Great artists of those days. Its a great experience to watch and feel the depth of all these articles used by the Master and Revered Mother. Pranam. Thanks for sharing

  3. As an amateur painter i am inspired . I feel the divine ambience of the ashram. Each painting bears the cryptic touch of The Mother, the Supreme Artist .
    Prasun Kanti Pal

  4. I am happy to see all these paintings all together on the Ashram building. Thanks a lot. I hope you will reproduce other paintings also.

  5. Superb paintings. Who was the painter ? Makes me feel that I must have been with the Mother in her Ashram.
    Thanks for sharing, Anurag. You are great 😊

  6. They possess a powerful subtle charm that captivates and delights with its teasing hints of Their hidden presence /influence.

  7. Beautiful paintings! They project a glimpse of the simple life, sylvan surrounding and the intimate spiritual lives of the inmates. Thanks for making the paintings available for us to visualise and appreciate the unique art .

  8. Thanks. The collective impact of the paintings: They radiate an atmosphere of a harmonious mingling of Peace with Beauty.

  9. Thanks a lot for sharing.

    ॐ आनन्दमयि, चैतन्यमयि, सत्यमयि, परमें !!

  10. Grazie Shri Narendra Patel,
    i dipinti lasciano il senso dell’accuratezza, della gioia e dell’ amore, aprono spazi e finestre interiori

  11. Very impressive! 🙏🙏
    May the sweet touch of Christmas expand your hearts and fill your every expectation in the new year 2022. Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022. 💞

  12. What a gift Anurag! The paintings depict the serenity and peace in and around the Ashram. Thank you letting us see these treasures!

  13. Thanks a lot. We get the rare privilege of having a view of the inner rooms of the Ashram, and the historic old views of the buildings and rooms.

  14. Amazingly beautiful paintings!!
    The atmosphere of harmony, peace and beauty are so explicitly depicted in all the paintings !! Wish to know the name of the artists too. Thank you so much for such a great initiative.🙏🙏

  15. This is an experience. Here is beauty that exceeds form. An atmosphere is there full of light and joy. This is an illustration of Future Painting. Huta’s is yet to come. But where we are now?

  16. It would be lovely if the Ashram made canvas prints of some of the beautiful artwork that had emerged from the Ashram so we could have copies in our homes. Just something to ponder….

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