An alternative design for the Matrimandir Lake

We share with you a proposal for an alternative design concept for the Matrimandir Lake created by a team of Indian landscape planners and architects.
It has been initiated and supervised by the Matrimandir Lake Task Force, that was endowed by the RA Working committee of Auroville.
The vision calls for the Matrimandir and its gardens to be surrounded by a lake, a challenge on many levels; ecological, aesthetic, functional and technical.
This alternative landscape design concept for the Matrimandir lake and its surrounding park, not only addresses these challenges but also sets out a direction of design that is inclusive and aesthetic while providing for a living water body.
We see this could be a way forward to harmonize and unify the different views on the design of the lake surrounding the soul of Auroville.
The Matrimandir Lake Task Force.
#matrimandir #matrimandirlake #auroville

[@paulettehadnagy5185]

The Mother mentions desalinisation (besides channeling water from the Himalayas) right away, in the very first conversation on Auroville!!! "The biggest difficulty is water, because there is no nearby river up there; but they are already trying to harness rivers. There is even a project to divert water from the Himalayas and bring it across the whole of India (L. had made a plan and discussed it in Delhi; of course, they objected that it would be a little costly!). But anyway, without going into such grandiose things, something has to be done to bring water; that will be the biggest difficulty, that's what will take the longest time. As for the rest - light, power - it will be made on the spot in the industrial section - but you can't manufacture water! The Americans have given serious thought to a way of using sea water, because the earth no longer has enough drinking water for people (the water they call "fresh"1... it's ironical); the amount of water is insufficient for people's use, so they have already started chemical experiments on a big scale to transform sea water and make it usable - obviously that would be the solution to the problem. S.: But it already exists. It exists, but not in a sufficient proportion. S.: Yes, in Israel. They do it in Israel? They use sea water? Obviously, that would be the solution - the sea is there. It has to be studied. Then the water would have to be sent uphill. Mother’s Agenda, 23.6.65 "

[@paulettehadnagy5185]

Too bad that the illustrious team was not informed that the 'lake' is not a canal or some ornamental water body. The Mother wished a town for 50,000 inhabitants; the water would be supplied by a huge lake, and desalinated water would be used as well. From a famous conversation in Mother's Agenda, 31 December 1969: "Roger's idea is to have an island in the centre surrounded by water, running water which will be used for the city's whole water supply; and when it has gone through the city, it will be routed to a mill and will be used to irrigate all the environing agriculture. So, this centre is like an islet, and in this centre there is what we had at first called the Matrimandir - which I always see as a very big, absolutely empty room… So Roger had arranged a system of bridges to link it to the other bank. And the other bank would be composed entirely of gardens all around. … There are material difficulties: for this islet, we need water - naturally, otherwise it's not an islet! To have the water, we must transform it - there isn't enough underground water. Not enough water? There is water, but it's enough for one or two houses, anyway not enough to create a permanent flow. We would need transformed sea water. In Israel they have found a way to do it economically (we even have brochures on this), but you understand, economical for a city, not economical for an individual! So then, we'd need to have water to make this islet, that's the difficulty. But before building the islet, we can begin building the “temple” itself... Begin by lifting a pebble. Yes, we could do that."

[@Anton-tf9iw]

Matrimandir lake being projected here as a potential source of conflict with the locals. Why create an additional fear where there is non for existing lakes like Irumbai Eri or Usteri?

[@TheAndrewmcnelis]

100%

[@Anton-tf9iw]

For additional lake water the Mother herself spoke about following Israel in water solutions, so seawater desalination in the Agenda of December 31, 1969, but we know better: mind over Supermind.

[@TheAndrewmcnelis]

Total nightmare.

[@lahirepoton]

Superb project! MAGNIFICIENT! Mohan, Anjali, Rahul and Nikhil are highly talented. We pray for this to be manifested for this is the way to Real Auroville. Uma and Shankar

[@chriss9571]

Mantri mandir would be lovely without a lake. Why so much energy expended for a lake? It’s like pushing proverbial shit up a proverbial hill.