Auroville, India

© Vikram Ramakrishnan/Shutterstoc

Welcome to the City of Dawn. A place called 'Peace' in India

Today we're visiting Auroville, India, aka 'The City of Dawn.' In 1968, French-born guru and yogi Mirra Alfassa founded this spiritual community in southern India as a place where people of all races, religions, and nationalities could live together peacefully. Although conceived as a utopia for 50,000, only about 2,800 people from over 50 countries live here today. The golden metallic orb, the Matrimandir, is considered the soul of the city, standing in the centre of the 2,000-acre township in an area called 'Peace.' Silence is maintained inside the sphere. A spiraling ramp leads up to a white-marble, air-conditioned inner chamber designed for one to find one's consciousness. Reservations required—at least for tourists.