SAIIER 2018:“Divine Flowers” exhibition

Cooking program		Educational Food Growing Programs at three Auroville schools
“Divine Flowers” exhibition

The aim of this project “Divine Flowers” was to create a learning environment for children, Aurovilians and visitors and to connect with flowers in a deeper way. This was an innovative educational project whereby through contact with real flowers and photos/paintings, common names and messages by The Mother, many parts of our being got stimulated and became conscious of them on a subtle plane. To impact all the parts of the being: the presence of flowers in the Physical; color, shape, fragrance, beauty in the Vital; messages and significances in the Mental; and a beautiful atmosphere in the Psychic was one of the aims of this exhibition. In other words – Education in an integral way.

Since Mother took her precious time to give these significances, they have a spiritual meaning for all of us. So through this exhibition, we, in Auroville, the children and the many visitors who were here at that time, got the space and time to get in touch with this aspect of their heart space. It was an effort to create beautiful flower arrangements, involving the community to co-create a psychic presence in the atmosphere.

Description of project:

The exhibition started on the Mother’s birthday, 21st February 2018 and continued for 8 days, culminating on the 50th Birth Anniversary of Auroville on 28th February. About 70 different fresh flowers, with their common names and the significance given by the Mother, were arranged artistically in a variety of vases in the Square Hall of Savitri Bhavan. Paintings of eighteen of them were also displayed along with the flowers. Three different symbols (that of the Mother, Auroville and Sri Aurobindo) were made in flower arrangements in the centre of the room.

Single large exquisite Ikebana flower arrangements graced the lobby in front of the Square Hall. The colonnade had wonderful orchids with photographs of flowers. Around 400 flowers and green plants in pots were arranged from the main entrance up to the gate of the lobby, including the amphitheatre. General messages on flowers from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother were put up at various places throughout the exhibition.

Special spots (two) were used to place the different varieties of the Auroville flower, Hibiscus, and various colours of roses. These too had the texts of Mother’s significance.

Flowers were collected every day in and around Auroville and from Ashram Gardens, and the pots were watered and re-arranged every day.

Meditation with Mother’s music, led by Shraddhavan and Kailas at 10.30 on 21st February, signaled the auspicious opening of the event. All the Auroville schools were invited but only Udavi and Isai Ambalam children and teachers could come. Others were on school holiday, but many came with their parents and friends. More than 100 visitors, tourists and residents of Auroville attended the exhibition every day. We had to extend the duration by one more day, to enable more schools and others to enjoy the exhibition.

Free gifts of flower-seeds, flower-cards and books on the Mother and Sri Aurobindo were distributed as souvenirs. Around 10 volunteers and 6 members of the core team worked from early morning till late at night. But all of them were highly motivated and delighted to work and contribute.

The culmination of the event was marked by the meditation led by Tara Jauhar, Head of the Delhi Ashram and her team. The programme ended with a meditation and thanks-giving in presence of Shraddhavan.

Outcomes:

From the verbal and written comments of the visitors, it is obvious that the atmosphere touched their hearts and they could feel the peace and the harmony of nature. They were able to connect with the inner beauty of the flowers and their arrangements. As a team this exhibition helped to gain the detailed knowledge of and build a deeper relationship with the flowers. We learned about the places from where to obtain them. We also learned how to take help from unknown persons and organizations.

Reflections and conclusion:

The core team and the volunteers learned to work as a team. The core persons learned how to organize an exhibition with proper planning and execution through mutual discussion and understanding. We came in touch with the reality of these wonders of nature (flowers) and of life.

Looking at the success of this adventure, we have decided to hold the next exhibition having more richness and more involvement of the children.