SAIIER 2021:The Mother's Flower Garden

Unity Pavilion		Auroville Library
Entity::The Mother's Flower Garden by Naren and Rabi

The Mother’s Flower Garden was created with an aspiration to permanently house all the flowers which The Mother had given significance to.

The sub-unit is still to be manifested on the ground because land is still awaited. This year the executives made efforts and learned about plants and flowers and about the workings of the Working Groups.

Activities of the year:

We presented proposals to the Town Development Council (TDC), Green Group, Farm Group and Forest Group for land allocation. All of them appreciate the project. We are under discussion with them for allotment of 5 acres of land.

We presented the concept in the Divine Flowers Exhibition (see separate report) and were able to collect donations from 10 Aurovilians. An outsider also donated and got an Auroville Foundation receipt to avail 100% tax benefit. The donation is sitting with the Unity Fund for future utilisation.

We were offered land through our own sources (up to April 2021) at 4 far-off places; one later became off-limits. We may consider one out of the remaining 3, if land is not made available by the above groups. TDC is actively considering allotting a piece of land in Mahalakshmi Park.

We made a PowerPoint presentation to highlight the project.

We will start work on the nursery as a pilot project of The Mother’s Flower Garden (if funds are provided) at the Udavi School campus.

Outcomes:

Most Aurovilians and groups have been made aware of the project and they appreciate and want it. Land and water are the main issues. The project received donations worth Rs. 36,000.

We studied plants, flowers, water requirement and other needs of the project through books, resource persons and the internet.

Reflections:

People's enthusiasm for the project was inspiring to us. Getting an allocation of land is the biggest challenge.

Conclusion:

We will continue to make efforts to get the land allotted, then make serious efforts for fund-raising and manifesting the Garden.