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“
There are material difficulties: for the islet, water is needed – naturally, otherwise
it’s not an islet! As far as water goes, it will have to be transformed. There isn’t
enough underground water… There is water, but just enough for one or two
houses; in short there isn’t enough water to create a permanent stream. They
would have to convert sea-water. In Israel, they have found a way to do it
economically – we even have brochures about it – but, you understand,
‘economical’ for a city, not for an individual! And so we have to get water in order
to make this islet, that is the difficulty
.”
However, the Mother is open to the option of beginning the construction now:
“… To begin building even before there is an islet
…”
Perhaps this is the beginning of the compromise which was later adopted: instead
of a lake, to have only a narrow continuous channel all around the Oval area of the
inner gardens.
At the very end of that conversation, the Mother repeats:
“
Yes, I understand, the thing is to build the centre, even if we can’t make an islet
.”
.Part V – The birth of the Matrimandir.
On 3-1-1970, the Mother has a long conversation with Satprem, where She
describes at length and in detail Her experience of the Inner Chamber of the
Matrimandir, which She had in the night of the New Year.
She mentions that perhaps, for now, one could build a sort of small version of this
place She has seen, as an experiment, and later the real one could be built around
it or over it. In this connection, She says:
“
It is like the gardens: all the gardens which are being made are for now, but in
twenty years, all that will have to be on another scale; then it will have to be
something really… really beautiful
…”
This statement shows again how much importance the Mother attaches to these
gardens; and it evokes the possibility of starting with smaller gardens, as for
example with the “inner garden”, and ending with larger gardens – outer gardens –
on another scale; this may account for the Mother’s acceptance of smaller gardens
constituting the “inner gardens” on the Oval island.
One week later, on 10-1-1970, the Mother has another long conversation with
Satprem about Matrimandir. Satprem conveys to Her Paolo’s impressions, feelings
and suggestions about the building.
The question arises of its outer shape and of its access. At this point the Mother
brings in quite a new perspective, integrating for the first time the presence of the
Urn, which had been erected for the inauguration ceremony of Auroville, on 28-2-
1968.
She explains:
“
The underground entrance… One will enter a dozen or so metres from the wall, at
the foot of the Urn. The Urn itself will mark where the descent begins. I must
choose from which side exactly. And thus it is possible that, later on, the Urn,
instead of being outside, will be inside the enclosure.
So perhaps we could simply put a great wall all around, and then the gardens.