Welcome to Episode 31 of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years. In this episode, Robi shares his vivid personal journey, from arriving at the Ashram as a ten-year-old child in 1941 to receiving direct spiritual, artistic, and practical guidance from The Mother over many decades.

Robi reflects on his early work assignments, his legal and educational choices, and his close interactions with Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. He also provides a rare insider look at the founding of the Ashram photography department, the publication of Ashram literature, and the sacred, golden atmosphere surrounding Sri Aurobindo’s passing in 1950.

Episode Highlights:

Arrival & Early Ashram Life: Coming to the Ashram as a 10-year-old in April 1941, early work in the atelier and dining hall, and receiving his first spiritual instruction from Mother: "Open your psychic center."

Education & Court Case: Resolving a family court case in Calcutta regarding his education, sitting for Madras University exams, and Mother's memorable advice against becoming a "learned fool".

Memories of Sri Aurobindo: Experiencing Sri Aurobindo’s majestic, impersonal presence during darshans and witnessing the golden light filling his room in December 1950.

Photography & Artistic Guidance: Setting up Photo Service with Mother's permission, learning composition and art principles directly from her, and documenting Ashram life.

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Visit: Behind-the-scenes stories of famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson’s 1950 visit, his special session photographing Sri Aurobindo, and securing his historic negatives.

Ashram Press & Centenary Edition: Robi's transition to managing the press printing section, setting up block-making, and supervising Sri Aurobindo's Centenary Edition under Mother's directives.

Sports & Recreation: Playing competitive table tennis and tennis, Mother's guidance on playing with spiritual consciousness, and early Ashram sports culture.

If you enjoyed this intimate dive into Ashram art and history, please Follow our podcast and share this episode!

#SriAurobindoAshram #TheEarlyYears #SriAurobindo #TheMother #RobbieGanguly #SpiritualJourneys #AshramHistory #HenriCartierBresson #IntegralYoga #PondicherryHistory #SpiritualPhotography #GraceAndLearning

Welcome to Episode 30 (Part 2) of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years. In this continuation of her interview, Priti delves deeper into her early childhood memories with Mother.

She describes Mother's expressive French classes filled with poetry recitations, dictation sessions, and playful animal voices during Storytime. Priti also shares touching accounts of birthday blessings, unique gifts, personalized cards, and the spiritual encouragement Mother gave to paint directly from within.

Episode Highlights:

French Classes with Mother: Unique three-day-a-week sessions covering dictations, poetry recitations, and interactive readings in the guest house corridor.

Storytime & Animated Voices: Mother bringing children's stories like Masako Kari to life using expressive facial movements and dramatic animal voices.

Rewards & Scoring: Earning points for error-free recitations and receiving handmade notebooks, books, and gifts from Mother upon reaching 100 points.

Birthday Traditions & Blessings: Memories of special evening birthday greetings, presenting handcrafted offerings like a velvet shawl to Mother, and receiving personal touch blessings.

Artistic Guidance: Mother’s advice on painting from inner consciousness and memorable messages written on custom birthday cards.

If you enjoyed this intimate dive into Ashram art and history, please Follow our podcast and share this episode!

#SriAurobindoAshram #TheMother #TheEarlyYears #AshramMemories #SpiritualJourney #PodcastSeries #PritiGhosh

We are delighted to bring you a deeply inspiring episode featuring Ashram artist Priti. Hosted by Narad in her vibrant studio, Priti reflects on her rich life journey, her spiritual relationship with The Mother, and her decades of artistic dedication.

Arriving at the Ashram in February 1947 from Bangladesh as a young child before the partition, Priti grew up in the atmosphere of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. In this conversation, she shares charming childhood memories—from offering spontaneous dances to The Mother in the playground to her early artistic guidance under Sanjiban-da. Priti dives deep into her creative process, describing how inner experiences, Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri, and his narrative poem Love and Death inspired her famous multi-canvas series.

"On another birthday when I took her the paintings she said, 'Look, you try to paint what comes from within. When you see nature... what is she trying to express? What comes from within, you try to portray.'" — The Mother to Priti

🌟 Key Highlights & Topics Covered:

🎨 Early Ashram Life & Playground Days: Settling in 1947, early morning 7:00 AM darshans at The Landing, and giving spontaneous dance performances for The Mother.

🖌️ Direct Guidance on Art from The Mother: Honest feedback on painting inner vision rather than merely copying nature, along with stories of The Mother signing her special 1972 Samadhi painting.

📜 Visualizing Sri Aurobindo's Epic Works: The artistic journey behind her 35-canvas Love and Death series and her paintings depicting the awakening of Mother Earth from Savitri.

🏛️ Legacy of Ashram Artists: Reminiscing about the peak artistic era of the 1930s with painters like Sanjiban, Nishikanto, and Anilbaran.

🕊️ Personal Bond with The Mother: Feeling The Mother's constant presence as an embodiment of love, solace, and protection throughout her life.

If you enjoyed this intimate dive into Ashram art and history, please Follow our podcast and share this episode!

#SriAurobindo #TheMother #SriAurobindoAshram #TheEarlyYears #IntegralYoga #PritiDasGupta #SpiritualArt #Savitri #LoveAndDeath

We are overjoyed to welcome you to Episode 28 of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years!

Recorded on January 31, 2015, host Narad interviews Gauri, uniquely known as the "first baby of the Ashram," who arrived at just six weeks old. Discover how Sri Aurobindo gave Gauri her name, the playful flower games taught by The Mother, growing up in Golconde, and intimate stories of her parents' dedicated service. Gauri also reflects on her 59 years of teaching and her current sacred work in carefully preserving and storing The Mother's exquisite hand-embroidered sarees and garments using acid-free materials.

In this episode, we cover:

👶 The Ashram's First Baby: Arriving in Puducherry at six weeks old and early balcony memories.

🌺 Personal Encounters: Receiving her name from Sri Aurobindo and learning flower names in French through games with The Mother.

🏫 Growing Up & Teaching: Overcoming childhood illness, playing in Golconde garden, and teaching drawing and English for nearly six decades.

🧵 Preserving Spiritual Heritage: The delicate process of archiving and conserving hundreds of The Mother’s hand-embroidered sarees and garments.

If you find these historical reflections inspiring, please Follow the show and share this episode with your spiritual community!

#SriAurobindo #TheMother #SriAurobindoAshram #TheEarlyYears #IntegralYoga #AshramHistory #SpiritualJourney #Golconde

We are overjoyed to welcome you to the second part of our interview with Aniruddha Sircar in Episode 27 of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years (Recorded December 27, 2015)!

In this second part of our conversation, Aniruddha Sircar (lovingly known as Babu) brings to life the vibrant, creative, and physically disciplined atmosphere of the early Ashram. He shares endearing stories about children making custom stamp albums in the bindery department, learning bodybuilding, performing feats of strength like teeth-coiling iron bars, and experiencing the progressive educational philosophy of Dr. Indra Sen. He also reflects on meeting Amal Kiran (Mother India), running the Honesty Book House, and editing Bengali magazines as pure Karma Yoga.

🌟 Episode Highlights

📮 Stamp Collecting & The Mother: Making DIY albums and scrounging near the French post office.

🏋️ Physical Culture & Feats of Strength: Bodybuilding, teeth coiling, and demonstrations under coach Birenda.

🎓 Education with Dr. Indra Sen: Unique exam methods, library research, and student-teacher camaraderie.

📚 Karma Yoga in Action: Managing book houses, publishing Bengali magazines, and writing for Amal Kiran’s Mother India.

If you enjoyed these historical reflections, please hit Follow and leave us a rating on Spotify!

#SriAurobindo #TheMother #SriAurobindoAshram #TheEarlyYears #IntegralYoga #AshramHistory #KarmaYoga #AmalKiran #SpiritualJourney

Welcome to Episode 26 of "Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years" (Recorded on December 27, 2015).

In this session, we are joined by Aniruddha Sircar (lovingly known as Babu) as he reflects on his early life and journey to the Ashram.

Babu shares vivid memories of growing up amidst Kolkata’s rich theatrical world alongside literary figures like poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and dramatist Sachindra Sengupta. He reveals how he was originally named "Aurobindo" in honor of Sri Aurobindo, before coming to Puducherry in the 1940s—where The Mother personally gave him the name Anudhyan (Anuda).

From childhood memories of seeing Sri Aurobindo during Darshan to experiencing the atmosphere of freedom and study under teachers like Tehmi-di and Nolini Kanta Gupta, Babu offers a touching look at the Ashram's early days.

🌟 Key Highlights

Kolkata Theater Childhood: Growing up surrounded by scholars, poets, and dramatists.

Memories of Kazi Nazrul Islam: Eyewitness accounts of the poet’s intense concentration and song compositions.

The Origin of His Name: Named "Aurobindo" at birth, and later christened "Anudhyan" by The Mother.

Darshan & Early Ashram Life: First visits in 1944, seeing Sri Aurobindo, and receiving daily blessings from The Mother.

Ashram Education: Learning under inspiring teachers such as Tehmi-di and Nolini Kanta Gupta.

If you find these reflections inspiring, please follow the podcast, share it with others, and leave a rating if you enjoy the series.

#SriAurobindo #TheMother #SriAurobindoAshram #TheEarlyYears #Episode26 #IntegralYoga #KaziNazrulIslam #AshramHistory #SpiritualJourney

"In this inspiring 25th episode of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, host Narad continues his conversation with sisters Sima and Sampa, exploring their family's rich legacy of spiritual work and their own journey to the Ashram."

The sisters describe their father’s pioneer spirit in founding Sri Aurobindo Pathamandir on College Street in Calcutta and his tireless dedication to securing 8 Shakespeare Sarani for Sri Aurobindo’s 1972 Birth Centenary. They recount his sacred experience meditating in Sri Aurobindo’s Room, lovingly watched over by Champaklal-ji, and share their own decision to leave teaching careers behind in 2003 to work in the Ashram Marbling Department—a department kept alive by The Mother for its occult significance. From childhood games around the Service Tree to installing a massive bust of Sri Aurobindo in town, this episode is filled with rare historic insights.

Key Highlights:

Pathamandir & 8 Shakespeare Sarani: The history of early Sri Aurobindo centers in Bengal.

Meditation in the Master’s Room: An experience of profound physical immobility under Champaklal-ji’s care.

Life in the Marbling Department: Working under the guidance of Muniben and Pushpa-ben in an occultly protected work environment.

Ashram Personalities: Sweet memories of Nolini-da walking with his soap and wooden sandals, and Sahana-devi’s advice on Rabindra Sangeet.

Installing the Master’s Statue: Raising a life-sized bust of Sri Aurobindo high enough that all passers by would have to look up in reverence.

#SriAurobindoAshram #TheMother #SriAurobindo #AshramHistory #DivineGrace #SpiritualJourney #TheEarlyYears #Podcast #Pathamandir

In this deeply moving 24th episode of our series, Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, Sima and Sampa share their touching personal recollections of growing up under the direct grace of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.

Brought to the Ashram as an infant in 1951, Sima literally learned to walk on the roads of Pondicherry. The sisters vividly describe the joyful lower balcony Darshans where Sima, as a little child, would eagerly spot The Mother coming down the street. They share stories of learning to "work as a prayer" at the age of three in the Ashram granary under the care of Jugal-da's mother, and recount their father's profound first Darshan in 1945, where he was overwhelmed by a dazzling white and golden light. Sima beautifully details her intimate birthday Darshans from 1965 to 1972, resting her head on The Mother's lotus feet, receiving a specially chosen velvety red rose, and the unforgettable spiritual touch that guided her family through life.

Key Highlights:

Learning to Walk: Arriving as a baby in 1951 and receiving words of encouragement from Dilip Kumar Roy.

The Balcony Darshans: The atmosphere of the early 1960s where everyone on the street felt The Mother's individual gaze.

Work as a Prayer: Separating stones in the granary at age three and reciting Mother's prayers with 'Granny'.

A Father’s Devotional Search: Finding Sri Aurobindo’s writings on College Street in Calcutta and coming for Darshan in 1945.

Birthday Darshans: Witnessing the room magnify with white light, laying her head on Her lotus feet, and receiving a rare rose straight from The Mother.

The Last Touch of Grace: A poignant memory from 1973 where The Mother bent low to place a powerful, sliding pressure on Sima's head.

#SriAurobindoAshram #TheMother #SriAurobindo #AshramHistory #DivineGrace #SpiritualJourney #TheEarlyYears #Podcast

In this beautiful 23rd episode of Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, we converse with Vishwajit, who shares his rare personal memories of growing up under the direct guidance and love of The Mother. Born in 1950, Vishwajit was blessed to see Sri Aurobindo in real life during his very early years. He recounts his unique closeness with The Mother, who generously granted him her time from morning balcony Darshan until 10 o'clock at night, and even promised to personally teach him. Vishwajit also reflects on his multi-faceted duties as an Ashram photographer developing pictures of The Mother, his passion for sports, and his decades-long journey teaching boxing and wrestling. Tune in to experience a soul-stirring account of absolute devotion and unwavering inner contact.

Key Highlights:

Early Blessings: Recalling the grace of seeing Sri Aurobindo in real life in 1950.

The Mother's Special Time: Spending hours daily in the presence of The Mother, who looked after him with strict yet tender affection.

A Divine Promise: The Mother's profound assurance to him: "I will teach you."

Behind the Lens: His work as an Ashram photographer printing and developing sacred photographs of The Mother.

Sports and Boxing: His background as a boxer and his ongoing dedication to teaching wrestling and boxing at the age of 81.

Living the Inner Presence: How he continues to experience The Mother's direct guidance within his heart today.

#SriAurobindoAshram #TheMother #SriAurobindo #AshramHistory #DivineGrace #SpiritualJourney #TheEarlyYears #Podcast

In this inspiring 22nd episode of our historical series, Sri Aurobindo Ashram – The Early Years, Jayanti shares profound personal recollections of life under the guidance of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Born on Shankara Jayanti, she reflects on her destiny as a child of the Ashram and the deep support she received from senior sadhaks such as Madhav-ji and Champaklal-ji.

Jayanthi recounts moving moments of physical grace—including how Champaklal-ji and Nolini-da brought her The Mother’s blessings for her health, and how a thoughtful chair was always arranged for her during meditation. She also discusses her role today as a humble instrument of prayer for devotees, shares miraculous stories of healing at the Sacred Samadhi, and concludes the episode with a heartfelt devotional song dedicated to The Mother.

Key Highlights:

Life's Calling: Born on Shankara Jayanti, Jayanthi reflects on her gratitude for a life dedicated to the Divine.

Ashram Pillars: Cherished memories of guidance and care from Madhav-ji, Champaklal-ji, and Nolini-da.

The Comfort of Grace: How Champaklal-ji and Amrita-ji arranged a seat for her during birthdays and meditations to ease her physical pain.

Instruments of Prayer: Passing on the letters and calls of distressed devotees to The Mother and witnessing immediate relief.

Samadhi Miracles: A firsthand account of a devotee remarkably regaining her failing eyesight at the Sacred Samadhi.

Devotional Offering: A soul-stirring song sung by Jayanthi in deep gratitude.

#SriAurobindoAshram #TheMother #SriAurobindo #DivineGrace #AshramHistory #SpiritualJourney #TheEarlyYears #DevotionalStories #PodcastEpisode