The Global Spirituality Mahotsav (GSM) 2026 commenced with an opening session at the Unity Hall in Auroville.
The opening session centred on dreams one and two of 'Sri Aurobindo: a free and united India, and the resurgence of Asia'. The panel discussion had Jayanti S. Ravi, secretary of Auroville, in conversation with V. Ananda Reddy, a renowned scholar, author, and speaker specialising in the philosophy and yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother (Mirra Alfassa).
Reddy is currently the chairman of the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR), Puducherry. They were joined by Soumitra Basu, a Kolkata- and Puducherry-based psychiatrist and author known for developing and practising psychological and health paradigms rooted in Sri Aurobindo’s consciousness studies.
Welcoming the gathering, Ravi said India is witnessing growth on multiple fronts, particularly in strategic terms. “All that is happening around us is part of a divine design. We are chosen to participate in a beautiful unfolding that we are destined to be part of,” she said. Referring to Sri Aurobindo’s five dreams, she noted that the efforts to realise them are ongoing. “We want to anchor such programmes regularly. Here at Auroville, efforts towards the five dreams are beginning to take shape in palpable ways,” she added.
Reddy observed that Sri Aurobindo’s entire philosophy is encapsulated in his five dreams. “They represent the gist of his outer life,” he said, describing Sri Aurobindo as a revolutionary warrior deeply inspired by Lord Krishna and the Mahabharata. “He [Sri Aurobindo] believed humanity was not yet ready for peace and goodwill, and that peace cannot be enjoyed until we evolve. Freedom for the country, he said, was not for oneself but for the sake of the world,” Reddy said.
Dr Basu described Sri Aurobindo as a “born optimist”, pointing out that many of his major works were written during the First World War. “He wrote about a United States of Europe long before the European Union came into being. He foresaw challenges for Turkey, which continue even today. He said India would balance the Mongolian and Arabian worlds in Asia, and it does so. He also predicted that China would dominate global markets through ‘cheap’ products, which we see happening now,” he said.
Dr Basu also referred to The Mother (Mirra Alfassa), Sri Aurobindo’s close collaborator and the founder of Auroville, who continued his work and teachings. He recalled that she had once urged former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to lead the formation of an Asian body; an idea that could not materialise then but later found expression through regional groupings such as SAARC.
The Global Spirituality Mahotsav 2026 will continue with multiple sessions featuring eminent speakers over the next two days.
Organised by the Auroville Foundation in collaboration with the government of Puducherry and the Union Ministry of Culture, the second Global Spirituality Mahotsav (GSM) marks the culmination of the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo. It was inaugurated on March 1 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chairs the high-level committee constituted by a government resolution to commemorate the milestone.
The second GSM, the organisers noted, aims to reaffirm India’s timeless role as a guide and bridge-builder in an increasingly interconnected world.