Established in 1968 as an experimental township near Puducherry, southern India, Auroville was envisioned as a universal city promoting peace, harmony, and spiritual unity beyond national and religious boundaries. Conceived by the philosopher Sri Aurobindo and brought to life by his French collaborator Mirra Alfassa—the "Mother"—Auroville has long attracted a diverse community of around 3,300 residents from across the globe, practicing an alternative lifestyle based on shared property, ecological sustainability, and spiritual growth.

For decades, the city has operated largely as a self-governing entity, emphasizing cooperation over capitalism and embracing a model that eschews traditional notions of ownership and monetary exchange among inhabitants. The Matrimandir, a meditation center surrounded by tropical forests and minimalist housing, remains at the community’s heart.

However, since 2021, Auroville’s autonomy and founding principles have come under significant strain following the appointment of Jayanti Ravi, a senior Indian civil servant with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, as the secretary of the Auroville Foundation’s governing board. Critics, including longtime residents and external observers, argue that Ravi has centralized control, curtailed freedoms, imposed stricter regulations, and prioritized government-led expansion of Auroville as a tourist destination showcasing Modi’s vision of a Hindu nationalist India.

Residents report an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, especially among the roughly half of the population born outside India, who face difficulties obtaining or renewing visas. Several foreign-born residents have reportedly been denied visa extensions or expelled without clear explanations, leading many to fear displacement from a place they consider home. Though Ravi contends that most visa applications are approved unless individuals break laws or obstruct government work, some community members say visa issuance has become a tool for exerting pressure and controlling dissent.

In addition, the government-backed expansion involves large-scale infrastructure projects, including the controversial development of Crown Road, intended to accommodate up to 50,000 inhabitants—far exceeding the current population. This expansion has sparked environmental concerns and allegations of opaque land transactions. Tamil Nadu legislator C. Ve. Shanmugam has called for an inquiry into possible irregularities in land exchanges conducted under the new administration, with ongoing legal challenges initiated by residents to annul recent transactions.

The implications extend beyond local governance, reflecting broader tensions in India under Modi’s administration, which has emphasized Hindu nationalist priorities and centralized authority while curbing independent institutions. Analysts note a pattern of government efforts to appropriate or reinterpret cultural and spiritual legacies like that of Sri Aurobindo to align with Hindu nationalist narratives. Modi himself has publicly praised Sri Aurobindo’s "unyielding nationalism" and celebrated the spiritual vision advanced by Aurobindo and the Mother during visits to Puducherry.

Despite these challenges, some residents maintain a hopeful outlook on Auroville’s future as a spiritual and international community. Others, however, express concern over diminished freedoms and uncertainty about their status, fearing the erosion of the township’s original ideals. Auroville continues to attract visitors and practitioners of yoga and meditation, but the internal struggles highlight the complex intersection of spirituality, governance, and politics in contemporary India.