My first visit to Auroville last year, in the heat and humidity of March, offered a glimpse into the working of this experimental township.

Auroville is a 20-minute drive from the coastal city of Puducherry, south India, and the village road leading up to its visitor centre is full of posters announcing yoga or pottery workshops; signs giving directions to organic farms, bike rentals and guesthouses; cozy cafés, tea stalls and pizza corners. You can walk along the tree-lined road to Auroville’s innermost Peace Area, and gaze up at Matrimandir, the meditation pavilion, in awe of its shimmering golden discs and massive scale.