The Ashram was formed in 1926 without any announcement without any proclamation. But it emerged slowly from some unknown depth according to necessity. These necessities formed some centers of activities oriented around some ideal and aim of service, the service to the Divine Mother called the Mother’s work and the service to the community. As the community was growing the number of service centers increased and also each centre expanded.

    Thus the first service centre was the Dining Room and Kitchen. It appeared or emerged in the year 1923 when the Mother took the house called Library house and occupied with some members. Then in 1928 two more service centers emerged by the next impulsion of necessity. One is a workshop and another is “Electric and Water Service". By this time, in 1928 the adjoining building near Library House were taken on rent. All these buildings together formed one square unit a square of perfect manifestation in seed form. In the same unit these two new service centers took shape as embryos – under the direct administration of the Mother and under the supervision of Pavitrada. Very soon, the supervision of Electricity and Water service was given to a new comer named ‘Rene’, the younger brother of Dara. The location of this service centre was the room now called the Mother’s store at the south – east corner where Dara had stayed for a long time.    

Then in 1930 (perhaps) this centre of service was shifted to a house in front of Balcony now known as Prasad House under the same Manager or in charge or Head of the centre, Rene. At that time a second person joined him to assist. He was Mrityunjay Mukherjee and within a short time Rene left the service and Mrityunjay Mukherjee took over the charge. All this process of changing was automatic according to the circumstance and necessity and due to some unknown impulsion from the Mother’s Divine will for the necessity of progress of the individual.     The activity was gradually increasing as the number of inmates of the Ashram community was increasing with the increasing numbers of rented houses. There were only 2 paid workers with the In-charge who was the main worker. There were old houses taken on rent with minimum numbers of light points with very old wires and taps for water. No plug was given without special necessity and special sanction of the Mother. There was only one tap in the house for all the necessities. There were only repairs of the taps and lines and installations, no new replacement was allowed. In the dept. there was one small table, two stools and one small cupboard (for store) made of packing box-wood.

In the store cupboard there were two switches, two holders, a few meters of wire and some nails and screws and some repairing tools and tackles were kept. There was one ladder for attending the work. One light point with a 40 w bulb will be given to each one in his room. With special permission of the Mother under genuine necessity a 60w bulb may be given. In addition to the electric and water works other varieties of work, the Mother asked to attend and maintain to this department. There are polishing, painting, nail fixing, drying wire fitting and some more which we find noted in work diary from 1932 onwards. These diary records were asked by the Mother to show Her every day after the work, for Her advice and attention  and it was signed by Her with necessary special remarks. Every house was given a name (mostly on the Owner’s name) and the work allotted every day was to be written in the workbook with the name of the house and the name of the resident. The Mother would see all these in detail and with spiritual importance. How much time was taken for each work was also She noticed. Which house, which person and what type of works were needed – how often, all She used to observe keenly.

 In 1935 Bulada joined Mrityunjay-da to assist. He liked painting, polishing and varnishing work and he was given these varieties of works in the beginning but gradually he took up electric and water works also learning by experience. In 1937 Mrityunjay-da had to help Pavitrada in some work for the Mother and Sri Aurobindo and could not give sufficient time for the department work. Thus Bulada had to take the over all responsibility of the dept. and after some time Mrityunjay-da left the department. In 1938 the department had shifted to new house in the next street called Josua House, at present where it is, in one of the rooms.

Already a year before 1937 a new department called ‘Domestic Service’ had been formed in that same house with Padmasinidi as incharge. Another dept. also was there in one room called ‘Scavengers Dept.’ with Kodandaraman as incharge. There was no proper toilet at that time. Only portable toilets were there at that time. The Scavengers used to empty the commodes from all the houses in the morning and collect them in the drums, which were kept in this dept. for counting before throwing away in the dumping grounds of Kuruchikuppam. After 1940 some new young assistants joined Bulada, Chandubhai, Sudhir Ranjan Kalayanda, Ravindra Patil, Arunbhai, Kunalda. Chandubhai and Sudhir Ranjan continued for a long time but others left and joined other departments, with the approval of the Mother. Then joined Chinmoyda, Vishwajitda Kamalda and after some time they also left. Then Phani, Gitenda and Mohan, Ushaben, Kayadi, Kusumben had joined.

    In sixties the new phase began. The departmental work increased and expanded and branched out to new depts. Such as electric workshop with Mr. Chatterjee and radio-refrigeration with Biswanathda as the head. The electric service remained for general maintenance and payment of electric and water bills. In Govt.  side also the Dept. expanded and branched out. Before, in the thirties all these electricity and water works were under one dept. called ‘Hotel de Ville, Pondicherry’, that is Municipality. Under this dept. there was a section called “Service d’ Electricite". This section used to look after a D.C generator near the park and maintain the D.C supply in a very small area of the town within Boulvard. Even in that area only for 50% houses had electricity and water supply. Other houses were having Kerosene lamps and well water. This Service d’ electricite used to install the meter and take reading every month and collect the charges. For water there was flat rate system called ‘Forfait’. There was no metering system for water. Then gradually metering started when a new dept. opened during fifties called Traveaux Publiques. Before that Municipality used to collect the water charges.

    Our store was in a small cupboard and its asset value was Rs.10 maximum, during 1937-38. And now there are 4/5 store rooms full of materials and asset value has reached to a few lakes. In 1928 there were only 2/3 houses, in 1932 we find only 8/10 houses, in 1935 there were 30 houses and in 1970 there were 300 houses. The connected load lights, fans, plugs have also increased in the same manner. In the same way the government side also had expanded very much with the increasing industrial demand and developments. Electricity and water supply are two essential wings in the progressive expansion of the social life. We have very friendly relation with both electricity and water wings of Pondicherry government from the early days of the Ashram. We keep very good relation with the two government departments always. The relations becoming more closer at all the level, top to bottom. That was the standing instruction of the Mother to keep such a relation with them. We are considered to be the best payment master of the bills. From the early days till now Ashram is always very punctual and regular in bill payments. As Pondicherry is a union territory, electric and water charges are under concessional rates. Mother had always strict control on the use of power appliances and wastage of electricity and water. She has made as a rule to put 40w bulbs in the rooms, and 25w bulb for all other places in the Ashram houses and till today we try to maintain that. This standard of illumination is good for normal eyesight. She said for reading a 40w table lamp should be used. She had much restriction on bed switches for safety and on all such things.   Mother had kept a very sincere and responsible care taker of electric and water systems in the Ashram main building and Golconde house. She kept Bulada in the Ashram and Chandubhai and Chandrakantbhai for that purpose in Golconde house. When Bulada became very old and sick, and unable to do such work, he brought me in Ashram main building. After Sri Aurobindo and the Mother left their physical bodies, Bulada had maintained the same serious attitude as a care taker of the Ashram house remembering always their constant presence in this house – as before as ever. He himself used to run the small generator whenever Town supply failed at night after 11 PM. The main powerhouse generator was used in case of power failure during the day (from 4.30 am to 11 pm).  

  All rules and regulations of our department were introduced by the Mother Herself; the timings were same as the timings of government electric department. We still maintain the same timings in our department that is 7.30 am to 11.30 am and from 1pm to 5 pm. Pondicherry govt. depts. had also same timings before. Since a few years they have changed the timings a little but the mid-day break still, they maintain. Mother had instructed the manager of our dept to give some tips without fail to govt electricians when they were called for attending outside faults in the supply. She would insist to call them from their office for tips if they had forgotten to take it. This was Her indirect method of love and care for all.

    The Govt. officials appreciate very much the principle of minimum and restricted use of appliances in the Ashram houses and serious maintenance of electricity rules and codes and standards to its maximum and the truthfulness in our dealing with them. They have allowed us to take our generator supply crossing the road to playground and dinning room. The powerhouse generator supply- road crossing had been approved by Central Electricity Authority. They had given  lower tariff rate of electric charge for the Ashram main building.   

  In 1928, the dept began with one manager and one worker. In 1945, there were  4 workers with the manager. At present there are 18 workers. Among them some are exclusively electricians and some are plumbers. With the manager now there are twelve assistants for technical and accounts maintenance. In 1945 the maximum   salary of the worker was Rs.14/- per month. At present the maximum salary is Rs.2500/- plus  other benefits.  

In the beginning, for a few years the Mother showed the manager in detail how to run the dept. to deal with workers, skilled and unskilled, how to keep the accounts in minute details . The manager suitable for the work, may not be a technically qualified person.. The Mother personally used to teach him, develop his interests to do the work as a Divine work and service. She gave him the required capacity and understanding necessary for the work. She had the love and compassion for both the manager and the paid worker equally.

   After Dining Room this is the most important Dept. Without electricity and water one cannot exist. Light, heat, air, water all these are the fundamental basis of life and existence. People become impatient and annoyed when the electricity and water stops due to some break down. Even when both electricity and water become excess because of high voltage or overflow of water that also makes people worried and afraid. At the same time there may be break down of electricity or water line in many houses – then the question of preference and dissatisfaction arise. It is a very unpleasant matter whom to attend first . We cannot satisfy everybody immediately. To attend the work in our houses is somewhat difficult. Everybody goes out for work keeping the house locked or with a maidservant, who does not know what disorder has happened in the house, electrical or water line. Electricity is the most dangerous God  with whom we live very intimately. Mother had warned every inmate not to meddle with electricity, not even to change bulb even in any bad situation. The Dept. has to be informed for that. Sometimes people become so much afraid and worried when he sees  a water tap drip or a spark from some electrical joint  even at mid-night he will run to inform the manager or some one competent. Whenever such trouble happens people become angry on our dept., they think, that the fault had happened because of our negligence or they feel that we have given bad materials in the wiring or water fittings. Nowadays some people depend very much upon refrigerators to keep certain food items. When current fails due to some fault or break down they become worried for their food stuff, which may get spoilt, specially the old and sick people.  

The next trouble and annoyance is due to the interruption of T.V. programme. They become very much disturbed when current fails. One more appliance has entered recently in some houses with hell of worries, that is computer . It is a very costly machine and T.V also is not less costly. Due to storm and natural lightening these costly appliances get spoilt. The people put the blame on us for their misfortune and damage. All such things we have to face with right spirit and understanding We try to help everybody as much as possible and practicable. Some inmates have become old and sick and unable to come to the dept. to inform for any repair. Some case they cannot write in English or even in any language properly. They don’t find anybody to send their complaint to the dept. and suffer. That is the problem of old age. – Some times they write without the name of the house and we cannot attend the  work, but he or she might be waiting for us  for a long time. Thus various types of unusual circumstances we face often which creates misunderstanding between both the sides. Often we noticed a strange thing that the break down happens on Saturday evenings or whenever some visitors are accommodated in the inmate’s house. Perhaps they have the idea of enjoying the holiday and some occult force hampers that. The Govt. Electricity Dept. of Pondicherry has improved the supply system very much and interruption of power supply has become very rare, but not completely absent.

    In our Ashram community we have all types of people with varieties of ideal of living from most austere and barren and primitive to the most prosperous and modern types. That is reflected in electrical  fittings, equipments and appliances used by them. In the medical section also the same variation is seen. Starting from the most primitive naturopathy and acupressure treatment to the most  modern computerized allopathic equipments for medical aids are used for treatments. Everything  has its appreciation and acceptance through its own occult intervention. It seems that every modern invented thing wants to show their newborn face to the Mother, that is why they come to the Ashram and Auroville. So we see that the most modern electrical equipments get their entry in the Ashram as a sample representation. And the most strange thing we notice that people with such up-to-date technical knowledge come to the Ashram and propagate that new knowledge to us . We observe that in the material domain the progress of electricity has taken the pioneering leadership in the adventure of consciousness for the foundation of Divine Life in a Divine body upon earth. And its outburst and achievements are reflected in our Ashram life also . The Mother said that in the vital plane the Divine has manifested in electricity as the godhead and in material plane also we see the multitudinous outbursts in electrical technology. Mother is showing the first out bursts of concealed supramental glory through electricity, the godhead of vital plane and we here in the Ashram electricity dept. welcome its victorious flooding expressions and expositions. 

  Our dept. works like a training centre in electrical wiring and plumbing works for the the local people. Those people without any education and without knowing any work join our dept. at young age. After a few years of training they get govt. jobs or go to France. Many are French citizen in this former French colony and get good job in France with the experience they got in our dept. In France they get very good facilities with reference of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

   We entertain the govt guests of the electricity Dept. and PWD in a very special manner whenever officials of Central Electricity Authority come to Pondicherry for inspections and meetings . Those delegates never want to miss a chance of visiting the Ashram. It appears that Ashram visit is the true purpose of their visit to Pondicherry. Pondicherry government electricity engineers are also very much obliged for the entertainment, we render to their VIP guests.  

Our Ashram is a spiritual institution, a yoga Ashram and the departments are also considered to be the centers of yoga. These are centers of Karma yoga mainly but essentially it is Integral Yoga. So the ideal and attitude of the inmate workers are very different compared to an ordinary employee. There is no bossing or superiority but there is a genuine reverence towards the elders and seniors. As there is no salary system there is no obligation or show of the work. There is no age limit for the work in the Ashram . People like to work till they survive, up to their last breath because it is a means of yoga discipline. They work more than expectation because it is their own work, the Mother’s work and a means of self perfection. The administration of the department is governed and executed by the unseen eyes of the Mother. There is a great joy in this service work. There are many honorary workers now a days who give their free service with deep delight and reverence. There is a deep loving relation among the inmate workers of each department. People work here with their utmost sincerity and maximum capacity and perfection. To them it is a Divine work, a work for the Divine Mother. So they do the work with great regards and devotion. The work is worship for them. It is for them a yogic discipline, a service to the Mother. It is a means of progress in their life of yoga. So the work output depends on the quality and standard of the worker, and on their development. Everybody has full freedom in his service work. No one is a task master here. The Mother Herself is the true taskmaster as well as the guide. She is the unseen impulsion which makes the people work. They are called Sadhak and Shadhika and not worker or employee.