Documenting Matrimandir
Channel: Matrimandir Journal
Date: 2023-02-17

The first time I saw Matrimandir was in 2002. I remember this large sphere half covered in scaffolding. I think at that time the engineers were finding ways to fix golden leaves onto discs. 
Matrimandir in those days seemed like an impossible project. Now we can enjoy its beauty, its perfect geometry, the harmony between nature and art. But do we ever wonder what is the work behind the scenes? Matrimandir didn't just come out of nowhere. There are different fields of work involved in creating and maintaining this perfection.
For example the people who design the gardens; the engineers and builders to materialize these designed models. And also the various teams which maintain Matrimandir. Gardeners, technicians, cleaners, security, the laundry people who maintain the socks and mats of the inner chamber nice and clean; the team that goes climbing up on the globe to clean the discs. All these fields of work are the force behind the majestic and sacred space of Matrimandir. I find all of this fascinating and I think it needs to be documented as the work progresses. 

For years I couldn't find any photographer or video maker who could help me with this project. Whenever I asked I would get the same answer : there is no budget, nobody pays for this job. It's true, nobody pays for it and it is a job. But what can I say, I've been feeling the call and I've been wanting to do it for a long time. 
Then finally during summer 2022, when Auroville Media Interface was created, I was asked if I wanted to join and help, and my answer was yes. And immediately I expressed my desire to make the documentation of Matrimandir.
At the beginning I used my own phone, and I didn't quite know what I was going to film. I was going around Matrimandir early mornings taking random footage. I was unskilled - I had the vision, but I had never made a video documentation before. All I knew was that I had to film Matrimandir development and maintenance.
Auroville Media Interface provided me with the basic tools to work: office space, camera, tripod, storage, video editing tutorials. And I'm still learning. I might not be the best video maker, but I'm enjoying the learning process and I'm excited to be doing this. 
And I would like to thank YouTube because it offers the possibility to share your project with the world.