Volunteer tourism is the new trend in travel: where you do social service on vacation!

As Volunteer Tourism gets popular, India’s French township of Auroville provides peace and quiet in exchange for jobs

It is 5.50am and my father and I are on our two wheelers, heading towards the organic farm where we are volunteering in Auroville, the French township in Tamil Nadu.

Vibrant art installations are a delight for volunteering visitors at Auroville(Divya Rai)

Such art installations can be spotted all over Auroville (Divya Rai)

Another hour-and-a-half, and we have neatly arranged 54 packets of rucula in a basket marked ‘dispatches’. In another hour, these packets will be on the retail shelf.

What is volunteer tourism?
Also called Voluntourism, travellers participate in voluntary work while on holiday, typically for charity

Headed back to our guest house, we stop at the financial service centre to get our Auro-cards topped up. The Auro-card is the only mode of payment for most Auroville bodies. The township has had cashless economy for as long as I have known it.

At Tanto’s pizzeria, they hand roll the base in front of you and ingredients are sourced from local farms (Divya Rai)

Visitor’s Center is the first contact point for people on a day trip to Auroville. It has shops with merchandise from entrepreneurs around the area, and information on the town.

“Indians take too many pictures!” says a non-Indian girl. “And send so many Facebook requests!”

Soon our other mealtime friend, an architect joins us. Post-lunch I take a nap, while others sit in the common area with their work. After my siesta, I finish the article I’m working on. My parents take off for Pondicherry, 7kms from Auroville. In the last two weeks, my parents have gone to theway more than I ever have in all my holidays at Auroville.

How to volunteer at Auroville

Go through SAVI (Auroville’s body for students, volunteers and interns). The application process is available at www.auroville.org. SAVI has details for both, informal and academic internships. It needs a commitment of minimum two months and the stay is charged according to your requirement of accommodation and facilities. September to February is the peak season for tourists, and you need to plan well in advance. The weather is warm and humid in these months; it often rains without warning. Auroville has almost negligible nightlife and it is so by design. Languages spoken are English, Tamil and French. Mode of payment for Auroville bodies is ‘Auro-card’, which is issued by the Financial Service Center.

Natural beauty

Food wastage is a big no at the Solar Kitchen (Divya Rai)

A table at Solar Kitchen needs to be booked in advance. They take food wastage very seriously: after you are done eating, you bin the leftovers in a trash can, which is then placed on a weighing scale that tells you how much food you have wasted. If you are dubious about a particular food item, they encourage you to try a small quantity first. I am in two minds about the potato and pumpkin soup, and the server offers a quarter of the original quantity. I am glad because it isn’t something I fancy, but I do not have leftover food.

The Brunch Insider’s View

If you are looking for a nice place for a complete rejuvenating and relaxing experience then head to the Quiet Healing Centre. It is a place where you will be able to discover a deep sense of contentment, happiness and peace. (Source: Trip Advisor)

The Matrimandir in Auroville is a must-visit for parctitioners of Internal yoga. Known as the

Temple of The Mother, it was built over 37 years. It was initiated by The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. (Source: Lonely Planet)

Those who are fans of good dark chocolate, must surely pay a visit to Mason & Co. From here you can take your pick from flavours like espresso and coconut. These are made using organically-grown cocoa as well as cocoa butter from local farms.
(Source: Conde Nast Traveller)

On our way back, we hear a drum-jam session at the African Pavilion. We stop for a little while to enjoy the delightful music; we feel so alive. I sit on a log of wood. Ten minutes later, someone taps me on the shoulder. I need to get up. They need the ‘musical instrument’ I am sitting on.