SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM TRUST DEED

SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM TRUST DEED

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS  SHALL COME

I,  Mirra Alfassa  of  Sri Aurobindo Ashram, at Pondicherry, send Greetings:

          WHEREAS Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry is an institution and a centre of practice for evolution of a kind and form of life which would in the end be moved by a high spiritual consciousness and embody a greater life of the Spirit;

AND WHEREAS Sri Aurobindo Ashram is the home of persons who are the followers and disciples of Sri Aurobindo having faith in his philosophy and yoga;

AND WHEREAS Sri Aurobindo Ashram had been established and is being maintained, under the benign  care  and guidance  of  The Mother, for the exclusive purpose of helping the devotees towards their educational and spiritual upliftment in conformity with the ideal and teaching of  Sri Aurobindo;

AND WHEREAS  a residential university has been opened by The Mother under the aegis of the said Ashram, known as Sri Aurobindo International University Centre for the purpose of imparting such education and training to the students of the said university as will ensure and bring about an all-round mental development and which is entirely based upon the ideal and teachings of Sri Aurobindo;

AND WHEREAS Sri Aurobindo made over all his books, periodicals, writings and manuscripts, published or unpublished and the copyright of and in the same and the sale proceeds thereof for the sole benefit and use of the disciples, devotees and inmates of the said Ashram under the guidance of The Mother;

AND WHEREAS Sri Aurobindo expressed his desire that all his books, periodicals, manuscripts and writings, published or unpublished, and the copyright of and in the same and the sale proceeds thereof shall be held for the exclusive use and benefit of the disciples, devotees and inmates of the Ashram in such manner as The Mother in her sole and absolute discretion shall direct;

AND WHEREAS during the lifetime of Sri Aurobindo he actually permitted the use of the said books, periodicals, manuscripts and writings and the sale proceeds therefrom to be spent and utilised for the benefit of the disciples, devotees and inmates of the said Ashram and to meet a portion of the benefit of the disciples, devotees and inmates of the said Ashram and to meet a portion of the expenses necessary for the maintenance of the said Ashram and the educational and other institutions in connection therewith;

AND WHEREAS  out of the voluntary donations and contributions received from time to time from the numerous disciples, devotees and followers of Sri Aurobindo and         The Mother for the purpose and benefit of the inmates and devotees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, The Mother, with the knowledge and concurrence of Sri Aurobindo has all along been defraying the expenses of the said Ashram and has from time to time acquired by purchase, lease or otherwise, or caused to be acquired several immovable properties at Pondicherry and elsewhere either in the name of Sri Aurobindo or The Mother for the exclusive purpose, use and benefit of the said Ashram and its various activities as is hereinbefore recited;

AND WHEREAS  the immovable properties purchased as aforesaid and fully set forth and described in the schedule hereunder written have all along been in use for the residence of the inmates of Sri Aurobindo Ashram and for various other purposes, industries and undertakings connected with the Ashram and for exclusive benefit and use of the disciples, devotees and inmates of the said Ashram;

AND WHEREAS  the movables brought into all or any of the premises mentioned in the schedule hereunder written were also acquired out of the moneys received by way of voluntary donations and contributions, as aforesaid, and belong to the Ashram and are being held by The Mother in Trust for the exclusive benefit of the Ashram and the disciples and devotees of Sri Aurobindo residing therein;

AND WHEREAS  The Mother ( and Sri Aurobindo up to the date of his passing) have all along been in possession of all the immovable properties set forth and described in the schedule hereunder written and all other chattels and movables, articles, goods, effects, including all fixtures which are now in use at the various departments of the Ashram, in Trust, for the use and benefit of the disciples, devotees and inmates of Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Sri Aurobindo International University Centre;

AND WHEREAS The Mother who has all along been in sole and complete charge and management of the said Ashram and has been directing its various activities  is now desirous of setting up and creating a board of Trustees for the administration and management of the said Ashram and Sri Aurobindo International University Centre and all the other institution or institutions that may hereafter be formed by The Mother or her nominee in furtherance of the Ideal of  Sri Aurobindo as is hereinbefore recited AND WHEREAS The Mother had previously executed a document containing a declaration of Trust which could bot be completed by registration;

AND WHEREAS  The Mother is now seized and possessed of or otherwise well and sufficiently entitled to the said several land tenement, hereditament and premises situate and lying at Pondicherry as also within the Union of India, particularly described in the schedule hereunder written , free from all encumbrances, upon the Trust and subject to and with powers and provisions hereinafter contained.

NOW THESE PRESENTS WITNESS that it is hereby declared as follows:

1.           The  Mother had all along held and stood possessed of and The Mother, Her successors and assigns and the other Trustees for the time being (all of whom are hereinafter included in the expression Trustee or Trustees) shall at all times hereafter hold and stand possessed of, Firstly, All those several lands, tenements, hereditaments and premises situate and lying at Pondicherry as also within the Indian Union and particularly set forth and described in the schedule hereunder written, And, Secondly, All those books, publications, journals and other writings now kept and lying at Sri Aurobindo Ashram or belonging to the Ashram, And, Thirdly, All those printing machines, types and other parts and accessories thereof in the Ashram Press, the plants, lathes, machines, motors, pumps, tools, instruments, furniture, fixtures, stationeries and other movables, chattels and effects belong to or used in connection with the schools, university, gymnasium, sports, music, painting, arts, sciences, weaving, bakery, carpentry, workshops, factories, mills, engineering and all other departments and activities of the said Ashram, And, Fourthly, All those moneys in cash and in Banks and all securities therefore belonging to the said Ashram, and all donations and contributions and gifts hereafter to be received by the Trustees (all of which properties are hereafter collectively referred to as 'The Trust Properties') upon Trust to use, hold and apply the same in establishing and maintaining in perpetuity in accordance with these presents and with and subject to the powers and provisions hereinafter contained the said Sri Aurobindo Ashram and all its activities and departments and Sri Aurobindo International University Centre on the basis of the ideal and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, as hereinbefore recited and for the spiritual education and enlightenment of mankind generally on the ideal and philosophy of Sri Aurobindo.

2.           The Trustees or  Trustee for the time being shall have the absolute management and entire control of the trust properties of Sri Aurobindo Ashram and may from time to time make, rescind and alter such regulations  (not being inconsistent with these presents or the aims and objects of the Ashram) as they or he may think fit with respect to the purpose for which, the manner in which, the persons by whom, the terms and conditions on which the said Ashram and its various departments and activities and the said university and the trust properties shall be conducted, managed, used, utilised and otherwise as the Trustees or Trustee shall think necessary for the purposes of these presents or for the execution of the Trust.

3.           The Trustees or Trustee may pay out of the Trust fund all rents, rates, taxes, costs of insurance, repairs and other outgoings at any time payable in respect of the land, tenement, hereditament and premises and all expenses of maintaining          Sri Aurobindo Ashram and all its activities and departments and Sri Aurobindo International University Centre and all expenses for purchasing the requirements of the said Ashram and University including those that my be necessary for the various activities of the Ashram and may also pay the wages and salaries of all employees and all other expenses of an incidental to the maintenance and improvement of the Ashram and its activities and departments and the university.

4.           The  Trustee or Trustees shall be at liberty at any time to sell or let out any house, land, tenement, hereditament and premises and any furniture, timber, fixtures or fittings, books and other movable properties, subject to the Trust, with power to buy in or resell the same, and in case of such sale or lease, all or any Trustees or Trustee or other person in whom the trust properties or any of them or any part thereof may for the time being be vested shall execute and register and do all such deeds and acts for the purpose of carrying such sale or lease into effect, and all moneys to arise from such sale or lease shall be deemed to be part of the Trust property.

5.           In addition to the above powers and authorities  conferred  on the Trustees and without prejudice to the same, the Trustees shall have the following powers:

a)   To use, occupy and employ or to permit the use, occupation, employment in perpetuity all or any of the trust properties in such manner and for such purposes and times as they shall consider beneficial or conducive to the purposes and interest of the said Ashram  and the inmates thereof and the various activities and departments and the said university and the students thereof and all other institutions and departments that my be started or formed hereafter.

b)   To acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise any land, house, tenements, hereditaments  and premises, as the Trustees may deem fit and to erect and build, pull down and rebuild, enlarge, improve or alter from time to time and at any time any buildings or any part thereof as the Trustees may think desirable or expedient for the purposes of the Ashram and its university.

c)   To  enter into any contract and to rescind and vary all such contracts and to do all such acts, deeds and things as they may consider expedient for or in relation to any of the trust properties and for the purposes of the said Ashram and its various activities and departments and its university.

d)   To open accounts or account in such bank or banks as the Trustees may think fit and to determine who shall operate such account  or accounts and sign, make endorse and negotiate cheques, bills of exchange, bills of lading and other negotiable instruments.

e)   To receive and accept all gifts and grants of properties, movable or immovable, and all donations and contributions and all other incomings and to hold the same in Trust for the purposes, use and benefit of the inmates of the said Ashram and the University and its students as part of the Trust properties.

f)     To make and give receipts, releases and other discharges for moneys or other properties received by the Trustees.

g)   To invest and deal with any of the moneys of the Trust not immediately required, upon such securities as are provided in the Trust Act and form time to time to vary or realise such investments.

6.           The Mother shall be the permanent President of the board of Trustees and She, as such President, shall have full and supreme control over the Trust Fund and open and operate all accounts in banks and other institutions and sign cheques and bills of exchange or other negotiable instruments and make all such disbursements and expenses for and on account of the said Ashram and University and all the other departments connected therewith as She may think proper.

7.           The Mother shall also, in Her absolute discretion, be entitled to allow any persons or persons to stay in the Ashram as a permanent inmate thereof or otherwise, and/or withdraw Her permission from any person or persons, already resident in the Ashram, to continue their further stay therein, in any capacity whatsoever, and Her decision in this respect shall be final.

8.           All or any of the powers vested in or exercisable by the Trustees or Trustee, under these presents, shall so long as there shall not be less than three Trustees, be capable of being performed or exercised by a majority of the Trustees for the time being.  Provided Always that in case of any difference of opinion on any matter or decision, the opinion of the Mother shall prevail and shall be binding on the board or Trustees.

9.           The Mother shall appoint such number of Trustees as She may, in Her absolute discretion, think  fit  and proper and shall, if She thinks proper, vest the trust properties or any of them in the new Trustees or Trustee.  If  and whenever the number of trustees shall be reduced below the number of Five, The Mother, in Her absolute discretion, shall appoint any other person or persons as Trustees with a view to make up the total number of Trustees to Five, and in case of Her retirement, for any reason whatsoever, the continuing Trustees shall appoint such number of new Trustees as shall be required to make up the total number of Trustees to Five.

  

          Registered on 7^th October 1955 in the Sub-Registrar's Office, Vanur (Cuddalore Dt.) as No. 1823 of 1955 of Book I, Volume 402, pages 273 to 287 (only as regards that portion of the property situate in Perambai Village which lies within the area where the Registration Act is applicable).

Registered at Pondicherry on 31^st March 1964

          R.V.219 Fo. 13 No. 682

Transcrit a la conservation des hypotheques de Pondicherry le 25 Mai 1964, R.V.319 No.22

 [ As historian of Puducherry, for other historians to know I had spoken for 100 weeks in Televisions and written in English and Tamil dailies on the Historical events of India, Latin America, and Tamil Diaspora. One of the world famous institutions exist in Pondicherry and its objectives as visualised by its Founder, The Mother of Pondicherry is placed here for historical purposes.. Nandhivarman]