Sri Aurobindo Relics Centers in Orissa

Sri Aurobindo's Relics is the material Presence of Sri Aurobindo, having all the Force, Consciousness He represents. It  constitutes  his hair and nail collected by Sri Champaklalji. In his book "Twelve years with Sri Aurobindo" Nirodbaran has given a beautiful description of this collection.

"One part of the divine body that could not be entrusted to our rough hands was the head – the majestic crown. Washing it fell within the Mother's domain. Our part was only to help her. We could easily understand why all the complicated operation connected with it could not be safely left in our clumsy, coarse and unpracticed hands. If we had set about doing it, I fear Sri Aurobindo would have asked us, "Have you left any hair on my head?" Now the Mother's deft hands and delicate touch made the hair shine with a silken gloss; all the hair that came off in the combing passed into Champaklal's treasury."

"There was another tiny operation he allowed us to do, the cutting of his nails. Satyendra used to clean them daily, but we cut them only every month or two after they had grown sufficiently long and could be preserved intact. It was a very delicate operation, for the knife or scissors would sometimes graze the skin, specially when the operator's eyesight was affected. When this did happen – which was fortunately very rare – he would give a quick shake to the leg! When a small bit of nail fell on the carpet and got lost, a search would start for the quarry in which Sri Aurobindo himself smilingly participated, asking, "Have you got it?" All these nails, were the legitimate property of our custodian Champaklal."

First Sri Aurobindo's Relics went outside Ashram to Sri Aurobindo Ashram Branch, New Delhi, which was installed on 5th December, 1956 by Dr. C.D. Desmukh. Second was to the centre Bangabani of Nadia district in West Bengal. The Mother gave the Relics on 12th February, 1959 and installation was done at Bangabani by Sri Gobindaram Goswami on The Mother's Birthday 21st February, 1959.

Sri Aurobindo's Relics came to Orissa for the first time to two places – Jagatsinghpur,  and Jeypore of district Koraput. Babaji Maharaj Sri Ramakrishna Das installed Relics at Jagatsinghpur on 9th December, 1970 and on the same day Prapatti installed Relics at Jeypore.

In Orissa all the Relics Centres are independent bodies mostly trusts and invariably a Sri Aurobindo Integral School is attached to it. This is the centre of inspiration to Sri Aurobindo Study Circle activities and Centres gratefully received Relics and consider this as a chance to serve The Lord materially.

The construction of each Relics Centre in Orissa expresses a special dimension of  Architectural beauty.

Sri Aurobindo's Relics has come to Orissa Sixteen times to seventy-three places. And at each time Relics is received by  Government of Orissa with state honour.

Complete list of Sri Aurobindo Relics Centers in Orissa (in Tabular format)