Worlding Encounters: Indian Spirituality and Anti-Colonialism in the Life and Thoughts of “the Mother” (Mirra Alfassa)

Abstract

AbstractColonialisms of the nineteenth century resulted in lasting encounters between the East and West. Indian spiritual and religious renaissance, along with social reform movements during this period (inspired by Bhakti or personal devotion to God and self-realization in Vedanta teachings), attracted several western seekers and thinkers to India. Among them was Mirra Alfassa (February 21, 1878–November 17, 1973), a French woman, who was attracted to Eastern philosophy. She joined the revolutionary turned spiritual master, Sri Aurobindo, at Pondicherry, a French enclave, and continued to live in post-independent India for 26 years after 1947. In this paper, we trace Mirra Alfassa's journey from a spiritual seeker to being anointed as “the Mother”, the head of the Aurobindo Ashram. We explore how her pursuit of internationalism, cosmopolitanism, and universal values aligned her with the cultural, religious, and spiritual dimensions of India's nationalist movement and postcolonial nation-building. We hope to contribute to the wider discussions about women in international thought and how such international collaborations (as in the case of Mirra Alfassa) worked to achieve the nationalist goals for political, social, and cultural revival both during and after the independence movement in India.