Overman Foundation

13/04/2026

Dear Friends,

Bob Zwicker visited and eventually joined the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, in 1971 at the age of twenty-five. In 1973 he joined the Ashram Archives where he has been working ever since. His first big project was to prepare the seventeen volumes of the Mother’s Collected Works around Her Birth Centenary in 1978. He has also played a significant role in preparing the thirty-six volumes of Sri Aurobindo’s writings for the Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo. In recognition of his invaluable contribution in the field of Aurobindonian studies, he was honored with the Sri Aurobindo Puraskar by Sri Aurobindo Samiti, Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata, in August 2025.

We are happy to publish an article entitled "My First Meeting With the Mother in 1971" on the website of Overman Foundation.

To read Bob Zwicker’s recollections of his first meeting with the Mother, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/my-first-meeting-with-the.../

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

My First Meeting with the Mother in 1971 by Bob Zwicker Posted on April 13, 2026April 13, 2026Author Anurag Banerjee 0   I had been afraid of meeting her. It had taken me six long weeks to get to this point because I was afraid of her. In some of her photographs we see how formidable she can be. Bu...

29/03/2026

Dear Friends,

On 29 March 2010, Overman Foundation had started its journey at Kolkata with a heart full of dreams and aspirations. In the past sixteen years (2010—2026), Overman Foundation has carved a name for itself in the field of Aurobindonian research and Indological studies. Apart from its Archives which houses more than forty thousand documents, photographs, press reports and manuscripts related to the lives and works of Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and their disciples, it also runs Sri Aurobindo Smriti Mandir—a house of memorabilia—where around 1400 artifacts used by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are preserved and displayed. Its Cancer Care Unit provides financial assistance to cancer patients while through its social-welfare schemes it renders substantial community relief services. Through its publishing wing which publishes varied books in English and Bengali, Overman Foundation caters to the intellectual needs of every seeker of knowledge and wisdom.

On the occasion of the sixteen anniversary of Overman Foundation, we take the opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable help and support we have received from our Founder-Members: Late Nirmal Singh Nahar (28 July 1922—3 September 2012), Late Krishna Chakravarti (7 December 1943—13 September 2022) and Late Kittu Reddy (1 July 1936—22 February 2024); our Board Members: Late Manoj Das (27 February 1934—27 April 2021), Late Prithwindra Mukherjee (20 October 1936—29 November 2024) and Late Supriyo Bhattacharya (24 November 1955—28 April 2021).

We would also like to pay our loving homage to our patrons and well-wishers for their constant support and guidance: Late Subhash Kumar Mukherjee, Late Dolly Mutsuddi, Late Togo Mukherjee, Late Noren Singh Nahar, Late Anie Nunnally, Late Bokul Sarkar, Late Chum Ganguly, Late Chitra Bose, Late Shobha Mitra, Late Suprabha Nahar, Late Kailas Jhaveri, Late Dhanavanti Nagda, Late Indu Rai and Late Sanghamitra Banerjee. We express our profoundest gratitude to all of them for all that they had done for the development of Overman Foundation as an organization.

We have been able to fulfil some of the dreams with which Overman Foundation was established in 2010.And we earnestly hope to translate all the unfulfilled dreams into reality in the next decade by the time we would be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Overman Foundation.

We humbly seek the blessings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and the love and best wishes of all those who have stood by us in our moments of glory, happiness and sorrow. On this special occasion, we express our heartfelt gratitude to every single one of them. Certain debts in life can never be repaid; they can only be acknowledged with folded hands and that is exactly what we are doing through this open letter.

Thank you all for your love and support.

Anurag Banerjee

Founder and Managing Trustee

(on behalf of all the members of Overman Foundation Trust, Kolkata)

https://overmanfoundation.org/29-march-2026-the-sixteenth-anniversary-of-overman-foundation/

03/03/2026

Dear Friends,

Sri Aurobindo writes in his Record of Yoga (p. 170): “This is Aniruddha's method, the method of the patient intellectual seeker & the patient and laborious contriver who occupies knowledge & action inch by inch & step by step, covering minutely & progressively all the grounds, justifying himself by details and through the details arriving at the sum.” (31 December 1912)

Interestingly, Aniruddha Sircar (13 March 1933—14 November 2023)—lovingly known in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, as ‘Babu’ or ‘Babu-da’—was quite fond of this passage. Although he candidly admitted that he did not possess any of the qualities mentioned in this passage, he always strived to get the details right and execute whatever he did to the best of his ability. Not only was he a voracious reader who had an enviable command over English and Bengali literature and a prolific writer but was, at the same time, a most loving and affectionate teacher who had become a legendary figure in his lifetime.

An article on Aniruddha Sircar authored by Anurag Banerjee has been published on the website of Overman Foundation along with a pictorial tribute. To read the article, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/aniruddha-sircar-the-scholar-sadhak-by-anurag-banerjee/

With warm regards,
The Overman Foundation Team.

Aniruddha Sircar—The Scholar-Sadhak by Anurag Banerjee Posted on March 3, 2026March 3, 2026Author Anurag Banerjee 0 Sri Aurobindo writes in his Record of Yoga (p. 170): “This is Aniruddha’s method, the method of the patient intellectual seeker & the patient and laborious contriver who occupies...

02/02/2026

Dear Friends,

‘The tiny Blessing Packets, associated with our Ashram, are unique in themselves in many and varied ways… There is nothing of the kind anywhere else associated with any spiritual group or temple. If there is a Blessing wrapped in a small 4 cms by 3 cms envelope made of decorated paper with the seal of a symbol, sure enough it has come from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.’

Sunanda Poddar, senior inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, has shared with us the unique history of Blessing Packets in her article entitled “The Birth of Blessing Packets”.

To read the article, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/the-birth-of-blessing-packets-by-sunanda-poddar/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

The Birth of Blessing Packets by Sunanda Poddar Posted on February 2, 2026Author Anurag Banerjee 2 The tiny Blessing packets, associated with our Ashram, are unique in themselves in many and varied ways. They have travelled all over the world, may it be by road, steamships, naval vessels, or on ordi...

02/02/2026

Dear Friends,

Born to Chhotelal and Umiyaben Purani, Champaklal (2.2.1903—9.5.1992) arrived at Pondicherry on 1 April 1921. In 1923 he joined the community which had formed around Sri Aurobindo. He was the personal attendant of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and their most faithful servitor. His published works include "Champaklal Speaks", "Champaklal Treasures", "Visions of Champaklal" and "Prayers and Aspirations". Nirodbaran, his 'gurubhai' who also served Sri Aurobindo as a scribe and attendant, has recalled about him: “… his spirit of service has left an indelible impression on my soul and taught me what true service is.” ("Twelve Years with Sri Aurobindo", p. 199 1995 edition) The Mother while introducing Champaklal to her son André Morisset in 1949 had said: “He came here when he was very young. I taught him many kinds of work. He has himself taken up Sri Aurobindo’s personal service. He looks into practically everything with regard to Sri Aurobindo. He is extremely careful, meticulous and very particular about details. He has no regular time for food; he takes it when he can. So it is with his sleep. That is why he cannot join the sports activities. He works with joy and devotion. He collects all out little things and keeps them with great care—our clothes, nails, hair, etc.” Once when Champaklal wrote to Sri Aurobindo where was he going and what was he doing, Sri Aurobindo replied: “Where you are? In the Mother’s presence here and close to me. Where you are going? Towards union with the Divine through dedication and service. What you are doing here? Service and self-giving to the Divine.” (25 May 1935). Towards the end of his life when Champaklal’s health was deteriorating, Nirodbaran had inwardly heard Sri Aurobindo say, “I have been waiting. He will come straight to me.” ('Mother India', March 1993, p. 173).

2 February 2026 marks the 123rd birth anniversary of Champaklal. As our humble homage to him, an article on him entitled ‘My Time with Champaklal’ authored by Bob Zwicker has been published on the website of Overman Foundation. To read the article, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/my-time-with-champaklal-by-bob-zwicker/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

My Time with Champaklal by Bob Zwicker Posted on February 2, 2026February 2, 2026Author Anurag Banerjee 0 When I arrived at the Ashram in 1971, Champaklal was a rarely-seen, almost legendary figure. He had come to Pondicherry from Gujarat as a young man, worked closely with the Mother from the begin...

26/01/2026

Dear Friends,

On 1 January 1969 the Mother experienced the presence of a new consciousness which She has called in French 'la Conscience du Surhomme'. This consciousness—translated into English by Georges Van Vrekhem as the ‘consciousness of the overman’—manifested in the earth atmosphere to establish itself here.

The Mother’s words on this experience—compiled from Her conversations with Satprem and published in the 'Agenda'—have been published on the website of Overman Foundation.

“We simply follow the Mother’s reports about the experience, for they show how careful she was not to distort her experiences by casting them prematurely into a mental formulation.” (Georges Van Vrekhem in 'The Mother: The Story of Her Life')

To read the Mother’s words, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/the-mother-on-the-new-consciousness-la-conscience-du-surhomme/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

The Mother on the New Consciousness—la Conscience du Surhomme Posted on January 26, 2026January 26, 2026Author Anurag Banerjee 2 Dear Friends, On 1 January 1969 the Mother experienced the presence of a new consciousness which She has called in French la Conscience du Surhomme. This consciousness.....

23/01/2026

Dear Friends,

Our dear Indu Rai (inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, since 1956), and Indu-di to many of us left us for the Mother’s abode on 15th December 2025.

On the occasion of her seventy-fifth birthday today (23 January 2026), a loving homage on her authored by Jishnu Guha along with a pictorial tribute to her has been published on the website of Overman Foundation.

To read the article on Indu Rai, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/indu-rai-in-memoriam-by-jishnu-guha/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

Indu Rai: In Memoriam by Jishnu Guha Posted on January 23, 2026Author Anurag Banerjee 0 Dear Friends, Our dear Indu Rai, and Indu-di to many of us left us for the Mother’s abode on 15th December 2025. Born to Vijay Bahadur Rai and Girija Devi on 23rd Jan 1951 in Patna, she came to the Ashram at a ...

24/12/2025

Dear Friends,

In 1950, Part One of Sri Aurobindo’s epic poem ‘Savitri’ was published in book-form. Parts Two and Three of ‘Savitri’ saw the light of day in 1951.

To mark the seventy-fifth year of the publication of ‘Savitri’, an article entitled ‘The Biggest Puzzle in the Text of ‘Savitri’ authored by K.D. Sethna alias Amal Kiran has been published on the website of Overman Foundation.

To read the article, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/the-biggest-puzzle-in-the-text-of-savitri-by-amal-kiran-alias-k-d-sethna/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

The Biggest Puzzle in the Text of Savitri by Amal Kiran alias K.D. Sethna Posted on December 24, 2025Author Anurag Banerjee 0 Dear Friends, In 1950, Part One of Sri Aurobindo’s epic poem Savitri was published in book-form. Parts Two and Three of Savitri saw the light of day in 1951. To mark the se...

09/12/2025

Dear Friends,

Georges Van Vrekhem (28 March 1935—31 August 2012) was a Flemish Belgian journalist, poet and playwright who became acquainted with the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in 1964. He visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1970 and joined it as an inmate. In 1978, he shifted to Auroville. A prolific writer on the lives and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and recipient of the prestigious ‘Sri Aurobindo Puraskar’ awarded by Sri Aurobindo Samiti, Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata, his published works include masterpieces like "Beyond Man: The Life and Work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother", "The Mother: The Story of Her Life", "Overman: The Transitional Being between the Human and the Supramental Being", "Patterns of the Present: From the Perspective of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother", "Hi**er and His God—The Background to the N**i Phenomenon", "Evolution, Religion and the Unknown God" and "Preparing for the Miraculous". His last book "The New Spirituality" was published after his demise in 2012.
5 December 2025 marked the 75th Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo’s "Mahasamadhi". On this occasion, an article discussing the spiritual significance of Sri Aurobindo’s leaving his body entitled ‘Sri Aurobindo’s Descent into Death’ authored by Georges Van Vrekhem has been published on the website of Overman Foundation.

To read the article, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/sri-aurobindos-descent.../

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

Sri Aurobindo’s Descent into Death by Georges Van Vrekhem Posted on December 9, 2025December 9, 2025Author Anurag Banerjee 0 “The time is very serious” [1]  In June 1946, less than a year after the unconditional surrender of Japan, Sri Aurobindo wrote: “There was a time when Hi**er was vict...

05/12/2025

Dear Friends,

On 5 December 1950 at 1:26 a.m., Sri Aurobindo the “Colonist from Immortality” had left His physical sheath as a supreme act of sacrifice for the sake of mankind. To quote the words of the Mother: “Sri Aurobindo was not compelled to leave his body, he chose to do so for reasons so sublime that they are beyond the reach of human mentality.” In the bygone years several photographs of Sri Aurobindo’s mahasamadhi have been published in the online forum of Overman Foundation.

On 5 December 2020, on the occasion of Sri Aurobindo’s 70th Mahasamadhi Day, seventy photographs of Sri Aurobindo’s mahasamadhi were published on the website of Overman Foundation. These photographs were taken by Robi Ganguli, Vidyavrata Arya, Venkatesh and Chimanbhai Patel. In some of the photographs, Champaklal Purani (Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s most faithful attendant) is seen seated near Sri Aurobindo’s feet.

As 5 December 2025 marks the 75th Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo’s Mahasamadhi, we are resharing the said collection of photographs with our readers.

We are also taking the opportunity to share with our readers a brief video (compiled from ‘The Mother on Sri Aurobindo’) in which archival footage of Sri Aurobindo’s mahasamadhi is shown. This video has been uploaded in the youtube channel of Overman Foundation.

To see the photographs, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/seventy-photographs-and-archival-footage-of-sri-aurobindos-mahasamadhi/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

Seventy Photographs and Archival footage of Sri Aurobindo’s Mahasamadhi Posted on December 5, 2020Author Anurag Banerjee 17 Dear Friends, On 5 December 1950 at 1:26 a.m., Sri Aurobindo the “Colonist from Immortality” had left His physical sheath as a supreme act of sacrifice for the sake of ma...

03/12/2025

Dear Friends,

3 December 2025 marks the 125th Birth Anniversary of Rishabhchand Samsukha (3 December 1900—25 April 1970), Founder of Indian Silk House, Kolkata, and an ardent follower of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother who was the first member of the Jain community to join Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, in 1931. An extraordinary scholar and prolific writer, he is well-known for his books like "Sri Aurobindo: His Life Unique", "In The Mother’s Light", "The Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo" and "The Divine Collaborators".

As our homage to him on this special occasion, an article on Rishabhchand’s life has been published on the website of Overman Foundation. To read the article, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/rishabhchand-samsukha-a-quasquicentennail-homage-by-anurag-banerjee/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

Rishabhchand Samsukha: A Quasquicentennail Homage by Anurag Banerjee Posted on December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Author Anurag Banerjee 0 Rishabhchand Samsukha was born on 3rd December 1900 in his maternal uncle’s residence at Jiaganj situated in the district of Murshidabad in West Bengal. He was th...

13/07/2025

Dear Friends,

On Thursday, 10 July 2025, at 12.30 a.m. the golden voice of a singer who had enchanted the hearts of thousands of lovers of devotional music fell silent. His songs on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Gujarati, Sanskrit and Hindi—which were set to tune by him—could send the listener to the seventh heaven of ecstasy with ease. His songs did not merely captivate the heart, they touched one’s very soul. Such was Mohan Mistry, the man with a heavenly voice.

A biography of Mohan Mistry authored by Anurag Banerjee has been published in the website of Overman Foundation along with a pictorial tribute to him. To read the article and view the photographs, kindly click on the following link:

https://overmanfoundation.org/mohan-mistry-the-man-with-a-heavenly-voice-by-anurag-banerjee/

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

Mohan Mistry: the Man with a Heavenly Voice by Anurag Banerjee Posted on July 13, 2025July 13, 2025Author Anurag Banerjee 0 On Thursday, 10 July 2025, at 12.30 a.m. the golden voice of a singer who had enchanted the hearts of thousands of lovers of devotional music fell silent. His songs on Sri Auro...