In 1914, a Frenchwoman named Mirra Alfassa arrived in India and met the revolutionary-turned-philosopher Sri Aurobindo. She would come to be known as the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's spiritual collaborator and the guiding force behind his ashram in Pondicherry.
Born into a family of well-to-do Ottoman Jews, Mirra's early life was shaped by art, intellectual inquiry and a longing for spiritual awakening. Her journey took her across countries, from Paris and Algeria to Japan and finally India, where she embraced a vision of unity that transcended national and cultural boundaries. Declaring herself 'Indian by choice', she sought to harmonize the wisdom of the East with the modernity of the West.
Based on Peter Heehs's extensive research in the archives and libraries in France, Israel and India and his vast knowledge of Mirra's writings and talks, The Mother is a captivating portrait of a foreign-born woman who made India her home and left an indelible imprint on it.
This is the fourth book in the Indian Lives series, edited and curated by Ramachandra Guha.
About the Author
Born and educated in the United States, Peter Heehs came to India during the 1970s and settled in Pondicherry, where he works as a research scholar and writer. He is the author or editor of twelve books, including The Bomb in Bengal, The Lives of Sri Aurobindo, Writing the Self: Diaries, Memoirs and the History of the Self and Spirituality without God: A Global History of Thought and Practice. His articles have appeared in journals such as History and Theory, Modern Asian Studies and Postcolonial Studies, and magazines such as History Today and Art India.
+91 9818282497
