The Sri Aurobindo Ashram was founded in 1926 and remains one of the most visited spiritual centres in India. The main ashram building on Rue de la Marine contains the samadhi (memorial tomb) of Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa ('The Mother'), the French-born co-founder who ran the ashram after Aurobindo's death in 1950. The samadhi is a simple marble slab in a flower-filled courtyard, and visitors queue to pay respects throughout the day.
The ashram operates a substantial publishing house, a school, and various craft workshops in buildings spread across the French Quarter. Non-residents can visit the main premises freely; the atmosphere is genuinely meditative rather than touristy. The ashram's dining hall serves simple meals, and ashram-made produce — essential oils, incense, handicrafts — is sold at the sales counter. Dress conservatively and keep noise down.