Sharnga Guest House

Fraais

Information Chart

Dear guests of Sharnga Guest House,

We are happy to welcome you to Auroville and hope that you will enjoy your stay with us. This chart is to give you some information on how we have organized our guest house.

Reception Timings:

  • For bookings: Monday to Sunday 8:30 am to 9:00pm Sundays 8:30 am to 5:00pm
  • For visits of the rooms and Guest House: Monday to Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Check in time is at 12 noon. Check out time is 11 am. If you are scheduled to arrive after 5 pm, please call us before 5 pm so we can organize for your arrival.

Early check in/ Late Check out: A half day charge is applicable for early check in 8am. Late check out between 10 am and 4 pm and a full day charge in case of check out after 4 pm.

Registration. All guests, whether of Indian or foreign nationality, are requested to do a full registration at the time of check-in. Thank you for having your relevant documents ready (ID proof for Indian nationals and passport and visas for non Indians) and for your understanding and cooperation.

Safe. Each room is equipped with a safe. To ensure the safety of your valuables we request you to put your own lock on the safe door.

We are not responsible for any disappearance of your belongings, so please use the safe facilities provided.

We provide for our guests:

A map of Auroville

At your arrival, we can give you a map of Auroville to allow you to find your way in and around Auroville and our roads.  The map also contains a lot of information regarding local eateries.

Aurocards

(Note: It makes sense to request an Aurocard if you intend to stay more than 3 days)

We will issue you an Aurocard which allows you to enter various facilities in Auroville as well as to open an account in the Auroville Financial Service and to function in the Auroville’s internal economical system. (You will be asked for a 500 rs deposit at the guest house. With your Aurocard in hand, you will need to go to the Auroville Financial Services, deposit money on your newly created account that will allow you to use the Aurocard as a debit card within Auroville only).

Indian Government Taxes and Contribution to Auroville:

All official Activities, Services and Projects in Auroville are registered under the Auroville Foundation.

Our room rates include:

  • An Auroville contribution of 20% of the room charge that goes towards maintaining Auroville’s infrastructure.
  •  GST paid to the Indian Government of 12% to 18% on the room rate.

Friendly Reminder:

  • Please think of closing your taps, switching off your fans, AC and lights and locking your door when you leave your room.
  • Please have in mind that other guests and residents of the community could be disturbed by loud voices or noise from 10 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. In Auroville, nights are very quiet and windows have only mesh and curtains so sounds carry from one room to the next. There are also permanent residents living as very close neighbours who have to keep up with work schedule so keep the volume down at night.
  • Please note that no drugs or alcohol are allowed in Sharnga Guest House.
  • It is strictly prohibited to smoke in the room.
  • There is no supervision of the water spots and pool areas, so please be in charge of your children. Please don’t use the pool at night.
  • If you wish to give a tip for the people working at the guest house, please give it at the reception, we will distribute it equally amongst all. Everybody has their part to play in the maintaining of the place.
  • Please feel free to contact the reception or the person in charge in case of any need or inquiry.
  • Avoid eating in the rooms, please use the dining area. There is no room service.

A few words on our economy

We are trying to follow a different economic system/ model  in Auroville, without internal cash transactions nor  exchange of money. Thus many places registered as Auroville units will not accept cash payments. You can however pay with your Aurocard (a card given to you at the reception that will allow you to open a temporary account at the Auroville Financial Services in Town Hall. This card can be used like debit card.)

Concerning the payment of your stay at our guest house, if not already done while booking online, you will be requested to settle the room payment upon check-in. We have a variety of options and choice of Credit/Debit/UPI/ Net banking with no additional charges. An additional 1,5% will be applied on bank card payments.

Know that when you stay in an Auroville Guest House that is registered under a registered Auroville trust, and has a GST number, you are contributing and participating to Auroville’s economy and infrastructure, as well as paying the required taxes to the Indian government.

There is no private property in Auroville. Sharnga Guest House is an asset of the Auroville Foundation, even though the land was bought, and the Guest House built with personal funds. Guest houses are considered as income-generating services. The totality of your payment is deposited directly at the Auroville financial services, where the required sums will be transferred to the relevant channels. The money you pay for your room is a contribution to the overall Auroville economy.

History of Sharnga G.H

Sharnga Guest House is located in Sharnga community, one of the 150 settlements in Auroville. Sharnga community was started by Claude and Bernard on a completely infertile and barren land in 1976; at first as a farm, then as a stud farm having up to 40 horses. In 1992, when it was time to evolve, in response to Auroville’s growing needs, change took over once again, the horse sheds were transformed into rooms to welcome guests, travellers and newcomers into Auroville. It became a guest house as a co project of Bernard and at the time life-partner, Sigrid. Slowly Sharnga Guest House grew into the full-fledged Guest House it is today, managed by Bernard’s second daughter, Kripa since 2005. The farm land area around the guesthouse grew into a residential community; with each new resident bringing the passion of their own work and activity to Auroville as a whole.

Thank you for your understanding, contribution, participation and collaboration. We wish you a pleasant stay in Auroville and hope you enjoy your stay with us, in Sharnga Guest house.