Kratu (passing)

Kratu, an Aurovilian artist, passed away on July 7th.

Kratu was born on the 2nd May 1942 in Lonigo, Verona, Italy. In his early twenties, his passion for art led him to live in various countries and to hitch hike around the Mediterranean. At a certain point, while living in Belgium, he came to know of Sri Aurobindo and wrote to the Mother expressing a wish to come to live in the Ashram.

In 1969 he started his journey towards India and Nepal overland, hitch-hiking all the way. When he arrived in Nepal, he explored Tibetan Buddhism for a year, after which he directed his steps towards the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, where he arrived in December 1970. There he met the Mother. 

While living in Pondicherry’s Auroville Guest House, he worked with Roger Anger at the Aurofuture office in Pondicherry for about a year. Towards the end of 1971, he asked Mother to accept him in the Ashram, which She did. Until 1987 he worked with Nata in the publication of the Italian magazine Domani where translations of the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother were published. During this time he met his life partner Aloka, for an adventure that lasted 52 years.

In 1991, they moved to live and work in Auroville with their younger son Virya. Kratu set up a ceramic unit where he expressed himself through sculpture, until its closure in 2016.

He crafted many beautiful pieces with his hands, which many of us will always enjoy. 

After a long struggle with cancer, he peacefully liberated himself from his body with a smile. He now rests in the Love and Light of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Kratu’s remains were buried at the Auroville Burial Gound on June11th.

Thank you, Kratu.

In 1996, when Housing allotted me one of those cute small houses in Grace, I asked via News&Notes if someone would have an unused Buddha statue, or something, to accompany me in my new abode. Kratu responded. He had made a ceramic Buddha head but…, one ear had broken off during the firing. I went to see it in his studio at Dana and, ear or no ear, fell in love with it. Kratu had managed to express through this bronze-like work all the gentleness, compassion and deep, blissful introvertedness I envisioned a Buddha to have.  It has been with me all those years, and I could not but keep thanking him for it, time and again.

Thank you, Kratu, I’ll keep enjoying it for you. With so much love, -mauna

Add your recollections

If you would feel like, you can send us your recollections or photographs, so they can be added to the page in order to commemorate years of dedication to Auroville and its ideals.

This page has been published in order to create a space of remembrance for all of those who lived, struggled and enjoyed in Auroville, making a conscious effort to manifest the Dream of Human Unity that is in the process of emerging.