KOLKATA: A first visit to Pondicherry in 1996 transformed the life of Satyam Roychowdhury, Founder and Managing Director of Techno India Group and Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University. It was his first visit with his wife, (late) Mou Roychowdhury. Together, they visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and prayed at the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.
The teachings of Sri Aurobindo became a guiding force, shaping his search for a deeper purpose, inspiring a long-held desire to offer a literary tribute. He returned to Pondicherry in late 2024, seven months after his wife’s passing, to the place that had taught him humility and peace. From that return emerged the much-awaited book ‘Sri Aurobindo For You’, dedicated to the life, vision and philosophy of the sage.
On Saturday evening, at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan in Kolkata, this three-decade journey came full circle with the book’s launch. Edited by Roychowdhury, the 740-page volume features selected writings, letters, speeches and conversations of Sri Aurobindo, along with tributes. It is the eighth title in his ‘For You’ series. ‘In Fulfilment of My Soul’, the first chapter of the book, the author reflects on a 30-year journey and expressed how the book seeks to guide ordinary individuals toward an extraordinary life by aligning with deeper purpose.
“Sri Aurobindo For You is not just a book. It is a sacred part of my life that I have lived, a path of consciousness I have walked and a deep truth I have discovered within myself over the last three transformative decades,” said the acclaimed author, who has previously written on icons such as Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita. During the book launch, he spoke of his late wife at every step, and how they nicknamed (Rishi) their only son (Debdut Roychowdhury) after Sri Aurobindo.
The evening began with the author offering a copy of the book (published by Deep Prakashan) at the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo at the Bhavan garden. The event also saw the presence of Prof Tanmoy Bhattacharjee, singer Santanu Roychowdhury, Dr Amartya Dutta, Director, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Dr Pradip Bhattacharya, Devdip Ganguli and Anaheeta Banerjee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry and many other dignitaries.