Chennai, Feb 25 (IANS): Stressing on India's unity in diversity tradition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the world as it progresses technologically, will still need spiritual orientation.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee week celebration function of the Auroville International Township in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu, Modi said India has always allowed mutual respect and co-existence of different religions and cultures.

He said India was home to the age old tradition of Gurukul, where learning is not confined to classrooms. Auroville too has developed as a place of unending and life-long education.

He said India has been the spiritual destination of the world and many great religions of the world were born in this country.

According to him, as the world progresses materially through science and technology, it will increasingly long for and need spiritual orientation for social order and stability.

Modi said at Auroville, the material and the spiritual co-exist in harmony.

He said Auroville has brought together a huge diversity of people. Indian society is fundamentally diverse and has fostered dialogue and philosophic tradition.

According to Modi, it was important today to remember the vast extent of action and thought of Aurobindo - a man of action, a philosopher, a poet - there were so many facets to his character for the good of the nation and humanity.

Modi reached Puducherry earlier on Sunday from Chennai and visited the Aurobindo Ashram. He also met the students at the school in the Ashram.