Author Archives: lilasuka

Spiritual Fun Coming Up This Summer!

Two Upcoming Festivals plus Special Seminars! are Coming Soon

Lord Jagannatha’s Ratha Yatra/Festival of the Chariots will be held on Sat. July 19, 2014.

The parade starts at 11 AM near Rupanuga’s house and everyone will get the opportunity to pull Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in Their chariot in a gala parade down to the temple.

Then, the 4th Annual Pushpa Abhishek will be on Sat. July 26, inside the Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra Temple.  Their Lordships will be bathed by hundreds and hundreds of soft, colorful flower petals, accompanied by the ecstatic chanting of Hare Krsna kirtan.

The same weekend of the Pushpa Abhisheka, Sat. and Sun. July 26/27 New Vrindaban will host our esteemed guest His Grace Gauranga prabhu from ISKCON Chowpatty, Mumbai, who will be speaking on “Lessons on Vaishnava Relationships” from Gaura Lila.

New NV Garden Manager Takes Step Closer to Sustainable Vision

By Madhava Smullen

Back when she started visiting New Vrindaban at age sixteen, admiring the Rose Gardens at Prabhupada’s Palace and thinking it would be her dream job to work there, Kacey Orr could never have predicted how all the pieces would fall into place.

When her grandfather’s farm in Triadelphia, West Virginia was cut into pieces to make way for the Interstate, farming skipped a generation as her father became a teacher. Kacey, too, seemed destined for a different life, running her own salon. But she felt unfulfilled, and in the late 2000s moved to farming full-time on her family’s farm, and selling her organic produce at local Farmer’s markets in Wheeling and Moundsville.

Her success allowed her to go back to West Liberty University to finish her B.A., for which she wrote a comparative geographical study of Vrindavana, India, and New Vrindaban, West Virginia in 2011. She also began visiting the spiritual community more regularly again, and made friends amongst the community members.

Then at a farmers’ market, she met Madhava Gosh, an agriculturist at New Vrindaban since 1974. Impressed by the news coverage Kacey had gotten for competing in a national farming competition, he invited her to apply for an opening at the community.

Cutting down growing at her own farm to just what she needed for her family, Kacey became New Vrindaban’s full-time Garden Manager in March 2014.

Local food production was, of course, a major goal for New Vrindaban’s founder Srila Prabhupada, and was emphasized in the community from its inception in 1968 until 1979. But in the 1980s and ‘90s it began to taper off and then all but disappeared, until a smaller scale of farming was re-introduced in 1998 by the Small Farm Training Center.

Since 2014, ECO-Vrindaban, a non-profit organization, has been continuing and expanding the Training Center’s program. By caring for New Vrindaban’s forty-seven cattle, milking its six dairy cows and developing sustainable agriculture, ECOV has been realizing Srila Prabhupada’s vision of self-suffiency and simple living for the community. 

And now, as the organization brings in Kacey with her commitment and expertise, community members hope to get closer to that vision than they’ve been in a long time.

Kacey isn’t working alone: she’s gathered a staff of four local people with farm experience and a major interest in sustainability, including some ecology students. And they’re aided by volunteers including local children’s book author Marty Wach, Madhava Gosh as a consultant, and many other New Vrindaban devotees.

They have a lot of work to do. New Vrindaban has three gardens: the five-acre Garden of Seven Gates, the half-acre Teaching Garden, and a small meditation garden behind the temple.

“I have a completely new crew, and this is completely new ground for me,” says Kacey. “It took me years to figure out my ground on my own property. So this year is a lot about learning, exploring and figuring things out.”

It’s a lot about action, too. The garden crew have already put up eight-foot fences and smaller ground-level fences around both main gardens to keep out deer, rabbits, and groundhogs.

In the larger Garden of Seven Gates, they have either planted or are planning to plant during the summer one thousand sweet potatoes, 300 tomatoes, 200 peppers, and 50 basil, as well as squash, snap peas, shell peas, green beans, and organic soybeans for edamame. 

Amongst these they’re also planting “cover crops” – plants that act like “green manure” to revitalize the soil – such as buckwheat, Daikon radishes and cowpeas.

“We’re also trying some new things to see what works well,” says Kacey. “There’s ornamental eggplant, large organic edible sunflowers, and quinoa is something I’m very interested in too. It works well at high elevation, can handle drought, and is a whole grain.”

In the Garden of Seven Gates there are also grapes and perennial berries such as raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, bush cherries, goji berries, honeyberries, and blueberries.

Meanwhile in the Teaching Garden, which is planned as an apothecary garden for medicinal herbs, the crew is planting many flowers for the presiding Deities of New Vrindaban, Sri Sri Radha-Vrindabanchandra, including lilacs, hydrangeas, butterfly bushes, mock-oranges, peonies, zinnias and marigolds.

Finally, in the meditation garden near the temple, there are culinary herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, sweet sicily and mint.

“It’s an enclosed area, the sort of place you can go to sit and chant your japa, if you want to be outside but undisturbed,” says Madhava Gosh.

For even more food production,  Gosh explains, ISKCON New Vrindaban has introduced the concept of contract growing – that is, the temple pays people to grow a particular crop. Currently devotees and other locals including a microbiology professor and a full-time farmer are growing carrots, zucchini, brussel sprouts, broccoli, paste tomatoes, and cilantro for ISKCON New Vrindaban.

While only planting is being done now and harvesting will mostly come later in the season, there are a few crops ready now – asparagus is being harvested, and marigolds will be ready to pick by mid June.

What’s more, Kacey says she’s trying to do a lot of succession planting, spacing her planting at two week or one month intervals “so that we have a steady flow of vegetables, rather than one giant wave.”

In addition, three high tunnel greenhouses, planned for going up before the end of the year, will “extend the seasons,” allowing the gardeners to plant crops ahead of time and then harvest them throughout the winter.

“The goal is to supply all the veggies for the thirty or so people being fed by the temple kitchen during the week,” says Madhava Gosh. Gardeners and cooks will work together to ensure that fresh, locally grown vegetables are also available for the Deity kitchen and Govinda’s restaurant.

Kacey hopes to be able to reach this goal, and be “at least producing some food and flowers year around,” within the next five years. Meanwhile the 200 fruit trees the crew planted this spring should also see a yield.

“It takes a while for fruit trees to produce, but when we hit the five-year mark, we should be producing much of our own fruit,” says Kacey.

Despite the challenges of weather and a new environment, Kacey is glad to be working at New Vrindaban, with its strong support staff and pre-existing infrastructure.

“I’m so lucky to have this opportunity,” she says. “To have this kind of environment and infrastructure, and to work with a community that has a sustainability goal and a long-term plan.”

There’s always plenty to do towards this plan in the community gardens, no matter the season, and Kacey is always eager for people to volunteer as much – or as little – as they’d like. To make your contribution, contact her at korr.ecov@gmail.com, phone her at 304 843 1600 xt 148 or just find her in the gardens!

 

Everyone is invited to

Bathe Their Lordships Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra devi

At Their Snana Yatra

Sat. July 5, 2014

10:30 AM in front of RVC temple      

If you would like to come early to help do seva, you are welcomed.

New Vrindaban’s 8th Annual 24 Hour Kirtan a Transcendental Success

By Lilasuka dasi

It was only the third hour into the 8th annual summer 24 hour kirtan in N.V., on Saturday June 21, 2014, when the kid kirtaniyers jumped right in. Well “trained up” by their parents, each of the mostly third generation children took their turn expertly leading their few minutes of kirtan, and the crowd eagerly showed their appreciation and amazement with exuberant cheers.

Just a couple of hours after that, some of New Vrindaban’s own finest guitar and harmonium players lead their sweet kirtans, with soft flute accompaniment.

The participants had a lot to say about the different moods and tunes of the day and night:

A visitor remarked: “The energy from the different kirtan leaders really drives each special kirtan and makes it all very inspiring.”

With a faraway look in her eye, one young lady said, “Bhakti Caru Swami’s purity shines through in his slow and melodious kirtan, and uplifts me.”

One New Vrindaban resident surprised herself: “Although I absolutely love the 24 hour kirtans, I usually can’t stay up very late, but, for some reason, this time I was able to stay a lot longer. And then, even when I got home, I just turned the radio to 88.0, the local NV channel, and basically listened to the kirtan all night.”

Manu, one of the main organizers of the 24 hour kirtan schedule, commented, “24 hour kirtan – very engaging and inspiring. I’ve been doing administrative, organizational work most of the time this weekend. But at 2 a.m. Saturday morning, I was able to sit and just be in the kirtan. Just at the time when you think you have nothing left to give, the holy name engages you. It’s not about the musicality or the crowd, but the power of the holy name.”

Lakshman prabhu, a cook at the restaurant exclaimed: “The first meal on Saturday, we cooked for 250 but there were more than 500 people who came – quite a bit more than we thought. That’s a good challenge to face!”

One visitor, who sat mostly in one spot for much of the 24 hours, often chanting with closed eyes, and who had a hard time putting his intense kirtan experience into words, did finally comment, “What’s so special about this kirtan is the atmosphere of this big, beautiful Radha Vrindaban Chandra temple.”

Ganga das from Florida agreed with that and added, “Any association of devotees is amazing, and this is one of the best occasions for association available. It’s like charging your batteries, especially when you live outside a temple like I do. This association is so important. And everyone chanting together creates a very special energy.”

Gita dasi was there with her husband, Dhruva from Alachua. Gita’s favorite part of the kirtan was letting her baby dance in the kirtan. Also, her favorite singers were singing from midnite to 2 a.m., and although she was tired and couldn’t imagine staying up another minute, the enchanting, soft singing of the early morning kirtaniyers filled her soul with spiritual energy.

A couple from the city of Cincinnati, Ohio offered this comment: “When we come here from our small home town temple,  I love taking this wonderful energy home with me, and it stays with me for a long time.”

 

We Must Accept High Cost of Cow Protection, Says New Minister

By: Madhava Smullen ISKCON News on May 15, 2014

We can have successful cow protection projects in ISKCON. But only if we’re willing to accept the high cost of violence-free milk, and of caring for cows and their handlers.

That’s the message that Shyamasundara Das, the recently appointed Global Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture, is bringing to communities around the world.

In an age of convenience and cheap dairy products, he says, it all comes down to one thing: how important is cow protection to us?

Shyamasundara Das received his new title at the Annual General Meetings of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission in Mayapur, West Bengal earlier this spring. He took on the service after former Global Minister Balabhadra Das resigned due to health issues.

Prior to that, Shyamasundara had overseen the Goshala (cow shelter) at Bhaktivedanta Manor near London in the UK since 1992, a position which he still holds. Under his leadership, the Manor’s herd  has grown to fifty-seven cows and bulls, and is producing 40,000 liters of milk and logging about 3,000 ox hours a year.

For the past six years, Shyamasundara has also served as European Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture, and has toured ISKCON’s European farm communities, reminding them of the importance of cow protection and agriculture. His efforts have been set against a global decrease in energy and investment in such projects around ISKCON.

Through his tours, though, many European farms that were giving up cow protection have reactivated their projects and are now milking cows and working oxen. These include Radhadesh, Belgium; Simhachalam, Germany; Villa Vrindavana, Italy; Govindadvipa, Ireland; and New Mayapur, France.

Now, expanding his role as Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture to a global one,  Shyamasundara will spend his first year surveying and understanding ISKCON cow protection projects around the world.

He will then will take one month off a year from his service at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Goshala to travel around the world with his message.

He will naturally continue to vist Europe, holding the seventh annual ISKCON European Farm Conference in Simhachalam, Germany from September 16th to 18th, and looking to inspire the 30 or so leaders from all over Europe expected to attend.

But he also plans to visit a different continent every year, to encourage struggling communities to reactivate their cow protection and agricultural projects, as well as to work with ISKCON’s larger cow protection projects and assist them in coming to exemplary standards.

Picture: Devotees milk cows at New Gokula

In Europe, Bhaktivedanta Manor’s New Gokula farm, and New Vraja Dhama in Hungary, which have similar-sized herds, are already extremely successful.

In the US, Shyamasundara also sees Gita Nagari in Pennsylvania and New Vrindaban in West Virginia as premier projects he wants to work with.

With 28 milking cows, 19 retired cows and oxen and 14 calves, Gita Nagari produces around 600 gallons of milk a week, has its own creamery and sells much of its yield to neighboring city temples. New Vrindaban, meanwhile, has 47 cows and oxen including six milking cows, and is attempting to use only protected cow milk in meals served at its temple.

Then, of course, there’s India. Shyamasundara plans to spend some time every year visiting the country, as ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada hoped goshalas there would set an example for others around the world.

While a lot of work is yet to be done to achieve this goal, Shyamasundara hopes that the goshalas in two of the most sacred places in India – Mayapur in West Bengal and Vrindavana in Uttar Pradesh – will develop to the point where they do set examples that ISKCON communities everywhere will follow. Mayapur in particular, with its plans to build a city for 50,000 people, will be a major focus.

To all these projects, Shyamasundara is delivering his own “inconvenient truth”: if we want cow protection, we must accept the cost.

“Homegrown, Hare Krishna milk is six times the conventional price,” he says, explaining that this cost includes building and maintenance of a goshala, personal care to the cows, milking cows by hand rather than machine, and supporting people to care for the cows.

“Volunteers play a significant role in our cow protection projects, but the heart of them are people we maintain,” Shyamasundara says. “If you want stable cow protection, you have to have stable people. And stable people come if you meet their five needs: they need housing, work that’s satisfying for them, some social life, they need to be able to fulfill their children’s needs, and they need to be able to accumulate assets of some sort.”

Accepting all these costs will guarantee a successful cow protection program, Shyamasundara explains. And that’s important, even if it means reducing (but not stopping) milk use to be able to afford it. As Srila Prabhupada advised, “take as much milk as possible.”

Shyamasundara compares it to when gasoline prices skyrocket. People don’t stop driving, but they accept the situation, and adapt to it by cutting back on their gas consumption.

“It’s going to take a gradual negotiation and weaning process to get people to accept these higher economics,” he says. “It’s a slow process. But I think gradually, the message is being accepted.”

Just as important as accepting the price of protected cow milk is ISKCON’s responsibility to work oxen, according to Shyamasundara, even if it’s a major inconvenience for those of us used to the ease of the modern world.

“If we don’t make arrangements for oxen to work, we’ll be inadvertently making arrangements for tractors and other transport means to replace them,” he says. “So it’s going to require very bold, brave leadership.”

To keep local leaders focused and inspired to do something about cow protection, Shyamasundara plans to continue former Global Minister Balabhadra Dasa’s work in establishing regional representatives for cow protection and agriculture around the world, who will visit and encourage communities in their continents more regularly than he is able to.

Shyamasundara’s long term plan is to have all local leaders in ISKCON ask their communities for a plan on what to do about cow protection and agriculture, and how to do it. He would also like to see all major temples – especially in India – use their resources to work out an economic plan to ensure that every drop of milk they use comes from their own cows.

“I find it daunting, but very exciting to be part of the incredible dilemmas that Srila Prabhupada left us,” says Shyamasundara. “We have a mammoth task to establish cow protection and agriculture in a vastly declining society. Prabhupada was such a brave man and said such far reaching things. And it’s a challenge. But I like working with bulls, and I like cows. It suits my nature. So I’m happy to play this role, and I’m excited to be part of this element of his mission.”

 

 

Prabhupada’s Palace Rose Garden Making the Switch to Sustainability

by Lilasuka dasi

Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold at New Vrindaban didn’t always have the stunning, bursting-with-color rose garden that every visitor now gets to enjoy. Twenty-six years ago, in 1988, Betty Hickey, a horticulturalist, and a good neighbor of New Vrindaban, from a nearby farm, and someone who appreciated the devotees, had the idea to establish the rose garden for the Palace. So she created and even maintained it herself, with the devotees’ blessings and help.

Even before internet days, she extensively researched the care of roses, and soon became a skilled rosarian.

Since Betty retired in 2012, a seasoned gardener Vaisnavi, Gopalasyapriya dasi is taking the responsibility for the garden, with some great helpers.  Mukunda dasi cuts down and mulches the garden in the fall; Purnima dasi, Gopa’s main helper, works at the garden all summer; Srimati helps occasionally, along with Krsna Lila, Mukunda’s daughter.  Gopa herself has done most of the spraying, fertilizing, green house planting and organizing. Tripad vibhuti das has been managing and overseeing the whole Palace of Gold project for 20 years now .

Switch to another scene for a minute. About the same time that Betty was establishing the Palace’s magnificent rose garden, back in the late ‘80’s, a man named Paul Zimmerman, in another part of the country, wanted to do something new in his life, so he got into gardening, specifically with roses.  Soon, Paul started a “rose care” company in California where he mostly took care of other people’s gardens.

Thus began Paul’s journey of sustainable rose care, and his current connection with New Vrindaban and Prabhupada’s Palace Rose Garden.

Paul claims: “The common perception amongst gardeners is that roses are fussy, and need lots of chemicals in order to thrive. Not true!  We focused on a more natural, organic nursery for our roses. We knew that roses did not have to have all sorts of chemicals to be healthy and flourish.”

Paul feels that sustainability is now here to stay, and would be great for the Palace roses.

“Most of the harsh rose chemicals are now outlawed anyhow!”

Paul continues, “A lot of public rose gardens are getting the command from visitors that if they come to the garden, and they see that the rosarians are spraying with masks and gloves on, they just won’t visit.”

Paul is a consultant. He had great success in transforming the well-known Biltmore Gardens in Asheville, NC to organic, so we knew that he had credibility. (Read more about Paul’s work at: http://paulzimmermanroses.com/)  Gopa is the liason for the Palace with Paul Zimmerman, who first came on April 1, 2014 and then for a second visit to see the progress and help them along on June 11, 2014.

Gopa expressed it this way, “We are switching to a more sustainable Palace rose garden for several reasons.  We are hoping that the younger generation, who are very environmental-conscious, and largely anti-chemicals, will be attracted to carrying on the work after we older women can no longer do it.  The rose garden is very much appreciated and most people understand how difficult it is to maintain. A chemically sprayed rose garden is also becoming more objectionable to the residents of the community.”

“Madhava Ghosh, who is involved with New Vrindaban’s ECOV board, helped to connect Paul with us. Paul found us through our past connection with the All American Rose Selection, who had provided us many awards in the ‘80’s, but is now defunct. ECOV is instrumental in financing this sustainable project,” Gopa continues.

Gopa feels it will be more work, “but it’s definitely worth a try.  It’s becoming more difficult to even spray with chemicals because I’ve had to start wearing a mask.  But this year, we won’t put down any herbicide. Instead, Paul recommended that we start with a thick, two inch layer of compost and heavy mulch on all the beds, and spraying with vinegar, which is much more natural.  We will also need to simply remove some of the weaker brands of roses and replace them with more naturally bug-resistant rose strands.”

The Palace currently has about 800 plants total, of 150 different species.

Paul explained to Gopa, “The idea is to not necessarily be out there spraying whether there are diseases there or not, BUT to build the rose’s immune system so it can fight disease, just like humans.” 

Paul is excited, “This Palace garden has “great bones”!!! It’s a good garden that can also be sustainable.  We don’t need the chemicals. The more I learn about your community, the more I think that sustainability resonates with the people. I understand that your community is getting better at trying to waste less, and is working towards recycling. And your high spiritual philosophy includes taking care of the earth planet. You will certainly be able to use the Palace Rose Garden as a phenomenal educational opportunity.”

How long will it take to get the Palace roses sustainable?

“Well,” Paul explains, “At the Palace, you can’t do this “cold turkey” because you don’t have the luxury of being able to close down!  Your guests have expectations that they want to see the rose garden whenever they come here.  So, I say this would be a two to three year process.  The first year: build your foundation.  Then, the second and third years: change some elements in the garden, wean the roses and add some new plants that take a year or two to grow.” 

Paul revealed another very exciting aspect of this whole sustainable rose project. 

“Just think,” Paul declared, “When the garden goes sustainable, then all the rose petals will be organic and can be used for so many products, like rose petal jelly, rosehip tea, rose oil, rose water, and more.  You can begin to make your own products and sell them.  This rose garden can produce some income and advertisement for the community.”

Gopa is excited about the possibilities, “We want the Palace Rose Garden to become a more integral part of what we do here in the New Vrindavan community.”

The proof is in the seeing and smelling! Everyone is invited to come and visit Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold Rose Garden, open all spring and summer until the last West Virginia frost.

 

By Madhava Smullen

Today, 24 and 12 hour kirtan festivals seem to be spreading all over the world like wildfire. Devotees are gathering to immerse themselves in the Holy Name every year with events like Kirtan Mela in Mayapur, Germany and Australia; 24 Hour Kirtan Birmingham in the UK; Sravanam Kirtanam in Italy, Radhadesh Mellows in Belgium, and Festival of the Holy Name in Alachua, USA. The globe is reverberating with the sound of Krishna’s name.

But back when the New Vrindaban 24 Hour Kirtan began in the hills of West Virginia, it was one of only a small handful of early trendsetters.

The event began life in the Bhajan Kutir that was introduced at the first Kulimela at New Vrindaban in 2006, a gathering of the second-generation Hare Krishna community. There, “Kulis” chanted kirtan in the yajnashala, an outdoor covered space outside the temple, every day.

Inspired by the endless 24 Hour Kirtan in Vrindavana, India, led by the late Aindra Das, the kirtan went on for 24 hours straight on the last two days of the Mela. Excited by the possibilities, organizers inaugurated the New Vrindaban 24 Hour Kirtan the very next year on the same June weekend.

That first year saw a simple, grassroots event, with little promotion, basic kichari meals, and just 100 people coming together to chant. But more were attracted by the purity of the event, and it continued to grow every year.

Currently it draws crowds of six to eight hundred, and while these are primarily ISKCON devotees, a growing percentage of attendees are newcomers introduced through New Vrindaban’s Festival of Colors and kirtan performances at yoga studios and the like.

“I think they find it accessible because it’s so simple and stripped down – just 24 hours of non-stop maha-mantra,” says kirtan artist Gaura Vani, who is also one of the event’s organizers.

This year, the 24 Hour Kirtan will run from 11am on June 21st to 11am on June 22nd. Lead chanters and musicians will gather with their harmoniums, mridanga drums, cymbals and bass guitars in the center of the temple room, beneath the intricate moldings and curved stained glass ceiling.

Surrounding them will be waves upon waves of chanters, and beyond them Sri-Sri Radha-Vrindabanchandra, Sri Sri Gaura Nita, Sri Gopal Nathji, Lord Nrsimhadeva and the rest of New Vrindaban’s no less than 24 merciful presiding Deities.

In addition, many chanters will bring their own home Deities, while banners inscribed with the Hare Krishna Mantra and pictures of Lord Krishna’s pastimes will fly everywhere, creating an inspirational, uplifting atmosphere.

Devotees will begin by setting an intention to immerse themselves in the Holy Name with a Sankalpa Ceremony, before easing into the maha-mantra, the culmination of all ceremonies.

A host of experienced chanters known for their heartfelt devotion will lead, including Bhakti Charu Swami, Agnideva Das, Acyuta Dasi, Ananta Das, and Gaura Vani.

But many of these well-known chanters will take late-night slots in order to facilitate younger chanters and the less renowned at more peak hours, to emphasize the Holy Names over “big names.” “At the 24 Hour Kirtan, the Holy Name is the star,” says Gaura Vani.

And boy, is it. While other kirtan festivals are split into two days of 12 hours each with a full night’s sleep in between, New Vrindaban’s 24 Hour Kirtan is one of the few with 24 nonstop hours of maha-mantra.

“The kirtan leads itself,” says Gaura Vani, describing a tidal flow of quiet meditation and rip-roaring rock-out. One moment, devotees are sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, swaying gently like a field of wheat in the breeze and calling out to the Lord with feeling; the next, they’re exploding into a raucous dance party, roaring, pounding drums, jumping and pinwheeling across the temple room floor.

While there are breaks for prasadam – three meals are served every day – and sleep, devotees are there for one thing. Many log 18 to 20 hours, some even going nonstop for the full 24, and some  can be seen taking 20 minutes of shut-eye against the temple room wall, still letting the Holy Name sift into their subconscious.

“It’s punk rock, man!” Gaura Vani says gleefully. “And we’ve worked hard to keep it that way. This is a trial-by-fire, intense, tattoo your heart with the Holy Name kind of event.”

And the effects are undeniable. “From the beginning of the festival to the end, you can feel a tangible shift in your consciousness,” says Gaura Vani, adding that the 24 Hour Kirtan brings a sense of community to devotees usually spread out across the nation.

Meanwhile newcomers also experience the same transformational energy, feeling their hearts become more and more attracted to the devotee lifestyle and association with every 24 Hour Kirtan they attend.

To provide even more chances to associate with the Holy Name, New Vrindaban is adding a Kartik 24 Hour Kirtan to be held from October 11th to 12th, which will bring an extra dimension of atmosphere and devotion as attendees offer candles to Lord Damodara during the chanting.

In the future, Gaura Vani hopes to see the event continue to “franchise” out to other locations. Beyond that, he hopes the 24 Hour Kirtan experience will inspire people to take kirtan to the next level by bringing it out onto the streets in multi-hour public Harinama festivals.

“We can’t over-emphasize the importance of chanting God’s names – in any tradition – for the wellbeing of mankind,” he says. “And the 24 Hour Kirtan is one of the major ways to contribute to that.”

ISKCON New Vrindaban extends a warm invitation to all to bring their contribution by attending this year’s summer 24 Hour Kirtan, from June 21st to 22nd, 2014, and Kartik 24 Hour Kirtan, from October 11th to 12th.

 

Devotees “Hungry to Hear” at Festival of Inspiration

By Madhava Smullen

Arriving at Festival of Inspiration — seeing the rows of cars in the parking lot, the book and merchandise booths, the huge prasadam tent, the hundreds of devotees milling about on the lawns in front of New Vrindaban’s ISKCON temple and enjoying each other’s association – is like meeting an old friend. It’s fun, enlivening, and there’s always so much to hear and share.

This year’s 14th annual Festival drew around 550 devotees from all over North America, slightly fewer than usual due to parallel events like Chicago’s Nama Yajna Festival and North Carolina’s Sadhu Sanga Retreat. But according to organizer Vrindavana Das, this only served to create an intimate atmosphere that was relished by all the devotees.

Attendees dived straight into the nectarean experience on the evening of Thursday May 8th, as Hari Sauri Das and Sruta Kirti Das, who both acted as personal servants of Srila Prabhupada, shared their memories in an impromptu gathering.

Friday May 9th and Saturday May 10th were the core festival days, with 18 presenters giving seminars on a wide range of Krishna conscious topics from 10:30am to 6:30pm.

With three seminars going on at once, festivalgoers had a choice of some of the best speakers in ISKCON, including Bhaktivedanta College principal Yadunandana Swami on how to preserve Prabhupada’s legacy, scholar Bhakti Vasudeva Swami on youth empowerment, BBT editor Dravida Das on hearing and chanting, and Anuttama Das on strategic planning for life.

Some of the most popular seminars were those on Srila Prabhupada. Devotees savored Hari Sauri’s “Srila Prabhupada: The Living Bhagavatam” on how the ISKCON founder applied and lived the philosophy of Krishna consciousness, as well as Srutakirti’s sweet personal memories.

Srutakirti explains that he strives to give devotees an experience of Srila Prabhupada when he speaks. “Prabhupada is the essence of everything we’re trying to understand as devotees,” he says. “So I hope to not just glorify him but also show what our goal is (through him).”

He also spoke about how encouraging Prabhupada was. “Everything Prabhupada did was to encourage us,” he says. “And I think it’s important in a society of devotees to understand that the whole purpose of association with others is to give encouragement and to become encouraged.”

Also extremely popular was “Failure is the Pillar of Success,” a seminar by Vaisesika Das, who is known for counseling and inspiring devotees around the world. Packing the main community hall in the Palace Lodge, he spoke about the attitudes, such as pride, laxity and justification, that can lead to stumbles on the spiritual path.

Like Srutakirti’s seminar, Vaisesika’s also focused on encouragement, the essence of “Festival of Inspiration.” He reassured devotees that they should not be discouraged if they fall along the path, but should continue happily practicing devotional service with full faith. Thus, they’ll eventually come to the perfect stage. Quoting Srila Prabhupada in “Light of the Bhagavat,” he said, “Failures may not be detrimental; they may be the pillars of success.”

This had Vaisesika’s audience feeling very encouraged, and their response in turn inspired him. “My impression was that devotees at Festival of Inspiration are very hungry to hear about Krishna,” he says. “They drank everything like nectar. It was very encouraging to see.”

Meanwhile throughout the day children aged 5 to 12 had their own Krishna conscious activities in the Kids’ Tent, allowing their parents to attend seminars. New Vrindaban veteran teacher Lilasuka Dasi, Jaya Sri Vrinda and Laura from Gainesville’s Krishna House, and local teacher Olivia kept the 30 kids who attended busy.

“We started each session with a kirtan, and they all took turns leading,” says Lilasuka. “We learned a Bhagavad-gita verse, and did an activity based on the verse. We made necklaces and friendship bracelets for Mother’s Day. And there was facepainting, and a clown making Krishna conscious balloon figures.”

As well as daytime seminars and activities, devotees also relished the special morning Bhagavatam classes. On Friday, Ramesvara Das spoke about the importance of compassion. On Saturday scholar Radhika Ramana Das gave a class full of personal realization on prayer. And on Sunday — Mother’s Day — Vaisesika Das spoke on the motherly qualities we should develop, and on how Krishna’s affection for his devotees is like that of millions of mothers.

In the evenings, devotees packed into the temple to sing bhajans with Vaisesika Das, Yadunandana Swami, Mayapur kirtaniya Uttama Bhakta Das, and mantra rock legend Titiksava Karunika Das. “That was one of the best parts of the festival for me,” says organizer Vrindavana Das, who found the Holy Name rejuvenating amidst his hard work.

On Sunday, everyone was thrilled by Bhakti Marg Swami’s drama “The Little Big Ramayana,” which condensed the ancient epic’s themes of good and evil, loyalty, love and devotion into one hour. “It was very action packed and fast moving,” says longtime New Vrindaban-resident Jayasri Dasi, who helped organize the festival.

Throughout the festival, devotees fueled up three times a day with a typically delicious Festival of Inspiration menu. Renowned cooks Shankha Das, Madan Mohan Das, and Radha Dasi didn’t even let grain-free Ekadasi stop them, whipping up a sumptuous array of creamy mashed potatoes, aloo tikki, carrot halava, salad, fresh juice and even buckwheat cake. Meanwhile Sunday’s traditional feast with its paneer subji, mango drink and strawberry sweet rice had devotees in a beaming state of bliss.

Organizer Vrindavana Das says all enjoyed the festival immensely and are looking forward to coming back for the grand 15th anniversary of Festival of Inspiration in 2015.

Vrindavana is planning to make the 15th year one to remember, coordinating with other festivals to make sure there are no clashes and inviting a long list of Swamis, legendary kirtaniyas, and Festival of Inspiration staples. He’s also reserving enough accommodation at New Vrindaban and local hotels for 800 guests.

“Festival of Inspiration is such a privilege,” he says. “It’s really a wonderful opportunity for me to serve so many wonderful devotees.”

 

 

By Madhava Smullen

Bhakta Josef Lauber clearly loves his service. It comes through in his voice, as the words tumble out in a colorful torrent, filled with emotion.

And why wouldn’t he? As head of ISKCON New Vrindaban’s Congregational Development Department, he is constantly guiding newcomers in Krishna consciousness, watching them learn, seeing their enthusiasm and their love for God build.

Josef reaches out to the 25,000 Westerners and Indian immigrants who visit New Vrindaban every year, giving many of them instructions on how to chant Hare Krishna, and sending them home with japa beads and Srila Prabhupada’s books.

“I love sitting down with visitors who drove six to ten hours from Washington, New York, Chicago, Toronto, and beyond, reading and reciting the Bhagavad-gita with them and seeing them soak it all up,” he says. “And then seeing how they start reading and chanting, taking Bhagavad-gita and Bhakti Sastri courses by phone conference call, and even how some of them eventually get initiated.”

Josef has also revived the Govardhana parikrama that Varshana Swami created to scale according to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions. And every Sunday morning, he takes guests on a two-hour tour of replicas of the sacred hill and the lakes Kusum Sarovara, Manasi Ganga, Lalita Kunda, and Radha Kunda, while narrating Krishna’s pastimes.

“After two hours of singing the Holy Name, hearing Krishna Katha, breathing the fresh air, and seeing the untouched beauty of nature in New Vrindaban, you can see how they revive their spiritual selves, and become happy,” he says.

Another of Josef’s favorite activities is his outreach program, in which he and other members of the Congregational Development Department visit friends of New Vrindaban, invite them for a return visit, give them books and encourage them in their Krishna consciousness.

“Sometimes we’ll do a house-warming ceremony, or try to accommodate whatever else is happening in their lives,” he says. “Going to their homes, and seeing their devotion — how they center their lives around their home Deities and chant on their beads every morning, despite the struggles of everyday life — really touches my heart.”

Another element of Josef’s service is raising the large amount of funds needed to keep New Vrindaban running every year. With three years of experience as a fundraiser for Greenpeace, and ten running his own fundraising consulting company for non-profit organizations, he’s an expert, inspiring many to donate towards the community’s cow protection and other needs.

While it’s predominantly Indian congregation members who donate and participate in the above programs due to their natural attraction to Krishna consciousness, Josef is also involved in a number of efforts specifically targeted at reaching out to a Western audience.

Chief of these is his service as promoter for Srila Prabhupada’s Palace, known as The Palace of Gold to tourists. Rated one of “8 Religious Wonders to See in The US” by CNN Travel as recently as 2012, the Palace is still New Vrindaban’s ace, and Josef knows it.

Through local TV and newspaper ads, flyers in nearby hotels, and collaborations with local tourist agencies, he has already significantly increased the number of non-Indian visitors since last year. And he attracted major interest from Lenzner, one of the biggest bus tour operators in the US, when 25 of the company’s managers visited New Vrindaban in late April.

“The Palace of Gold is an asset that has potential to revive New Vrindaban as a place of pilgrimage, just like Srila Prabhupada wanted,” he says.

Josef is also a firm believer in the Festival of Colors, introduced in 2012, as a major way to attract Westerners to Krishna consciousness. Last year, over three-and-a-half thousand people, mostly young students from nearby universities, attended the event at New Vrindaban, with nearly twice as many expected this year.

And the first Pittsburgh Festival of Colors, put on by New Vrindaban devotees on April 19th this year, drew between five and six thousand students from three universities.

To achieve success in all these projects, it’s essential for the New Vrindaban Congregational Development Department to work as a team, one of the most important things that Josef has brought to it.

“I’m trying to cultivate a Vaishnava-like atmosphere of helping each other and an enlivening team spirit where everybody feels welcome and accommodated,” he says.

Josef has many more improvements he hopes to implement in the future. He hopes to grow his team from three active preachers to six or seven, further refine his database of contacts, build a solid base of monthly donations, and upgrade Radha-Vrindabanchandra’s swan boat.

With New Vrindaban’s Palace Lodge already beautifully refurbished, he hopes to repeat the process with the cabins by the lake for more quality accommodation, and to renovate the Palace of Gold, a ten-year, multi-million-dollar project.

Meanwhile on the spiritual side, he hopes in the future to see a more systematized way of preaching in the form of an academy where the congregation can study the scriptures and receive Bhakti Sastri diplomas.

Festival of Colors Comes to Pittsburgh, PA.

by Lilasuka dasi

The first Pittsburgh Festival of Colors on Sat. April 19, 2014 was fabulous!

 

This family-friendly event was a big hit in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh.  It was the first time that the Festival of Colors had come to Pittsburgh, and we heard from many that Pittsburgh wants to do it again next year! Pittsburgh is a great city with a diverse cultural spectrum.  About 5,000 Pittsburghians and others were there at the Festival.

 

There were many Festival tents set up around the perimeter of Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park.  The T-shirt tent was packed all day.  There were line-ups at the colors tent, but they kept things moving right along.  Smiling faces were seen leaving the vegetarian lunch tent, where free home-made cake was available to all.

 

One of the event staff at a T-shirt table said: “The bands had the crowd going, and everyone participated.  It was very enlivening to see so many people who would ordinarily not be chanting Hare Krishna to now be chanting and dancing, having the time of their lives.”

 

A festival participant, who was not from Pittsburgh, told us, “I was impressed by the diversity of people who attended the festival, and everyone really seemed to enjoy it.  For instance, there were two Muslim women wearing their head coverings and, when they went to the table for Festival Of Color T-shirts, I was thinking ‘how are they going to wear these’?  Well, they just pulled them on right over their headdresses and later on, I saw the same ladies totally covered with colors.  Actually, before I came to the festival, I had expected to see mostly college kids, but, instead, I discovered mothers with teenage daughters, and all ages of people.  From the looks of things, everyone had a great time.”

 

“Good day, good vibes, good people!”

 

“You will see very happy, laughing and smiling faces, you will see peaceful faces, you will see contentment on the faces. And you will not find a sad face.”

 

And one young lady had a very special, once-in-a-lifetime experience:   “Hey!  So I got proposed to on stage by my boyfriend at this year’s Festival of Colors! What an amazing experience and fun way to get proposed to! Glad to have shared it with everyone there.”

 

Another festival-goer exclaimed, “The weather was perfect, the music was wonderfully LOUD and absolutely amazing! So much true talent on that stage today, the brilliant colors being thrown in the air at intervals transformed the park into a Spiritual/Psychedelic Wonderland, the likes of which haven’t been seen in many years! Everyone was having a blast and chanting the Holy Names, and talking philosophy with people, as well as displaying their own wide variety of talents and crafts.  The Prasadam was delicious, as always, thank you Kitchen Crew!”

 

One very grateful participant exclaimed, “I thoroughly enjoyed this party from start to fabulous finish! This was a wonderful event to balance the somber moments of the Easter season with moments of joy! I danced, I smiled. I had almost 200 hugs to add to my current goal of reaching 40 thousand overall hugs in my lifetime! What a celebration! I hope we get to do it again next year! “

Tag, you’re it!                                                                                 4-12-14

(or, New Vrindaban’s lone male swan gets a mate)

by Gopisa das

In the time honored traditions of ISKCON days gone by, Malati Prabhu was set on finding a suitable mate for Sriman Hamsaraj. This new mate’s qualities must be just so; good breeding, young but experienced, attractive, loyal to a fault and above all a good swimmer.

So why, you may ask, is Srila Prabhupada’s dearest daughter, a respected leader with responsibilities that stretch from one side of the globe to the other, trying to hook up a lonely male resident of the Dhama?  I’m glad you asked!

Sriman Hamsaraj is a swan. He’s been in New Vrindaban for many years now and was one of a group that graced the ponds below Sri-Sri Gaura Nitai. Unfortunately his friends left a number of years ago and poor Hamsaraj has been holding a solitary vigil for the pleasure of Their Lordships and guests. The peacocks are always dancing around and crying to one another but none venture into the water. Occasionally an errant goose or mallard duck will drop in for a short visit but they are too soon on their way and Hamsaraj is once again alone.

It is the gentle heart that is most susceptible to the beautiful strains of Krsna’s flute and such a heart knows when someone needs a friend. This, then, was the motivation that put Malati Prabhu on a mission to find a partner for Hamsaraj.

The exotic animal auction in Ohio was coming up fast and the time was right. Ok, just a few typical New Vrindaban issues to take care of first…

Need a van to transport…got a van…battery’s dead…may need a new battery…get someone to charge the battery…got a charger…can’t find extension cords…got cords…need a key for the cabin to plug in the charger…got the key…outlet doesn’t work…find breaker box…turn on breaker…run cords…hook up charger…and wait…

Well, this is completely out of character for the Dhama! The battery actually took a charge, the van starts and now Malati’s back with a beautiful female swan she names Sri Devi. Sri Devi even has a red mark on her forehead like kum-kum.  Ok Krsna, what’s up? I know something’s coming, it’s never THAT easy.

With the assistance of the always kind and helpful Murti, Malati introduces          Sri Devi to her new home (and husband). But wait, I’m sure something is amiss, something just doesn’t feel right…buy swan…bring swan back…let swan out of van…swan goes into water and immediately joins her new mate…oh no…

In a move that would make Minnie Pearl proud, (Minnie who? never mind)         Sri Devi was launched into her new life with her auction tag still securely attached to her leg. The calls start coming…Raghu tells of a previous swan this happened with that nearly lost her leg after only five days…the toes, however were not so lucky. Jaya Krsna Prabhu looks across the table and smiles, ”I’m SO happy you are taking care of this!” “I am?”  “Yes, thank you VERY much!”  I am…

The next several days are rainy and cold. The swans are swimming around in matrimonial bliss, oblivious to the machinations happening on shore.

“We need a net”.

“I have a net.”  

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know…try my trailer under the mind numbing pile of clutter that I used to have organized before someone got in there and turned it upside down.”  

“I looked, no net.”

A trip to Washington, PA for some flooring material yields the benefit of hitting Dick’s Sporting Goods for a net…of course there’s no one in that department to help. The nets are finally located and the biggest one is pulled off the rack. The holes in the netting are too big. Sri Devi would probably get her head caught in it and that would create a whole new bag off Dhama delights! Gander Mountain? Nope. Cabelas…ok, now we’re on to something. Holes are small enough, hoop is fairly large but the handle is kinda short. It’ll have to do. Seventy dollars?? Really? Plus tax. Oy vea! “You know the label is a little messed up…could you knock some off? “ The joke about needing a net to pick up a date seems to be working. A call to the manager and sixty dollars (plus tax) later and away we go.

So now what? Well let’s see…they’re eating some grain off the rocks by the steps… if I can just slowly sneak up on them, maybe get a little lucky… closer…. closer… almost there… just a few more feet…

“Hey, who’s the strange looking human with the funny thing in his hands?”

“I don’t think so!” “Time for a little swim to less congested waters.”

Ok, new plan…Use the kayak to chase the swans to shore, corral Sri Devi and distract Sriman Hamsaraj. Just so happens that male swans are VERY aggressive, especially when it comes to their mates. Far from running off, they’ll go after you like Gopisa on a gulab jamin.

Kalindi says that the swans like to steal the bread from the fish when she feeds them on Sunday. Ok Krsna, I’m beginning to see Your plan.

Paddles for the kayak? Check.

Half loaf of cheap white bread? Check.

Net? Check.

Scissors? Check.

Wire cutters? Check.

As I head out the door, Kalindi gives me a sympathetic look and says, “Good luck!”

It’s Saturday, 70 degrees, the sky is clear, winds light and everyone is fully engaged with a hundred and twenty something guests.

A stop by the Palace where Tejo and Gopal are fixing up the bathrooms to see how it’s going and solicit some help.

“Hey Tejo, wanna help catch the new swan?”

“Sure! Gopal, shut the door, no need to pack up. Hey, I’ll meet you down there.”

“Hey Gintras, wanna help catch a swan?”

“Sure, why not”

A couple of Gosh’s workers are fixing up the area around the lodge for planting mint.

“Hey guys, can you help us catch a swan?”

“Yea, sure.” One looks over at the other, “You don’t swim do you?”

“Nope” “And I don’t want to get pecked to death either.”

Tejo: “Don’t worry, they have really small teeth.”

As Krsna would have it, both swans are on shore near the boat house. I throw some bread for them and they make their way farther on shore.

“Ok guys, move in behind them to keep ‘em from getting back into the water.”

“They’re starting to turn back, move fast!”

A well coordinated effort indeed! Hamsaraj took one look at Gopal and headed straight for the water. Sri Devi was corralled, netted and lay there passively while the band was clipped off. The band was not tight and the leg looks fine.

After she joined back up with her paramour, we heard a strange grunting sound. Not sure if that was Sri Devi saying thanks or Hamsaraj expressing his outrage over her treatment and offing a few choice comments of his own in a vain attempt to salvage some of his lost dignity.

While walking back, Gosh’s helpers asked, “Are there any fish in there?” Tejo confirmed there are some large carp and Gopal mentions the catfish.

I chime in, “You know that bread that’s still on the shore?” “If you’re out here at night, you’ll see the carp wriggle out of the water and eat it.”

“No kiddin’?”

New Vrindaban Grows Through Care and Communication

by Madhava Smullen

Since moving back to New Vrindaban three years ago, Lilasuka Dasi has used her people skills to inspire residents to care for each other and communicate positively with one another. This, she feels, is the key to the community’s recent attempt at rebuilding and growth.

Originally from Toronto, Lilasuka first lived in the rural West Virginia community between 1980 and 2000, teaching at the day school there.

She then relocated to Pittsburgh until New Vrindaban president Jaya Krishna Das, who calls her “the mother of New Vrindaban,” invited her back to head up the communications department.

From the way she talks about the community, it’s clear that Lilasuka loves New Vrindaban deeply. And that makes her ideal for the job.

“I know the ins and outs of New Vrindaban, and am friends with just about everyone, because I lived here for so long,” she says. “It’s ideal for a deep spiritual life, and is full of interesting people. I just like people, so I like studying them and figuring out how to work with them.”

Initially, the goal of Lilasuka’s department was to establish communications amongst a variety of external groups like the media, the local municipal departments, and the academic community.

And she does nurture a relationship with some, like the Marshall County Tourist Board, whose website advertises New Vrindaban’s festivals and lists Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold as one of the top six tourist attractions in the county.

But her first priority, she felt, was to focus on internal communications amongst New Vrindaban devotees and nearby ISKCON communities.

“A lot of people didn’t know what was going on in New Vrindaban — even those who lived here!” she says. “Now many devotees tell me that they are glad to see the regular updates about what’s happening.”

Calves are very special living entities, and they have their own personalities, just like people do!

Last Friday, March 7, 2014, mother cow Anjali had a baby boy calf, who was named Amani. He was very strong right from birth, and there were absolutely no problems.  He began nursing immediately and was quite sociable, after standing up and moving around the calf pen near his mother.

Then, on Monday March 10, mother cow Lakshmi had her own little baby boy calf, who hasn’t been named as of yet.  Different than young Amani, Lakshmi’s young bull is shy and had to be shown how to drink milk from his mother.

Then another surprise! That night, Monday March 10, at 7:00 PM, bull #3 was born! After several failed attempts, he finally stood up.  We think that because he is tall and lanky, with long legs, that it was harder for him to walk.  But now he’s jumping around the goshalla calf pen, along with the other two baby bulls.

We wish the three new baby bulls and their matas all the best, for a great life serving Sri Sri Radha Vrindabanchandra.  Hare Krsna!

Everyone is invited to come and celebrate the auspicious, sacred Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya, Who personally inaugurated the chanting of the maha mantra for the liberation of all souls   

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare!!
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!!

GAURA PURNIMA  will be honored on Sunday March 16, 2014 at Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra’s temple.

The Schedule is:

5:00 AM                 MANGAL  ARATI
5:30 AM                 NRSIMHA PRAYERS                                       
5:45 AM                 TULASI PRAYERS
6:00 AM                 JAPA
7:30 AM                 GURU PUJA
8:00 AM                 GREETING THE DEITIES IN THEIR NEW  GAURA PURNIMA OUTFIT
8:20 AM                 SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM CLASS
11:00 AM              GOVARDHAN PARIKRAMA ( weather permitting)

1:00 PM                ARATI
1:30 PM                CLASS
2:15 PM                Lunch  Prasadam (for those  who are not fasting)
5:00 PM                ABHISHEKA ON THE ALTAR
6:00 PM                LECTURE BY HIS HOLINESS VARSANA SWAMI
7:00 PM                ARATI
7:40 PM                 MAHA KIRTAN     
8:00 PM                 PRASADAM FEAST

Your preparations for the Lord are welcome.  Please bring them by 5:45 PM.

If any second initiated devotees are interested in helping cook in the deity kitchen on Gaura Purnima day, please contact Abhinanda das either on facebook or email:

FB: Abhinanda Das               E-MAIL: abhinanda_bcs@yahoo.co.in

There is much Gaura Purnima service available, such as in the devotee kitchen (all morning), prasadam transfer (12:30 PM), or cleaning the prasadam hall after the festival.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!

The boards of ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban, the two landholding entities in New Vrindaban, voted on February 20th and February 23rd, respectively, to sign leases for the Utica Shale, a deep natural gas formation.  In 2010, both boards signed similar leases for the Marcellus Shale.  As with that decision, this one was fraught with controversy.

Prior to the Marcellus signing, New Vrindaban management and concerned residents arranged several meetings, complete with slide shows, guest speakers expressing opposing views, and vigorous debate on the philosophical, environmental and economic issues implicated.  This time around, similar meetings were also arranged.  In addition, the boards received questions and comments via e-mail from a newly formed resident group, the New Vrindaban Community Advocacy Sanga.  

Opponents of the Utica signing feared that the drilling would be inconsistent with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for the New Vrindaban community, would entail grave risks of air and water pollution and other environmental harm (as dramatically highlighted in the documentary film “Gasland 2”), and would damage the reputation of New Vrindaban in the eyes of the younger generation, potential new residents, pilgrims, and visitors.  Some residents were also concerned that the decision was being made by nonresident board members who were uninformed and/or underinvested as to these risks, or by resident board members who had ulterior financial motives in securing the signing.

The boards ensured that the decision-making process was robust.  They were vigilant to involve all directors (with the exception of those excluded based on a conflict of interest) in both the preliminary discussions and the final votes.  Many directors conducted independent research and shared those results with the full boards.  Finally, outside legal opinions confirmed that the boards’ procedures for dealing with directors with potential conflicts of interest were appropriate and consistent with all relevant laws and ISKCON standards.

After prolonged debate and discussion, the boards voted in favor because of the unavoidability of drilling in the vicinity, and the opportunity that signing gives us to both limit the potential for harm and to make the best use of a bad bargain.  

Approximately 98% of the land around and between INV and ECOV-owned properties has already been leased, most of it pursuant to 2 ½ page contracts providing little to no protection in terms of water and air pollution, traffic, or noise.  In addition, in the vicinity of the temple alone, there are 9 active wells and 4 new permits in process within a 2-mile radius, and 24 active wells and 67 new permits in process within a 5-mile radius.  Because the lands owned by INV and ECOV do not form one contiguous block, even a decision not to sign would not prevent wells from being drilled in our midst.  Rather, we would simultaneously be confronted with any accompanying risks, and yet lose our own gas to capture without deriving any financial benefit. 

The 19-page contract presented to the boards was negotiated by two devotee representatives and an environmental lawyer working with a smaller gas company.  It contains strong protections in regard to air and water pollution, noise, and traffic.  Thus, by signing, we have created an opportunity for our neighbors to also sign under these strong terms, rather than under weaker contracts that would bring any negative side-effects right to our borders. 

For ourselves, we determined that the potential risks of signing were significantly outweighed by the certain benefits.  Our investigations have shown that many of the concerns raised in high-profile media reports are not based on sound data.  In any event, in addition to the strong protections already mentioned, the contract also contains a provision that limits drilling to two uninhabited parts of New Vrindaban.  Finally, history has shown that the Marcellus signing did not deter visitors and devotees from continuing to support and visit New Vrindaban. 

The benefits, on the other hand, are both tangible and substantial.  The contract contains even higher payments for drill pads, royalties, and shut-in fees than those secured under the Marcellus lease, which were already higher than what other landowners in the area have been receiving. 

Proceeds from the Marcellus signing were used by INV and ECOV to:

 

• install new roofs on the temple and guest lodge,
• renovate the restaurant, the lodge rooms and residential ashrams,
• upgrade the water system,
• install solar panels at and renovate the main cow barn,
• install filtered water stations around the temple and lodge area to reduce the use of plastic bottles,
• plant food-bearing trees and berries throughout New Vrindaban,
• construct a prototype rammed-tire cabin,
• construct an irrigation system for the Garden of Seven Gates,
• demolish dilapidated buildings on the Bahulaban site,
• develop an architectural plan for restoring Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, and
• fund Gopal’s Garden School.

 

Proceeds from the Utica signing will similarly be used, in a spirit of yukta vairagya, to implement Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban, including significant commitments from both boards to renovate the Palace, ramp up local food production, and develop an eco-village based on plain living and high thinking.

 

The decision to sign was not an easy one, or one that INV or ECOV board members took lightly.  Rather, after receiving input from concerned community members and soberly weighing the pros and cons, both boards ultimately decided that signing was, under the circumstances, in the best interests of New Vrindaban.  We pray that Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra are pleased with our efforts to serve Them, and that, for the sake of all well-wishers of the Dhama, the future will prove us right.

Your servants,

Dayavira dasa & Navin Shyam dasa,
as Board Chairpersons, on behalf of the ISKCON New Vrindaban & ECO-Vrindaban Board of Directors, respectively.

Registration Open For The 14^th Annual Festival Of Inspiration

May 9 – 11, 2014 (Mother’s day weekend)

Filled with inspiring lectures, seminars, workshops, entertainment, and dramas, the Festival of Inspiration has become the most spiritually inspirational and motivational event of the year. A uniquely wonderful opportunity to share chanting of the holy names in the association of vibrant and fascinating souls from all over the three worlds

Join in for three consecutive days of tumultuous world-class kirtans, bhajans, dancing and feasting in the Appalachian foothills during the delightful mid-spring season in West Virginia!

We still have some onsite accommodations available. Please register as soon as possible by calling 304-843-1600 ext 111.

By Madhava Smullen

New Vrindaban, ISKCON’s first rural community, is in the midst of a major transformation.

When the community was first established under the guidance of ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada in 1968, it became, for many years, a shining example of the best that ISKCON had to offer.

Prabhupada would often direct devotees from other newly emerging communities to study what the devotees at New Vrindaban were doing and to follow their lead in areas such as cow-protection and Deity worship. Meanwhile the cooks, jewelry makers, craftsmen and seamstresses were among the best in ISKCON.

After a series of well-documented legal transgressions and spiritual deviations in the 1980s, however, many devotees left. In 1988, New Vrindaban was excommunicated from ISKCON, and remained so for the next decade. But a dedicated core crew stayed on, navigating difficulties year after year, until in 1998 they brought New Vrindaban to the point where it was once again accepted as part of the broader International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Although various struggles continued, the community gradually began to be known for its efforts to inspire both ISKCON devotees and the general public, with thousands gathering for its Festival of Inspiration, 24-Hour-Kirtan, and Festival of Colors.

In 2011, nearly twenty-five years since they first started, ISKCON New Vrindaban’s legal and financial crises were finally settled. At last, residents and well-wishers could focus on rebuilding their tarnished and tattered community.  

To help, the Board Members and GBC brought in Jaya Krsna Das, who took on the role of community president in March 2011. With twenty-five years of experience in the world of business and seven overseeing major growth at Bhaktivedanta College, Belgium, he used his know-how and a bit of inspiration to develop a strong and effective system for New Vrindaban’s transformation.

The idea for the system took birth when, soon after his arrival, a senior devotee gave him a book entitled ‘One Foot Planted in the Center, The Other Dangling off the Edge: How Intentional Leadership Can Transform Your Church,’ by Gordon R. Dragt. The book tells the story of how one Reverend with a vision turned a New York City church with a history of difficulty into a vibrant and successful community.

“The author explained that it takes seven years to make a change like this,” says Jaya Krsna. “Initially I thought the process would go much quicker. But it has become clear to me that a longer effort is required.”

With this in mind, Jaya Krsna developed a system entitled “Transformation of a Spiritual Community.” It comprises six phases stretching out over a seven-year-period, with each phase lasting approximately one year.

The phases are: Analysis, Change, Transition, Stabilization, Deepening Relationships, and Strong Community Spirit and Unity.

During the first phase, Analysis, Jaya Krsna simply tried to serve the devotees of ISKCON New Vrindaban as best he could, incorporating a principle that Gordon R. Dragt calls “paying the rent,” or recognizing and appreciating the positive achievements of the past before breaking new ground.

“There are many senior devotees here who have given decades of their lives to create a national Tirtha, or holy place—to build the temple, the lodge, the Palace of Gold, the cabins by the water, and the cow protection facilities,” he told ISKCON News in 2011, expressing that he saw himself as simply a small instrument in New Vrindaban’s revival. “They’ve lived very simple lives, and have given everything to Srila Prabhupada.”

He added in 2013, “They have created such an infrastructure and such big potential.”

In the Analysis phase, Jaya Krsna also spent time observing the residents of the New Vrindaban community, seeing how the devotees interacted with each other and where there was room for improvement.

“The analysis phase actually continues throughout all the other phases,” he says. “Because nothing is ever perfect in this material world. So we have to constantly try to adjust and to improve. Not that it’s a one time thing, and then everything is fine. It’s a long process, that you have to constantly work on.”

In the second phase, Change, Jaya Krsna’s aim was to create a dynamic and effective structure for ISKCON New Vrindaban that better reflects the current needs of the community members, tourists and pilgrims.

Part of this involved improving the physical infrastructure of the community. After several decades of minimal to no maintenance, full renovations were carried out on the residential ashrams, restaurant, and the guest lodge. Jaya Krsna also created several new departments, including a facilities department that would handle renovations and construction; a festival department to handle New Vrindaban’s many signature festivals; and a department for devotee care and relations.

The next phase in the transformation was Transition, which ISKCON New Vrindaban is currently still in. Over the past few decades, there had never been enough devotees for the community’s vast infrastructure. So Jaya Krsna brought in several new department heads from countries all over the world, including Mauritius, Switzerland, and of course the USA. As well as overseeing the newly added departments, these devotees take care of the Pujari, Palace Lodge, Restaurant, Land Management, Accounting, Palace of Gold, Ladies’ Ashram, and Congregational Development departments.

Having all these different divisions and their heads is important in the effective running of a large community, Jaya Krsna explains, as it frees up the president to care for devotees, build relationships, provide spiritual support, and plan the future course the community will take.

While it will bring on these positive effects, Transition is also the most difficult phase, with some devotees moving on because they did not feel comfortable or find a place within the new vision.

“The transitional phase has been far from perfect,” Jaya Krishna says, admitting that there was sometimes a lack of communication from his side. “As could be expected, it has been painful for everybody.”

ISKCON New Vrindaban’s 2013 Board Meeting from November 8th to 10th went some way towards soothing this pain. The meeting included an open dialogue during which Board members introduced the new department heads and shared the new “Transformation of a Spiritual Community” system with community members. They also pledged to make devotee care and improvement of community spirit top priorities in 2014.

“Since then, I would say that there has been a strong understanding of all the different  phases, and a growing support for them, too,” Jaya Krsna says.

By sometime in 2014, he hopes to have successfully completed the Transitional phase, and to move into Stabilization.

“During the transition, everything is new and fragile,” he explains. “You need a phase to solidify the new structure, so that you know it’s grounded, will not fall apart, and will continue into the future. Stabilization is an important phase during which you go deeper and create a proper team spirit and develop a nice service mood amongst devotees.”

In the fifth phase of the transformation, “Deepening Relationships,” Jaya Krsna hopes that the community members of New Vrindaban will see, based on what was achieved in Stabilization, that the change is not a flash in the pan but is here to stay.

He also hopes that by this point newcomers like himself will have soaked up some of the mood of the holy dhama and be able to exchange with its residents in their “Brijbasi Spirit,” best summed up by Srila Prabhupada in a 1973 letter: “Agriculture and protecting cows, this is the main business of the residents of Vrindaban, and above all simply loving Krishna.”

“Once you have deep relationships, the ultimate goal is Strong Community Spirit and Unity,” Jaya Krsna says. “That’s what everyone is looking for. We are all human beings, we need community and relationships. We want to execute Srila Prabhupada’s instructions for New Vrindaban together, as a strong, unified community.”  

Srila Prabhupada, of course, famously gave specific instructions for New Vrindaban, and Jaya Krsna feels that upon reaching the end of the seven phases the community will make significant progress in implementing these instructions and will begin to reveal its seemingly unlimited potential.

“I truly believe that New Vrindaban has incredible potential — I see it every day,” he says. “Based upon Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi the Palace of Gold, and upon the infrastructure that we have, I think it can once again be one of North America’s leading ISKCON communities.”

Gopal’s Garden Home School Co-op began its seventh year this September, 2013. Two new students joined us from the Philippines and we are very happy to have them as part of our class.  Every morning we begin our day at 9:30 with chanting Hare Krsna and Bhagavad-gita verses. The students hear stories about Krsna and the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness.

Read Gopal’s Garden Newsletter here.

by Madhava Smullen

With its new Protected Cow Dairy Initiative, ISKCON New Vrindaban is carefully taking one step at a time back towards dairy self-sufficiency.

Nityodita Das,who spearheaded the Initiative, fondly remembers the early days of New Vrindaban, when ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila Prabhupada was still physically present.

“I remember living at the old Vrindaban farm in 1974 and occasionally milking the cows with Radhanath Swami, then a brahmachari,” he says. “At that time we didn’t buy milk or milk products, except maybe rarely for big festivals. We used to have these big barrels full of ghee, and the Deities were getting opulent offerings.”

Srila Prabhupada, of course, envisioned New Vrindaban as a sacred place known worldwide for five things: loving Krishna, spiritual education, holy pilgrimage, self-sufficiency and cow protection.

“Krishna by His practical example taught us to give all protection to the cows and that should be the main business of New Vrindaban,” Prabhupada wrote to his disciple Hayagriva in June 1968.

Over the years after Srila Prabhupada’s passing in 1977, New Vrindaban residents continued to drink milk from their own cows, but eventually reverted to buying butter and other dairy products from local stores.

Recently however, there has been a renewed focus on Srila Prabhupada’s vision for New Vrindaban. In the past two years, devotees have added eight new cows to the herd—four each year—as a major step towards becoming independent from store-bought milk products produced by cow-slaughtering commercial dairies.

In May 2013, the Protected Cow Dairy Initiative, supported by ISKCON New Vrindaban and sponsored by non-profit Eco-Vrindaban, was launched.

“The idea was to revive a program wherein all food offerings for the Deities would be made with dairy products only coming from cows cared for by New Vrindaban residents,” says ECOV board member Chaitanya Mangala Das.

New Vrindaban has a herd of 47 cows, with six milking cows. In contrast to the cows tortured and slaughtered at commercial dairies, they are all treated with love and care as family members by program overseer Ranaka Das and daily caretaker Chaitanya Bhagavat Das.

All the cows, of course, live out their natural lives. During the summer, they graze upon hundreds of acres of lush, green pastures. During the winter, hundreds of bales of hay are harvested for them to eat. They are protected from the cold in a cosy, clean and spacious barn. And the calves, like three-month old bull Pundarikaksa, are not separated from their mothers as in commercial dairies but are kept close.

“They are given time together throughout the day,” says Ananda-Vidya Das, who milks the cows along with his wife Lalita-Gopi Dasi and heads up production for the Dairy Initiative. “And twice a day, during milking times, we give the calves a quarter of the milk to drink from their mothers.”

Every morning at 7:00 am, Ananda-Vidya makes his way to the milking barn across the street from the temple. It takes him up to two hours to set up, milk Punya, Malati, Yamuna, Anjali, Shankari, and Surabhi, and clean up afterwards.

To develop a personal connection with the cows, Ananda-Vidya milks at least one or two of them by hand every day. As he does so, the others are milked with vacuum bucket milkers, the most subtle type of milking machine on the market today.

“The suction feels pretty much how a calf would,” he says, adding, “When I have help from other devotees, often we can milk them all by hand.”

After milking, Ananda-Vidya brings the milk to the temple. He then warms up the leftover milk from the previous day, brings it back to the barn, and runs it through a cream separator. This machine produces cream from one spout, and skimmed milk from another.

“I boil the cream, and add a culture to make it into yoghurt,” says Ananda-Vidya. “After the yoghurt process is started, I leave it until the next day. Then in the afternoon, I put the yoghurt from the previous day into an electric blender and churn it into butter. It makes around three or four pounds of butter — it comes out really nice.”

Finally, Ananda-Vidya milks the cows again for a second time at six o’clock in the evening, often with his wife Lalita-Gopi.

Ananda-Viyda’s service takes five or six hours a day, and yields fourteen to fifteen gallons of milk. This is used to make milk sweets, curd, ghee and other dairy products for New Vrindaban’s presiding Deities, Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra.

The Dairy Initiative recently successfully completed its five-month trial period. Now, it’s ready to gear up for a second, experimental phase.

During the quieter winter months, there will be a test-run expansion of the program so that meals served to devotees at the temple will also be made only with dairy from protected cows.

This will not involve an increase in milk production. Rather, kitchen staff, cow protection staff, and New Vrindaban management will work together to make sure that the available milk is used wisely.

There are different ways that this can be done. For example, cooking of excessively dairy-filled dishes can be regulated. And skimmed milk, rather than whole milk, can be used to create delicious curd or yogurt. Of course, whole milk will always be offered to the Deities and be honored later by devotees as maha-prasad.

To make this transition successfully, Nityodita Das notes that “there must be a raising of consciousness to understand that when we go out and buy milk products, we’re basically supporting the slaughter of cows.” The small amount of austerity required to change this, it follows, is worth it.

Of course, there are plans for some expansion of New Vrindaban’s herd and milk production in the future. But having learned from over-ambitious attempts that proved unmanageable in the past, this time devotees will expand in a very humble, careful and sustainable way.

There are plans to gradually grow the overall herd from 47 to approximately 70. And there is space in the current milking barn to expand the amount of milking cows to eight.

Beyond that, there are long range plans to build another barn on the pasture behind Srila Prabhupada’s Palace, which will be able to house up to ten milking cows. This will also be designed to function as a teaching farm, where guests can better observe and participate in the daily cow protection activities.

Behind all this is the cow care team, which meets regularly under Ranaka Das’s leadership to discuss overall improvements in cow care as well as required upgrades of the barn and pastures.

In the meantime, milking the cows at the temple barn in New Vrindaban, Ananda-Vidya Das doesn’t worry about any of this. Life is simple for him: it’s hard work, but serene, too.

“There’s some austerity,” he says. “You have to be regulated and on time. You have to lift heavy things and shovel manure. Sometimes it gets really cold, sitting there in an unheated building.”

“But it’s also meditative. Sunrise and sunset are peaceful times. There are not a lot of people around. You can listen to a lecture, or chant verses.”

Genuine fondness warms his tone. “And the cows are just really loveable creatures. They all have their unique characteristics and personalities. It’s nice being with them.”

“Most of all, it’s such a rewarding service,” he concludes, “Because it’s really at the heart of what Srila Prabhupada wants for New Vrindaban.”

by Lilasuka dasi

Dec. 2013

The deer are grazing, the trees are bare, the temple is quiet, Prabhupada’s Palace sits majestically and serenely atop the hill, and the busy season in New Vrindaban has wound down. It’s a time to reflect back on the good happenings of the spring and summer. 

So many events at New Vrindaban in 2013 have been lining up with Srila Prabhupada’s vision for the community. For New Vrindaban, Srila Prabhupada specifically emphasized the importance of cow protection, self-sufficiency, spiritual education and a holy place of pilgrimage, all focusing on loving Krishna.

The new reception cabin across from the main temple building has proved invaluable in orienting new guests to the community.  Many pilgrims have commented with great satisfaction on the improvements in the newly renovated lodge rooms.  Several guests said they will definitely recommend the lodge accommodations to their friends.  The lodge rooms were booked every weekend throughout the spring and summer.

Govinda’s Vegetarian Restaurant received a new facelift and, although there are still improvements to be made, visitors have mentioned how impressed they are with the new, modern look and atmosphere of the restaurant.

New Vrindaban’s gardens produced a lot this year. “We were able to harvest acres of both white potatoes and sweet potatoes for Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra.” There were also rows of crops of different varieties of peppers harvested, many of which were pickled for the pleasure of the devotees and guests who take prasadam feasts at the temple.

For New Vrindaban, 2013 was a year of fantastic festivals. 

The 13th Festival of Inspiration was held in May. It was a milestone with several highlights. Govinda’s Restaurant opened in the nick of time the night before the Festival. The Lodge reception cabin was inaugurated at about the same time, and the guests were able to begin enjoying the newly renovated lodge rooms. After the festival, one lady guest was remarking, “I especially appreciated the enthusiastic and helpful attitude of the young ladies, working at the ladies’ ashram, who greeted me.”  The Festival of Inspiration 2013 was a successful festival in so many ways.

There were two very inspiring 24 hour kirtans held in 2013.  The first was in June and was a larger scale kirtan, with kirtaniyers  from around the country. One visitor said, “   I felt a deep heart connection.  The chanting at this kirtan rose to a new level.”  The Kartik kirtan this year in October was smaller than the summer one, but more intimate and sweet.  A guest declared, “This kirtan has been amazing! I can feel that the spiritual energy here is real.”

New Vrindaban has a very special annual puspa abhishek, which was held in July this year.  Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra were showered with a downpour of flower petals. One participant was very excited to say, “I seriously felt like I was playing with Radha’s gopis and gopas in Goloka Vrindavana at this puspa abhishek festival.”
 

Janmastami in 2013 was a very joyous festival, where Lord Krishna’s birth is celebrated with great fanfare.  There was a brilliant swan boat display at night, accompanied by fireworks and a resounding Hare Krishna kirtan.

The World’s Happiest Event, namely New Vrindaban’s second Festival of Colors in September 2013 turned out to be three times as big as the first Festival of Colors in 2012!  There were five very upbeat bands rocking out the crowd to the Hare Krishna maha mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.    This is a family-friendly festival based on the ancient Holi festival in India, where people come and sing, dance and throw organic colored powders on each other, so that everyone is about the same color by the end of the day!  Last year, one guest appreciated that “those people at the Festival of Colors sure know how to throw a party!” 

The year 2013 was quite successful for New Vrindaban, and everyone is looking forward with anticipation for an even better 2014.

by Madhava Smullen

New Vrindaban, established in 1968 by ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada as his society’s first rural community, is continuing its transition into an exciting new phase.

After a series of difficult pioneering attempts in the early years, the community struggled for decades with a dedicated skeleton crew.

But since spring 2011, a renewed effort has been made to revitalize New Vrindaban and refocus on becoming the exemplary self-sufficient, Krishna conscious community that Srila Prabhupada envisioned.

Brought in to assist with the transition was new community president Jaya Krsna Das, formerly the administrative director for Bhaktivedanta College, Belgium.

Other key personnel were also introduced and department staff rearranged, creating an atmosphere of freshness and rebirth.

A dozen devotees discussed some of the resulting developments at the Bi-Annual New Vrindaban Board Meetings, held in Gopal’s Garden Day School from November 8th through 10th this fall.

ISKCON Governing Body Commissioners Anuttama Das, Malati Dasi and Tamohara Das joined board members from non-profits ISKCON New Vrindaban and ECO-Vrindaban, which focuses on the community’s self sufficiency efforts.

The meetings began at 10:00am on Friday, with a team of thirteen department heads all delivering reports for 2013.

“Although 2013 is a transitional year, the reports were mostly positive,” says board member Chaitanya Mangala Das. “Last year, the departments were mostly understaffed and devotees overworked, tired and burnt out. This year was still a tough one, but with the new people and energy, everyone felt the enthusiasm growing.”

One of the most consistently understaffed and overworked departments over the years has been the Pujari (Priest) Department. But this year, head Abhinandana Das put in a lot of time to help the pujaris develop good working relationships amongst each other. And three new priests have come on board, offering relief to the core team.

Also benefitting from new leadership was the congregational development department. With twenty years of professional experience in the field, department head Bhakta Josef has garnered praise for making the service easier and more organized, and for improving the relationships of devotees working within it.

Meanwhile Vasudeva Das, who oversees New Vrindaban’s Palace Lodge for visitors, reported a complete renovation of the entire second floor. Devotees replaced the old wooden panelling with sheetrock, painted the walls, and installed new floors. They also replaced all the lighting fixtures and electric sockets and equipped rooms with new beds, tables, dressers and closets, creating modern motel-level accommodations.

Since the changes, Vasudeva reported, guests have repeatedly commented on how much more pleasant and comfortable their stays have been.

Govinda’s Restaurant has also been fully renovated under Nityodita Das’s leadership. The new management, crew and menus excited community members and guests.

Renovations have begun too at Srila Prabhupada’s Palace, one of only three Samadhis (memorials) for the ISKCON Founder Acharya in the world. The front steps of the Palace are being rebuilt with granite instead of concrete, and plans are underway to renovate the outside wall, the four corner chattras and the entrance walkway for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary in 2016. The developments had Tripad Das, Palace caretaker since 1985, enthusing that he felt more enlivened than he had in many years.

The most important part of a community is, of course, the people, and in its transition New Vrindaban is also making an effort to focus on devotee care. In the last year, the head of this department Lilasuka Dasi acted as a liaison between community president Jaya Krsna and other devotees; helped devotees get health care; facilitated visits by homeopathic doctor Visvadhika Dasi; and provided young couples with the training to work together and support each other.

Department Heads for Communications, Facilities, Festivals, Land Management, Accounting, and the Ladies’ Ashram also provided reports detailing their achievements in the past year.

Following these, Friday afternoon was spent hearing reports from the various non-profit entities operating in and around New Vrindaban.

Gopal’s Garden representative Ruci Dasi reported that the homeschool co-op is now in its seventh year. This year four students, aged five to eleven, attended and were taught a standard public school curriculum with Krishna conscious elements.

The school is largely funded by the ISKCON New Vrindaban and Eco-Vrindaban boards, who firmly believe that although it is small now, a functioning school is one of the most important elements to a community and the most surefire way of attracting young families.

Next, Ananga Manjari reported on the progress of Dham Seva. Headed by Varshana Swami, this group focuses on realizing Srila Prabhupada’s plan to build replicas of at least seven of the major temples of Vrindavana, India in New Vrindaban.

The first temple, Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, is currently under construction by expert designer and sculptor Soma Das. The finished project will cover 400 square feet, and with the inclusion of its dome and kalasha will reach fifty feet in height.

“Dham Seva has also developed a parikrama or pilgrimage path similar to those in Vrindavana, India,” says Chaitanya Mangala. “Every Saturday and Sunday, members of the congregational development department take devotees and guests on an extremely popular Govardhan tour to the under-construction Mandir and Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda ponds.”

Next, Chaitanya Mangala presented a report on Eco-Vrindaban. Originally called  GEETA, the cow protection and self-sufficiency project recently changed its name when it became an integrated auxiliary of ISKCON New Vrindaban.

“We’re now five months into our Deity Dairy Initiative, which started over the summer,” says Chaitanya Mangala, reporting on one of the many ECOV projects. “For that time most of the dairy used in cooking for the Deities — milk, cream, butter, and ghee — came from New Vrindaban cows. There’s now talk of expanding the initiative, in a careful and deliberate way, to provide most of the dairy for temple residents as well during the winter.”

The meetings wrapped up on Friday evening with a community pizza party at Govinda’s restaurant, where GBC, board members and community residents dined in a relaxed “meet and greet” atmosphere.

The meetings continued on Saturday morning, when board members took a tour of three old buildings in New Vrindaban, inviting community devotees along to help decide what could be done with them.

At Bahulaban, the second property that ISKCON New Vrindaban acquired in 1971, they viewed a pleasant open space where an unsightly half-burnt building had been recently demolished. The board members also saw a utility building, on which they decided to carry out minimal repairs until they could afford a full renovation. And they made plans for next year to demolish a cow barn — the first construction built by New Vrindaban in the early 1970s – as, after decades of neglect, it had become a liability hazard and an accident waiting to happen.

Next, the group visited the original Vrindaban farmhouse where Srila Prabhupada stayed for two months in 1969. Although it needs lots of work, this building is in decent condition, and will be preserved, with plans to start an Eco-Village around it. Finally, all the board members visited Srila Prabhupada at his Palace to pay their respects.

On Saturday afternoon, the discussion shifted to the importance of focusing on devotee care and relationships. Although New Vrindaban has been very successful in outreach in recent years, with its Festival of Inspiration, 24 Hour Kirtan, and Festival of Colors, board members felt more emphasis needed to be put on “inreach.”

“That’s something we’re going to put lots of energy into, because ultimately happy devotees mean devotees that stay,” Chaitanya says. “And that means better service for the guests, a better environment and better relationships for everybody.” He adds that for 2014, New Vrindaban management wants to choose two festivals during which to focus on local residents.

After Govardhana Puja celebrations at the Radha-Vrindaban Chandra Temple on Saturday evening, Sunday morning was reserved for Eco-Vrindaban’s financial and operational report to ISKCON New Vrindaban. As ECOV is now an integrated auxiliary of ISKCON New Vrindaban, there is strong cooperation between the two entities.

After the traditional Sunday temple program, a community dialogue was held that evening in which the board shared what they had discussed with the New Vrindaban community, and opened the floor up to questions. This transparency and solidarity is now a staple of bi-annual board meetings, and bodes well for a good relationship between leaders and resident devotees.

“The mood of cooperation and sharing information amongst the department heads, board members and New Vrindaban residents showed that a huge amount of progress has been made this past year,” says Chaitanya Mangala.

Jaya Krsna’s plan for “The Transformation of a Spiritual Community” has six phases —  analysis, change, transition, stabilization, deepening relationships, and strong community spirit and unity — that last seven years altogether. And New Vrindaban is currently only in the third phase. So there is a long way to go. But major positive steps have been made in 2013, and the board members hope to continue the upward trajectory next year.

“Things are looking good,” Jaya Krsna said at the meetings’ conclusion. “With the blessings of the Brijabasis, Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra we will be able to continue. I see a bright light at the end of the tunnel. I think we just have to keep heading towards it.”