Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in USA
Our Address
3759 McCrearys Ridge Road
Moundsville, WV 26041
3759 McCrearys Ridge Road
Moundsville, WV 26041
New Vrindaban is an unincorporated town and ISKCON (Hare Krishna) intentional community located in Marshall County near Moundsville, West Virginia The town consists of 1,204 acres
(4.87 km2) (of which 0.1 km2 is of water),
and several building complexes,
homes, apartment buildings, and businesses including the Sri Sri Radha
Vrindaban Chandra Temple (RVC Temple) and the Palace of Gold. New Vrindaban was
founded in 1968 by Kirtanananda Swami and Hayagriva Swami. New
Vrindaban is named after the Indian city of Vrindavan.
The religious organization, ISKCON New Mathura Vrindaban, was expelled from ISKCON in 1988,
but was readmitted 10 years later.
Unincorporated
Town
According to the 2010 US Census,
the 6 census blocks that make up New Vrindaban had a population of 352 and has
the West Virginia
status of unincorporated town. It is bordered on the north and northwest by Big Wheeling Creek, on the East by Stull's Run,
and on the southwest by the village
of Limestone. The town's water and sewage
utilities are provided by the New Vrindaban Public Service District and
following the Marshall County Commission's road naming project all streets in
New Vrindaban have been fully named. In addition to ISKCON, the town is the location
of McCreary Cemetery,
resting place of West Virginia
pioneer Lewis Wetzel, various locally owned business, and other
ISKCON affiliated organizations. The chief economy in New Vrindaban are
tourism, agriculture, and cottage industries.
The religious organization,
ISKCON New Mathura Vrindaban, is the largest holder of land in New Vrindaban
with 38% of the land in the town, agribusiness GEETA Inc. holds 14%, and all
other organizations and individuals own 48% of the land encompassing New
Vrindaban. In addition to the previously mentioned organizations, jewellery
manufacturer Lone Ones Inc., organic commercial bakery World's Best Cookie,
Vaishnava Performing Arts Inc., and Vedic Heritage Trust Inc. have facilities
in New Vrindaban
History
The community was founded in 1968
by Kirtanananda Swami and Hayagriva Swami, two early
disciples of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
New Vrindaban developed under the
controversial guidance of Kirtanananda Swami (honored as "Srila
Bhaktipada" after March 1979), and by the mid-1970s the live-in population
had grown to over 100
ISKCON New Mathura Vrindaban is
strictly vegetarian and believes that meat consumption creates negative
karma. Alcoholic beverages and illegal substances (such as drugs) are
prohibited in the main Holy sites around the Temple of Understanding
Circle Drive.
According to ISKCON News, on 4
July 1983 Vedavyasa Priya Swami installed the statue of Sri Nathji
at the RVC Temple.
Conversely, according to
Gargarishi Das, the deity was not installed by Vedavyasa Priya, but was
installed instead by Kirtanananda Swami.
In October, 1986, a census report
showed 377 adults living at the community
On March 16, 1987, during their
annual meeting at Mayapur,
India, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission expelled Kirtanananda
from the society for "moral and theological deviations."
The community of New Vrindaban was
expelled from ISKCON a year later.
After Kirtanananda Swami left New
Vrindaban, and new leadership stabilized, the community was readmitted to
ISKCON.
The Pittsburgh Tribune Review
reported in 2006 the population stood at about 100.[5]
However, this number only indicated how many people were members listed in the
community directory rather than official census numbers.
Prabhupada's
Palace of Gold
Originally intended in 1972 to be
a residence for A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(1896–1977), the Founder/Acharya of the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON),
the plans evolved after
Prabhupada's death in November 1977 for an ornate palace of marble, gold and carved teakwood,
which was dedicated as a memorial shrine on September 2, 1979. Kirtanananda Swami (the leader of the New
Vrindaban Community) and Bhagavatananda das (the community's principal
architect and sculptor) were the two primary forces behind its design and
construction.
It reportedly cost $600,000 in
materials, and the labor was donated by the devotees. The unpaid workers were often untrained and
learned on the job
Kirtanananda explained, "In
the beginning, we didn't even know how to lay blocks. As our Krishna
consciousness developed, our building skills developed, then our creativity
developed, and the scope of the project developed."[
The Palace of Gold
opened in 1979 to positive reviews.[17][18][19]
CBS PM Magazine
reported, "the magnificence of the Palace of Gold
would be hard to exaggerate." Life magazine
called the Palace "a place where tourists can come and be amazed."[20]
The New York Times proclaimed "Welcome to
Heaven." The Washington Post called the Palace
"Almost Heaven."[18]
The Courier-Journal of Louisville
stated, "It's hard to believe that Prabhupada's Palace is in West Virginia. In fact,
it's hard to believe it's on this planet."
Since the early 1990s lack of
sufficient financial resources has caused palace maintenance to be neglected;
nevertheless, 50,000 tourists and Hindu
pilgrims reportedly still visit each year.[
As of mid-2011 an ambitious
five-year, 4.27 million-dollar restoration effort has been underway to restore
and renew the Palace.
Current
activities
The community is overseen by a
Board of Trustees of long-standing community members who oversee land and legal
issues. Day-to-day management of the temple and lodge is overseen by a
Management Team working with the different departments.
The Seven Purposes of
International Society for Krishna
Consciousness
To systematically propagate
spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the
techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life
and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
To propagate a consciousness of
Krishna (God), as it is revealed in the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
To bring the members of the
Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus
developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul
is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational
chanting of the holy name of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
To erect for the members and for
society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the
personality of Krishna.
To bring the members closer
together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.
With a view towards achieving the
aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines,
books and other writings.
Our Address
3759 McCrearys Ridge Road
Moundsville, WV 26041
3759 McCrearys Ridge Road
Moundsville, WV 26041
From the West:
Follow 1-70 East
towards Wheeling, West Virginia.
Take Exit 219 onto
1-470 East (just past St. Clairsville,
OH).
On I-470, when you cross the bridge over the Ohio River you will be in West Virginia.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill about 2 miles after crossing the Ohio River.
Go right at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South 8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
On I-470, when you cross the bridge over the Ohio River you will be in West Virginia.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill about 2 miles after crossing the Ohio River.
Go right at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South 8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
From the East:
Follow 1-70 West towards Wheeling, West Virginia.
Get on to I-470 West.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill after about 2 miles on I-470 West.
Go left at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South 8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road. This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
Follow 1-70 West towards Wheeling, West Virginia.
Get on to I-470 West.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill after about 2 miles on I-470 West.
Go left at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South 8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road. This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
Go North depending on
your starting point:
From Texas, Oklahoma, or Wichita KS: take I-35 North.
From Texas, Oklahoma, or Wichita KS: take I-35 North.
From Mississippi or Memphis
TN: take I-55 North.
From Alabama or Nashville TN: take I-65 North.
From Florida, Atlanta GA, or Lexington KY: take I-75 North.
From Alabama or Nashville TN: take I-65 North.
From Florida, Atlanta GA, or Lexington KY: take I-75 North.
From Columbia SC
or Charlotte NC: take I-77 North to I-70 East.
Follow 1-70 towards Wheeling, West
Virginia.
Exit onto I-470.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill on I-470.
Go Right at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South 8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road. This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
Exit onto I-470.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill on I-470.
Go Right at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South 8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road. This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
From Moundsville:
You will need to get onto 1st street going east, towards the hill. 1st street is Rte. 250. 1st street does not go directly through to Rte. 2, aka Lafayette Avenue.
Coming into Moundsville from the north, you will already be on Rte. 250 which runs together with Rte 2. Just before the Welcome to Moundsville sign, turn left and follow the Rte. 250 South signs until you are on 1st street.
If you cross into Moundsville from Ohio on the 12th Street bridge, continue straight through the traffic light at Rte. 2/Lafayette and go a couple of blocks until you come to Jefferson Avenue and take a left.
If you come into Moundsville from the south, take a right on 12th street and go a couple of blocks until you come to Jefferson Avenue and take a left.
Follow Jefferson Avenue and take a right on 1st street.
Once on 1st street, follow Rte. 250 South 7.5 miles, turning left onto McCreary's Ridge Road. 2/10's of a mile after Limestone General Store.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile to Radha Krishna temple and lodging.
Get on to I-470 West.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill after about 2 miles on I-470 West.
Go left at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Take Exit 2 at Bethlehem, WV at the top of the hill after about 2 miles on I-470 West.
Go left at the end of the exit ramp. That road will curve to the left, still going up. Get in the right lane.
Take a right onto Rte. 88 South at the very top, between a Nissan car dealership and a convenience store called Loading Zone.
Follow Rte. 88 South
8 miles until it dead-ends at a stop sign, the first stop sign you will come
to.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road. This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
Turn left on Rte. 250 South, towards Cameron.
Go 1.3 miles on Rte 250 until you pass Limestone General Store.
2/10's of a mile past Limestone General Store turn left on McCreary's Ridge Road. This will be the first left.
Stay on the paved road with the double yellow center line.
Go 3.7 miles to the Palace of Gold.
Continue 3/10's of a mile past the Palace to get to the Radha Krishna temple and lodging facilities.
By Madhava Smullen
Established in 1968 in West Virginia, New
Vrindaban was ISKCON’s first rural community.
Over the following years, the
pioneer community made a series of well-documented mistakes in its early
attempts, going through some of ISKCON’s darkest and most difficult
times. Resources were affected, but most of all people—many of whom left
the community.
Still, a skeleton crew remained
through the toughest times, working through the repercussions and doing
their best to correct the errors of the past.
In more recent times, there has
been renewed energy to rebuild New Vrindaban and to turn it into the
exemplary self-sufficient, Krishna conscious
community that Srila Prabhupada envisioned.
New key personnel have been
brought in to help with the transition, including community president
Jaya Krishna Das. Formerly the administrative director for Bhaktivedanta College, Belgium, Jaya Krishna took up his new post in
spring 2011 and has been working hard since to help New Vrindaban grow
into a thriving, attractive community.
During an annual board meeting on
the weekend of April 20th and 21st, New Vrindaban devotees discussed some exciting
developments in the first phase of the community’s transition.
ISKCON Governing
Body Commisioners Anuttama Das, Malati Dasi and Tamohara Das
joined board members from two non-profit organizations at the meeting—ISKCON
New Vrindaban and ECOV, which focuses on the
community’s self sufficiency efforts.
“Everyone came in looking for
ways to answer the question: how can we better serve the devotees of New
Vrindaban, and improve the overall community spirit?” says Chaitanya Mangala
Das, a second generation devotee and member of both boards.
Answers fell into two categories.
The first was improving the physical environment, an effort that’s
already in progress in a big way.
Early this year, for example, the
residential quarters for devotees in the Radha Vrindabanchandra temple
building were completely renovated.
“The wood paneling that had been
on the walls since the early 1980s was removed, and the rooms were
sheet-rocked,” says Chaitanya Mangala. “The put in new windows, and fully
furnished each room with basic living amenities such as a bed, chair, and
desk. The floor mats and sleeping bags of the past are done away with,
and it’s been made a more comfortable environment for residents.”
Standard capacity for the
residential quarters is fifty-four devotees, but they can accommodate
ninety-six at full capacity during festivals.
Meanwhile rooms at the
community’s guest lodge are being completely remodeled in time for the Festival
of Inspiration on May 10th, 11th and 12th this year. The old bunk-bed
style lodgings of yesteryear are gone, to be replaced with queen beds and
motel quality accommodations. Altogether the rooms will have a total capacity
of 130 persons.
The New Vrindaban
Welcome Center
is receiving a full do-over to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for
guests.
In addition the community’s snack
bar is being transformed into an elegant Govinda’s Vegetarian Restaurant
with sit-down menu service as well as a full buffet. After a partial
opening for the Festival of Inspiration, it will be fully functioning by
the end of May.
Restoration work is also
beginning on Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold,
which has been a major tourist attraction for New Vrindaban over many years
but had fallen into disrepair.
The full cost of all needed
renovations falls somewhere between three and five million dollars. While
the community does not have these funds and is discussing ways to raise
them, devotees are already getting started on renovations with the funds
they do have.
Work has already begun on the
stairs leading up to the Palace, and will commence on the entrance
walk-way in the summer.
“Then as more funds are raised,
additional repairs will be ongoing for as long as it takes,” says
Chaitanya Mangala.
New Vrindaban is planning to tear
down old and unsightly buildings. During the meeting, board members took
a walking tour of Bahulaban, where devotees resided in the early years
before moving to the current location in the mid 1980s.
Bahulaban was essentially closed
down after the move, and the three main buildings there have not received
any maintenance for two decades. One building is salvageable, but the
other two, a barn and an old guesthouse that was damaged by fire in the
1990s, are not. Both are eyesores and visual reminders of darker and
sadder days at New Vrindaban, and will be taken down.
Materials from them such as oak
beams and concrete, however, will be recycled into other projects. This
is evocative of the “green” way in which New Vrindaban is approaching its
renovations.
For instance, the guest lodge has
been remodeled using low volatile organic compound paint, energy saving
CFL bulbs and non-toxic floor underlayment. And water-filling stations are
being installed throughout the property, with reusable metal water bottles
being made available to guests. Eventually, the community hopes to
completely eliminate the use of plastic water bottles.
There are other self-sufficient
initiatives, too. A team of devotees will soon be producing cream,
yogurt, butter, ghee and other milk products for the Deities’ daily
offerings using only milk from New Vrindaban cows.
And the garden crews are busy.
They’re planting seedlings for the Deity Flower Garden with a goal of
providing all of the temple’s flower needs throughout the 2013 summer
growing season.
They’re planting 100 fruit trees,
50 nut trees, 110 berries, 20 grape vines and a variety of perennial
vegetables. And they’re installing three green houses to expand
agricultural production by starting the growing season earlier in the
spring and extending it later into autumn.
Meanwhile New Vrindaban’s unique
festivals are exploding with popularity. There’s the Festival of Inspiration,
now in its thirteenth year; the 24 Hour Kirtan, held every June; and the
brand new Festival of Colors, which drew over 1,000 young, America
students for its inaugural event last September.
“The long range goal is to
eventually fill up every weekend from May through September with a
different festival that attracts different types of crowds,” says Chaitanya
Mangala.
But with all these projects, the
New Vrindaban board members are not forgetting that people are the most
important part of a community.
“In our meeting we discussed how
to improve community spirit, so that the devotees are feeling strong in
their relationships with each other and inspired, enthusiastic and
supportive of one another,” Chaitanya Mangala says.
Ideas included taking lessons for
success from other devotee communities, developing devotee care, training
leaders to become better servant leaders, and strengthening the
relationships amongst devotees.
The latter includes developing an
underlying assumption of goodwill amongst the community members.
“Disagreements are going to come
up no matter what,” says Chaitanya Mangala. “Prabhupada would say, ‘People who
believe in Utopia are impersonalists.’ There is no such thing as a
perfect scenario in this world. There are always going to be challenges
and disagreements. But the mindset in which you approach them can make all the
difference in the world.”
At the end of the meetings, board
members invited community residents for an afternoon in which they presented
what they had discussed, then opened up the floor for questions and
concerns.
Overall, they’re feeling very
positive that New Vrindaban can progress on from its past into a very
bright future.
“We’re blessed to be able to
participate in manifesting Srila Prabhupada’s grand vision of New
Vrindaban,” Chaitanya Mangala says. “Along the way, we all fall short and fail
at times to live up to all of the ideals. But as long as we continue to
participate and perservere, through that process we become stronger, and
eventually we do succeed.”
Accommodations
The Palace Lodge offers
comfortable accommodations in a spiritual atmosphere for groups of up to 350
people. Consider the Guest Lodge for a short visit, or a weekend retreat
in one of our private cabins. If you prefer to be even closer to the temple,
there are also rooms available in the Temple Guest Wing.
The Palace Lodge offers accommodations year-round. From December-March, however, our guest accommodations are limited to the Temple Guest Wing and the Apartment Suite.
Please click the links below for more information:
The Palace Lodge offers accommodations year-round. From December-March, however, our guest accommodations are limited to the Temple Guest Wing and the Apartment Suite.
Please click the links below for more information:
Apartment Suite, Temple Guest Rooms, Cabins, Guest Lodge
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection )
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