This was an interesting find. About 14 years ago, after I got whacked from corporate, I hit the road for parts unknown to me, including Nebraska, the Dakotas, West Virginia, and other places in these United States of America. My mother made fun of me for these trips, asking “Why don’t you go to Paris or London or some place normal?” Hah. What is normal, anyway? And who really needs normal when you can see, hear, and read about it from just about everyone you will ever know?
In years to come I would be somewhat vindicated in my unorthodox choice of destinations. I received dozens upon dozens of e-mail and postal inquiries and comments regarding photos and stories I posted to Sorabji.COM from the places I visited. Little Blue Run in Chester, West Virginia probably drew the most correspondence, while certain North Dakota images inspired others to travel at least a little ways off the beaten path. You can never know but I would think photos from “normal” places like Paris or London would have drawn few if any comments, being such common and munificiently photographed vacation spots.
Today I discovered that not only did I photograph the Palace of Gold at the New Vrindaban Hare Krishna Community in Moundsville West Virginia; but I also scanned a book that I obtained from that place. Prabhupada’s Palace Of Gold (pdf) is a somewhat lavishly produced 32-page volume describing the development of New Vrindaban and the Palace of Gold after the community was founded by Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada’s in 1968 and further inspired by visits from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Prabhupada’s Palace Of Gold
I don’t know anything about this stuff, though I have become more interested in Eastern thought and philosophy of Buddhism and the like. I just wanted to make good on the time spent scanning this book (at 600 glorious DPI) so that others could read what this volume has to say. From the looks of their web site the community of New Vrindaban continues to prosper.
