Prabhupada's Palace of Gold
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Prabhupada's Palace of Gold is a memorial shrine built by Hare Krishna devotees for their spiritual master, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), the Founder/Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). [1] It is located at the New Vrindaban Community in Marshall County, West Virginia, and reportedly cost $600,000 in materials (labor was free). [2]
Originally intended in 1972 to be a residence for Swami Prabhupada, the plans eventually evolved into an ornate palace of marble, gold and carved teakwood, which was dedicated 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. [3]
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.” The New York Times declared it “America’s Taj Mahal.” The Washington Post (September 3, 1979) called the Palace “Almost Heaven.” 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.”[citation needed]
Since the early 1990s, due to mismanagement and lack of sufficient financial resources, Palace maintenance has been sometimes neglected, but tens of thousands of tourists and Hindu pilgrims reportedly still visit each year. [4]
[edit] Picture gallery
 Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in June of 2007. |
 A side view of Prabhupada's Palace of Gold in June of 2007. |
 The rose garden in June of 2007. |
 Statue of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in July of 1997. |
[edit] References
- ^ Prabhupada's Palace of Gold: A Labor of Love (Palace Press, Moundsville, West Virginia: c. 1982)
- ^ Yogeshvara Das, “In the Hills of West Virginia: Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold,” Back to Godhead, vol. 16, no. 7 (c. June 1981), 5.
- ^ A photograph of Bhagavatananda and Kirtanananda c. 1977 at the Palace-under-construction can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kirtanananda%26bhagavatananda.jpg
- ^ See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Vrindaban#Current_activities New Vrindaban Current Activities
[edit] External links
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