Prabhupada Village, home of the ISKCON Temple of the Holy Name, Festival of India and the Bhaktivedanta Archives and comprised of 365 acres, is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in N. Carolina, 40 miles north of Winston-Salem and 60 miles north of Greensboro. The area is breathtakingly beautiful with lush, rolling hills and covered with vast and varied trees. Snow Creek casually winds its way throughout the property and the forests abound with wildlife, wild herbs, fruits, and flowers. One can see every star at night for there are no street lights (and no sidewalks). As night turns into day, one can hear the sounds of humming bees and the singing of various birds.
The village was begun in 1992 when Madhuha dasa purchased the property (subdivided it and sold parcels of land) with the aspiration to fulfill the desires of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Srila Prabhupada wanted the devotees to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle while protecting the cows and bulls and to develop varnasrama, where those in society would work according to their natural propensities and serve Krishna or God. Srila Prabhupada also desired that there would be gurukulas (schools) in the country, where it is more favorable for practicing Krishna consciousness - away from the passions of city life – and where the children could be raised and taught in a natural, healthy environment.
The beginning days of Prabhupada Village tested everyone’s determination and patience as there was much to be done. Within a short time, two bright and spacious classrooms manifested and families began to move to the village. The school grew. Everyone helped build new dwellings, each of which had its own architectural flavor. The interior roads were named Prabhupada Rd., Seeta Dr., Rama Rd., and Krishna Rd., all of which are on the county maps. The local people have considered Prabhupada Village an integral part of Stokes County and friendly relations with the county residents continue to this day, especially because of all the prasadam (sanctified food) that has been distributed.
Ground was broken for the temple in 1998 and although there is still some interior work to be done, programs have gone on there since 2005. The gardens provide beautiful flowers and vegetables that are offered to the Lord and those who visit are awed by the beauty of the project.
BHAKTIVEDANTA ARCHIVES
Mission
The Bhaktivedanta Archives, located in Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, serves as the official repository for the historical records of and about His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The primary purpose of the Archives is to collect, preserve, protect, and allow dissemination of his teachings, images, and life´s works for his students, scholars, and other interested persons who seek cultural and spiritual inspiration.
About
The Bhaktivedanta Archives was founded in 1978 as the official repository for the documents, manuscripts, correspondence, audio recordings, photographs, films, and other memorabilia of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Since its founding, the Bhaktivedanta Archives has been dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the teachings and commeratives of the personal life of His Divine Grace. The Archives has also been committed to the conservation and preservation as well as to the publication of over 70 volumes of conversations, lectures, and other works. Not least among these achievements has been the creation of audio ministries for distribution worldwide. The texts of the audio recordings all culminate in the VedaBase TM, a text retrieval computer program for both students and scholars.
Perpetuation, however, is the second part of our creed "to preserve and perpetuate"; it is the conservation and preservation that has taken priority to ensure the purity and integrity of the entire collection. In order to preserve the artifacts, words, images, and teachings of His Divine Grace, it takes time, talent, and funds. We are confident we can fulfill the time and talent part; however, we are very much dependent on the generosity of well-wishers to complete the preservation (archival) process.
The Staff
Ekanatha Dasa - Joined ISKCON in Amsterdam in 1971. He assisted in the development of the Bombay Project before joining the Bhaktivedanta Archives in 1978, where he directed the transcribing and cataloging of all the recorded material. He continues to do this service and is currently the project leader for the VedaBase TM. Email: [email protected] .
Parama-rupa Dasa - Joined ISKCON in London in 1976 and came to Los Angeles in 1977, where he founded, with the help of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Press, the Bhaktivedanta Archives. He initially collected the audio and written materials of Srila Prabhupada from around the world but now dedicates his time to conserve and preserve these items. He also produces audio offerings from the Bhaktivedanta Archives. Email: [email protected]
Nitya-trpta devi dasi - Joined ISKCON in Los Angeles, CA in 1975. She served in the BBT photo department and later the Bhaktivedanta Archives until 1985. Co-founded Krsna Vision in Italy while working with NE BBT on ISKCON Interactive and the Gita Interactive. Worked as a design consultant for the New Delhi exhibitions. In 2008 she returned to the Archives to complete the image collection archival work.
Email: [email protected]
http://www.prabhupada.com
http://www.bhaktivedantaarchives.blogspot.com