Reports

We are seeking people to join our efforts to build a Vedic Eco Village and manifest a self-reliant spiritual community with food sovereignty.  Farming, stewarding the forest, milling lumber, building infrastructure, farm planning and fire wood-based activities are ongoing daily. Dharma Discovery class features with building, cobbing, gardening and cooking harvested roots like carrots and potatoes.  Chulha stoves are fueled by cow dung & wood chopped by kids.

An opportunity to experience vedic living. Hands-on learning about cow care, ox cart & plowing, farms, forest, natural building, cob, arts, crafts & markets.  Our first apprenticeship focuses on Vaishya': cow and ox care, farming and trade in markets.  Vaishya knowledge is learned hands-on and not in class.

We have made great progress cooking on a hybrid chulha-mass heater. We have been cooking locally grown veggies, demonstrating that self-sufficiency in cold climates can be obtained with innovation and hard work.

The Vedas say that harvest, produce, and money should be used for self-realization. "So this Krsna consciousness movement is for spiritual enlightenment, not for how to get money, how to earn money. This is not Krsna consciousness" - Srila Prabhupada

By Krishna’s mercy and Srila Prabhpada’s mercy Bhakti Raghava Swami has successfully conducted the Viva Voce Seminar at Osmania University and has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Sociology.  

The title of the thesis is VAISNAVA VEDIC SOCIOLOGY its Application in the 21st Century.  Dr. Ganesh, the Supervisor for the research requested a book based on the thesis. He further commented that such a subject matter dealing with Vaisnava philosophy is less known and therefore needs to be spread more.

Despite the very cold spring and a very hot summer, our harvest was fruitful, especially cherry, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and hempseeds.  Our small apple trees are starting to produce fruit. 

Natural Building projects use our milled wood and cob made from earth, cow dung and clay from our lake.  This summer we launched the rocket mass heater for the library cabin. A cob bench around the exhaust pipe will be crafted next.

We built a cob oven hut for baking bread, pizza and more.  The cob oven burns wood or dung and frees us from using propane

We lay the foundation for a trade center and market, located in the heart of Saranagati Village, between the goshala and Govardhan Academy.  We used milled wood for the 10x10 foot structure.  Straw for cob came from goshala.

Our farm apprenticeship continued with Govardhan Academy, teaching kids about farming, harvesting, seed collection, cow care and natural building.

We are in the pioneer stages of developing the Eco Village.  We need more people to build living infrastructure and colony plots.  Plots to develop this year are Goshala (foundation for future barn), Kitchen, Patha Shala (Learning Center), Yoga Shala and Yajna Shala.

We will provide an opportunity to learn aspects of Vedic culture. We learn hands-on about Natural Building, Permaculture Farming, Building shelters, Cows and Ox care & Natural Fibers for Clothing. 

We have the land and clear mission to manifest the vision of Varnasrama villages, as proposed by Srila Prabhupada and our Acharyas.  Varnasrama provides self sufficiency and fulfills the material and spiritual needs of our community and the next generation.

We grow seasonal crops and maintain nut & fruit orchards and flower gardens.  Our root cellar holds 3,000 + pounds of crops and preserves.

Current Farm goals:

Surabhi's New Calf

Early morning August 18, 2022 Surabhi cow went to a remote part of the forest to have her baby.  Calf and mother are healthy and happy.

Rescue Cows

Earlier that week, 2 new gir cows arrived to Ahimsa Goshala from a small farm in BC that needed a home, or they might end up being sold for slaughter. Welcome to Varuni and Revati. They were restless and confused at first, but they quickly realized they had arrived in a wonderful new home. Sincere thanks to the many devotees who helped this to happen.

New Goshala at Saranagati

The devotees are busy building an additional Goshala in anticipation for the new cows. Our original Gir cow, Surabhi, is in ecstasy that she will be graced with the association of two new friends who belong to practically the same family lineage.

Clay is one of the few building materials with a negative ion charge; healthy to touch & work with!

https://www.ahimsagoshala.com

Our activities now are building living infrastructure, cob building, clearing forests, milling trees and planting trees and gardens.  Oxen plow our fields in the spring and during the harvest.  We are teaching and inspiring people to use these ancient and sustainable methods of building, farming and soil tilling. 

The gardens are expanding thanks to a couple dedicated to the garden. Our first grafted trees are bearing more fruits and berries/bushes are expanding and giving more fruit.  We are canning and jamming as much as possible to fill the root cellar.

In summer, we make cob from earth, clay, straw & cow dung. Cob is used as insulation between walls and on floors.  We are completing our first building project using locally milled lumber, a bathhouse with locally milled timber.  We milled thinned trees into lumber for our building projects.