News Reports
Go Puja and Gopastami at Govardhan Goshala
We wrapped up a summer full of activity and the Eco Village boundaries are taking shape. The south side colonial fence is complete. The gate for the east entrance has been built and is currently lying on the ground until we can get an machine to lift it into place. The gate will be about 4 meters high.
This month we celebrate both Go Puja and Gopastami at the Govardhana Goshala In Saranagati Village. On both occasions, Surabhi cow was nicely decorated and sumptuously fed. Gopastami is the coming-of-age celebration when Nanda Maharaja gave Krishna the responsibility for taking care of the cows. Krishna had previously been taking care of the calves.
At the Govardhana Goshala, the zebu ox have been regularly put into a yoke and pulling a cart. With the guidance of Daivata and Yoginath prabhu, they have been moving items like manure from the Goshala to gardens. They also hauled logs…
Clearing the forest and preparing for cows
As we clear through the forest, the location of goshala is becoming more evident. The goshala will be in the north west corner and the entrance should face the north east, with sufficient sunlight and good ventilation. Cows do not like dark. Darkness does not allow good health. Cows love airy spacious inviting surroundings. As per Vedic wisdom, Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi stays in place which is clean, hygienic and attractive.
Forest materials are being moved into different location. On road and pathways, the forest floor (a.k.a. duff) is being moved into the garden areas and orchard for mulching trees. Fallen tree branches are being chipped up and put onto the raja marg and pathways.
The heat wave continues, with temperatures 10 degrees hotter than normal and no rain in sight. The fire north of us continues to grow, 2 months after it began.
"Why does Krsna go to the forest?…
Festival of India in British Columbia
Lord Krishna told Sri Narada that “you will find me wherever my devotees come together to remember me and chant my names and glories". Lord Jagannatha appeared in Vancouver and Kamloops this week. We took a break from harvesting and Eco Village Construction so that we could spread the glories of Lord Jagannatha and sing the holy names throughout our province.
Festival of India presents the timeless culture and Knowledge of the eternal Vedas. It delivers the ageless social serenity of the Vedic culture to today's characteristically chaotic population.
The Festival of India appeared for the first time in Kamloops and was co-managed by Saranagati Village residents. A special guest appearance was made by Surabhi cow. Our Brahmacharies led kirtan and helped distribute books.
Cordwood and Cob Building
Cordwood building has begun using cob made from all local materials: earth, clay, straw and cow manure. Cordwood construction is also known as stackwall or stovewood. Cordwood or short pieces of debarked tree are laid in a cob mixtures to build a wall. There's a lot of manual labor involved in building a cordwood house, however the structures can last for many years. There are some homes in Canada that are between 100 and 200 years old. Cordwood is commonly used to build homes, barns and saunas.
Our initial project is a boot room in front of a yurt. We are perfecting the cob recipe and techniques to latter use for Eco Village buildings. We are using earth near our lake which is naturally high in clay, so we only need to add a little bit of clay.
The straw is coming from tall grass cut in our garden and dried in the hot sun. The cow manure comes from "visiting" cows who have…
Working through Heat and Smoke
Two months into a drought, we have adjusted our daily life to the heat, dryness and smoky air. Forest fires have caused poor air quality, worse than China, Mexico and Los Angeles, in our valley and our entire province. We have focused on our activities in the cool forest and in the greenhouse, where is the air is cleaner thanks to plants and trees.
Forest management continues as we sort through the thick forest, transforming fallen and crowded thin trees into fences and other building materials. Forest floor "waste" is being raked up for use as mulch in the Eco Village Gardens
Venu Gopal prabhu has joined our village and morning program. He is helping prepare the land for transplanting 108 fruit trees and is sharing his permaculture knowledge with us. An important permaculture practice is mulching, putting plant matter, compost and tree chips on the top soil to preserve moisture and…