As usual over the last few months we’ve been busy at Hare Krishna Valley. The market garden of more than a dozen types of vegetables has grown prolifically, so our residents haven’t had to buy any. Shrila Prabhupada desired that our farm communities live off the land and we are working to fulfil his vision. Now we are planting winter crops, including a wheat crop in the bottom paddock.
Soon we will plant a row of trees and shrubs along our south-western boundary. This will improve the vastu of the property. Vastu is the ancient Indian science of placement, similar to Chinese Feng Sui. By creating a natural wall in the south-west we understand that the positive energy on the property will be harnessed and enhanced.
Recently we connected a large water filter to purify water coming from the spring. Because the water is high in salt and iron it must be filtered to make it suitable for drinking and agriculture. Our next job is to clean all the storage tanks so that the water we produce is of the highest standard.
Retreats have been continuing at a steady pace, with Bhurijana Prabhu and Devamrita Swami providing enlightening seminars for our congregation. Kurma Prabhu is hosting two vegetarian cooking retreats in winter. They are already well booked. If you are interested in attending any upcoming retreats, please do contact us.
Our accommodation has been increasing in popularity, with guests staying over most summer weekends. The long weekends have been especially busy. Our visitors enjoy the pleasant country atmosphere and the opportunity to attend kirtana and classes in the Temple. If you would like to stay at Hare Krishna Valley with your family and friends, be sure to book well in advance to secure the dates you prefer.
We are about to begin renovating Balarama Ashrama to improve it for the pleasure of our regular guests and retreat attendees. Since we arrived at Hare Krishna Valley five years ago we have renovated many of the buildings on the property to make them more comfortable for everyone. Our regular visitors confirm that these renovations have improved their stays.
In April we celebrated the first wedding to be held at Hare Krishna Valley for many years. Our agricultural manager Manigriva Das married Tarini Rupa Dasi in a traditional Vedic wedding. The wedding was attended by a small group of family and friends who all enjoyed the ceremony and the wonderful feast. We can see that our community is slowly growing, with a steady core of devotees working hard to make Hare Krishna Valley an example of natural living and higher thinking.
If you are interested in contributing your talents or finance to make Hare Krishna Valley a success, please contact Keshava dasa on 0405-577-453 or keshava.tkg@pamho.net. We look forward to seeing you at Hare Krishna Valley soon.