By Nityananda das
.jpg "NEW JAYAPUR RELOCATES TO FIJI")
May 12 2013, Fiji — The first Prabhupadanuga rtvik center was New Jayapur farm community outside Natchez, Mississippi, started in 1987. We worshipped Sri Sri Radha Govinda, facilitated a few brahmincally inclined devotees, published the Vedic Village Review (philosophical Vaishnava magazine discussing ISKCON issues), and uncovered and publicized the rtvik initiation system that Prabhupada wanted for ISKCON after his physical departure. We also operated a gurukula, health food store and antique store, milked Red Devon cows, and had tourists pay to tour a Southern antebellum mansion filled with period antiques and a Vedic cultural museum (Srila Prabhupada’s murti and quarters were the final part of the tour.) Rupa Vilas, Karnamrita and myself were the first devotees formally excommunicated from ISKCON for refusing to recant our “rtvik views.” However, due to grievous errors on my part, we ran into legal difficulties with the government, and the project was closed by 1992. I was to blame for this.
httpv://youtu.be/wTrILxvUSkQ
Now, over 20 years later, and maybe a bit wiser, myself and family have re-established New Jayapur in the South Pacific islands at Telau Estate, Vanua Levu, Fiji. Miraculously, Radha Govinda are still with us, as They have travelled all over the world with us looking for a suitable site for a farm project, from Natchez to Houston, the Carolinas, Hawaii, Panama and finally Fiji (14 moves in total). We have been in Fiji since 2009 (but began visiting in 2001) and we will apply for citizenship in September 2014.
It is really very wonderful here and we would like to share what we are doing in bits and pieces (as we read the news from others too). Sharing is good. Rather than start our own blog, we’ll rejuvenate the Vedic Village Review as short news bulletins, posted on other Prabhupadanuga sites. We’d like also to accumulate an interested parties email list for weekly news posts about New Jayapur (please send a request to be added to the list to srigovinda@gmail.com).
We humbly seek the blessings of all Prabhupadanugas everywhere, that our attempt may be pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. Sticking tightly to the instructions and guidance of our lord and master Srila Prabhupada, we proceed cautiously and with inspiration from our brothers and sisters. Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Radha Govinda! May Prabhupada’s Daivi-Varnashram plan be implemented around the world in spite of all obstacles coming from the gross materialists and pseudo spiritualists such as the shadow ISKCON. We are affiliated with the Hare Krishna Society group of Prabhupadanugas,
(www.krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com).
Our farm in Fiji is 857 acres, fully titled and held by a Panamanian foundation. It measures 1 km x 5 km, fronting on the ocean with a small river (7 km long) running through a valley of very fertile soil and dense primary rainforest. The environment is rather benign; no snakes, scorpions, biting ants or dangerous critters. Prabhupada said Fiji was Ramanik Island, home of Kaliya, therefore there are no larger wild animals here (Kaliya ate them all?) Feral pigs and the introduced mongoose is about all we have. The beautiful musk parrots abound; the climate at 17 degrees south is mild and pleasant, similar to Hawaii.
Rainfall is abundant at 125 inches annually, although it varies widely throughout Fiji (micro climates), which mostly occurs in the afternoons or nights due to the prevailing southeast trade winds pushing up moisture onto interior mountains up to 2500 feet high (including nearby Mt Kasi, the closed goldmine). The scenery and views are awesome and delightful.
Vanua Levu (5600 sq km, 180 x 50 km) is the second largest Fiji island, with 140,000 people, about 45% of Indian origin. A while back, a police patrol car pulled me over one day in the mountains while crossing the island, and when he approached my car window, he shook my hand, and smiling, said he just wanted to thank us for the good work we are doing. The Indians are very supportive of us foreign devotees of Lord Krishna coming here to teach them about their lost culture which has been largely forgotten since their forefathers came as laborers from India in the late 1800’s. We are planning a program of selecting qualified landless Indian families to reside at farm, by application and trial basis, as many of them are natural devotees. Everywhere we go, the Indians offer us respect and say “Haribol!”
The Fiji government last year lifted their hold on registration of charitable religious organizations, and our lawyer filed our long-waiting registration papers for Fiji Vedic Village Society. We are officially registered as a Fiji religious body, just as ISKCON Suva has been. This allows us to sponsor foreign volunteers and devotees to reside here on 3 year renewable visas as religious workers in our programs.
Five years of any kind of residency qualifies one for citizenship; dual citizenship is permitted. Thus the immigration issue is no obstacle ( details available upon request). Other residency visas include assured income (3 years, renewable) and tourist (up to 6 months, and renewable with a 3 day exit).
In February our family moved to the farm from our rental house in town where we were having weekly Sunday feast programs and Saturday harinam book table with halvah packet distribution in front of ANZ Bank. Now we drive in for the harinam, taking an hour and a half to reach Savusavu, a quaint touristy yacht-harbor village of 5000 with a sizeable foreigner contingent, mostly retirees. TV One did a show on us last year, and almost everyone in Fiji now knows of us. Plus we had an article in the Fiji Sun about our spiritual village project. The preaching has been good for us in Fiji, and the farm project is now established as well, so we are feeling very satisfied with Prabhupada’s blessings.
More soon…
Your servant, in Prabhupada’s service,
Nityananda das
I have offered the above article to Srila Prabhupada as well as my second letter this year. I am sending him one letter a month from my wife and I.
Hasti Gopala Dasa and Lila Katha Devi Dasi
81 Nabob Crescent
Toronto Canada M1B 2Z1
May 12th 2013
Dear Srila Prabhupada.
Please accept my humble obeisance’s all glories to your lotus feet.
My wife Lila has all but completed the planting of our seeds for the vegetable garden and we are waiting anxiously for the weather to warm up to get them into the garden. Our health is very good these days but is still getting over the latest cold that has been going around. I have been able to order enough Gita and TLC cases to last the rest of the year. My daily reading has been scarce I am afraid due to some minor but irritable illness. Much better now and did not take any time off work. We are making arrangements this week for all the service we must get into for the annual Rathayatra festival here in Toronto, we are always very excited about getting things underway. Today is Mothers Day as you know and my step son Vibhu came by with his son to visit my wife and I. It was a wonderful surprise.
The little back deck has been cleaned and prepped for you. I don’t think I mentioned that our temple room carpet has been replaced with wood laminate flooring now. It is first class now and nice and clean for our grandson Khana to crawl around on.
Well we must get back into the kitchen and catch up on some morning chores. Nityananda Dasa has relocated New Jayapur to Fiji and the project is going very well. Here is the complete report for you and the web site. It is glorious!
Thank you so much Srila Prabhupada for your most valuable time, I know how busy you can be these days. Talk to you again soon.
Ys Hasti Gopala Dasa
http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/news/?p=35543
NEW JAYAPUR RELOCATES TO FIJI
12. May 2013 by Prabhupada News Leave a Comment
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By Nityananda das
May 12 2013, Fiji — The first Prabhupadanuga rtvik center was New Jayapur farm community outside Natchez, Mississippi, started in 1987. We worshipped Sri Sri Radha Govinda, facilitated a few brahmincally inclined devotees, published the Vedic Village Review (philosophical Vaishnava magazine discussing ISKCON issues), and uncovered and publicized the rtvik initiation system that Prabhupada wanted for ISKCON after his physical departure. We also operated a gurukula, health food store and antique store, milked Red Devon cows, and had tourists pay to tour a Southern antebellum mansion filled with period antiques and a Vedic cultural museum (Srila Prabhupada’s murti and quarters were the final part of the tour.) Rupa Vilas, Karnamrita and myself were the first devotees formally excommunicated from ISKCON for refusing to recant our “rtvik views.” However, due to grievous errors on my part, we ran into legal difficulties with the government, and the project was closed by 1992. I was to blame for this.
Now, over 20 years later, and maybe a bit wiser, myself and family have re-established New Jayapur in the South Pacific islands at Telau Estate, Vanua Levu, Fiji. Miraculously, Radha Govinda are still with us, as They have travelled all over the world with us looking for a suitable site for a farm project, from Natchez to Houston, the Carolinas, Hawaii, Panama and finally Fiji (14 moves in total). We have been in Fiji since 2009 (but began visiting in 2001) and we will apply for citizenship in September 2014.
It is really very wonderful here and we would like to share what we are doing in bits and pieces (as we read the news from others too). Sharing is good. Rather than start our own blog, we’ll rejuvenate the Vedic Village Review as short news bulletins, posted on other Prabhupadanuga sites. We’d like also to accumulate an interested parties email list for weekly news posts about New Jayapur (please send a request to be added to the list to srigovinda@gmail.com).
We humbly seek the blessings of all Prabhupadanugas everywhere, that our attempt may be pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. Sticking tightly to the instructions and guidance of our lord and master Srila Prabhupada, we proceed cautiously and with inspiration from our brothers and sisters. Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Radha Govinda! May Prabhupada’s Daivi-Varnashram plan be implemented around the world in spite of all obstacles coming from the gross materialists and pseudo spiritualists such as the shadow ISKCON. We are affiliated with the Hare Krishna Society group of Prabhupadanugas,
(www.krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com).
Our farm in Fiji is 857 acres, fully titled and held by a Panamanian foundation. It measures 1 km x 5 km, fronting on the ocean with a small river (7 km long) running through a valley of very fertile soil and dense primary rainforest. The environment is rather benign; no snakes, scorpions, biting ants or dangerous critters. Prabhupada said Fiji was Ramanik Island, home of Kaliya, therefore there are no larger wild animals here (Kaliya ate them all?) Feral pigs and the introduced mongoose is about all we have. The beautiful musk parrots abound; the climate at 17 degrees south is mild and pleasant, similar to Hawaii.
Rainfall is abundant at 125 inches annually, although it varies widely throughout Fiji (micro climates), which mostly occurs in the afternoons or nights due to the prevailing southeast trade winds pushing up moisture onto interior mountains up to 2500 feet high (including nearby Mt Kasi, the closed goldmine). The scenery and views are awesome and delightful.
Vanua Levu (5600 sq km, 180 x 50 km) is the second largest Fiji island, with 140,000 people, about 45% of Indian origin. A while back, a police patrol car pulled me over one day in the mountains while crossing the island, and when he approached my car window, he shook my hand, and smiling, said he just wanted to thank us for the good work we are doing. The Indians are very supportive of us foreign devotees of Lord Krishna coming here to teach them about their lost culture which has been largely forgotten since their forefathers came as laborers from India in the late 1800′s. We are planning a program of selecting qualified landless Indian families to reside at farm, by application and trial basis, as many of them are natural devotees. Everywhere we go, the Indians offer us respect and say “Haribol!”
The Fiji government last year lifted their hold on registration of charitable religious organizations, and our lawyer filed our long-waiting registration papers for Fiji Vedic Village Society. We are officially registered as a Fiji religious body, just as ISKCON Suva has been. This allows us to sponsor foreign volunteers and devotees to reside here on 3 year renewable visas as religious workers in our programs.
Five years of any kind of residency qualifies one for citizenship; dual citizenship is permitted. Thus the immigration issue is no obstacle ( details available upon request). Other residency visas include assured income (3 years, renewable) and tourist (up to 6 months, and renewable with a 3 day exit).
In February our family moved to the farm from our rental house in town where we were having weekly Sunday feast programs and Saturday harinam book table with halvah packet distribution in front of ANZ Bank. Now we drive in for the harinam, taking an hour and a half to reach Savusavu, a quaint touristy yacht-harbor village of 5000 with a sizeable foreigner contingent, mostly retirees. TV One did a show on us last year, and almost everyone in Fiji now knows of us. Plus we had an article in the Fiji Sun about our spiritual village project. The preaching has been good for us in Fiji, and the farm project is now established as well, so we are feeling very satisfied with Prabhupada’s blessings.
More soon…
Your servant, in Prabhupada’s service,
Nityananda das
Dear Hasti Gopala Prabhu, here are 5 questions for you:
1. Are you the “Hastigopala” listed on http://sp.krishna.com/disciples_h ?
2. Everyone else who leaves comments on this website uses their spiritual name, if they have one. So why do you use your legal name (Charles Dowson)?
3. What does your letter to Srila Prabhupada have to do with this message from Nityananda Prabhu?
4. Why did you repeat the entire message from Nityananda Prabhu at the end of your letter?
5. You don’t act like a normal person. You act more like a drug addict. Are you on medication or what?
My humble obeisances to you brave souls, who dared to oppose the GBC, at the risk of ex-communication.
Many have since followed in your footsteps and are anything but afraid to stand up to the cheating of the GBC. May Srila Prabhupada bless your project in Fiji and kindly show us all the way forward to an unified ISKCON with His Divine Grace as the World’s ACHARYA. Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Brave souls are not merely opposing this or that so called GBC((you must mean mataji the GBC of West Bengal inc., which has nothing to do neither with ISKCON, nor with anything spiritual at all), who are just bunch of rascals, but brave souls afre smart and bold, they do simply follow up the current acarya. So far I recall the legal problems mentioned by Nityananda das prabhu such could be caused by the sahajiya fashioned marriage where five “devotees” enjoyed “nicely” with one “mataji”, which is clearly forbidden in Kali Yuga, they were all members of that community. So those are the fathers of the ritvik diksha on demand scam. Kali yuga is kind of funny also. Any rascal may create his own religion, isn’t it?