Cool breezes ruffle through my hair and the murmur of the river over rocks fills my ears. Eyes closed, I sit in meditation on the banks of the river Ganga at dawn. Aware of each breath passing through me, my forehead feels like a miniature sun as I am filled with a radiant light, joy, … Continue reading Ganga
This post is part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village A day at Govardhan Eco-Village was incomplete without a visit to the Yamuna River. While the 'original' Yamuna is in Vrindavan, over 1000 km away, the 'Yamuna River' at the Eco-Village is a small pond turned into a (solar) motor-powered stream, complete with waterfalls, … Continue reading Yamuna
This post is part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village When I’m not working on my project, I’m most likely to be found in the goshala (cow barn). Situated on the Eastern side of the Eco-Village right up against Kohoj Mountain, the goshala has a beautiful view of the dry scrubby mountainside and lush … Continue reading Love and Cows
This post is part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village Stories about Govardhan Eco Village would be incomplete without a story about Govardhan itself! Amongst the many ‘replicas’ at GEV is a replica Govardhan Hill in the center of the forest. Near Vrindavan (Bhauma Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh) is a hill called Govardhan, one … Continue reading Embraced By Your Gaze
Part of a series, Snapshots of the Eco-Village The Vrindavan Forest lies in the middle of the Eco-Village. The 5-acre forest is a ‘replica’ of the sacred Vrindavan Dham, in both physical attributes and mood, with scale replicas of the seven Goswami temples of Vrindavan, dioramas representing major lilas (mystical pastimes), and various areas like … Continue reading Mood of Surrender
This post is part of a series: Snapshots of the Eco-Village. It’s 4:15 AM. The sleepy murmur of chanting fills the temple as devotees sit in early morning meditation. Although many remain asleep, those who have awakened early are alert and focused on their precious moments of silence with their meditation on the Holy Name. … Continue reading Mangalarati
I’ve spent the last two and a half months volunteering at Govardhan Eco-Village in Maharashtra, India. The Eco-Village – ‘GEV,’ as we call it – was established 12 years ago by His Holiness Radhanath Swami as a Krishna Conscious rural farm community offering spiritual education, rural development, Ayurvedic healing, environmental-sustainability R&D, and a sattvik (peaceful … Continue reading Snapshots at the Eco Village
Originally written for the magazine "Mandir Vani," Allegra Lovejoy and Parth Parihar are sharing our article here. Dharmic traditions are Earth-honoring traditions. While the prevailing response to climate change in the West has emphasized stewardship and responsible management (i.e., for future generations), the dharmic standpoint accords moral value, even divinity, to the environment itself, independently … Continue reading Reverence for the Earth
Written for GreenFaith Our Voices and originally posted at http://ourvoices.net/evoke/blog/sacred-waters/view In June, I had the honor of joining fifty-five other young religious leaders in a GreenFaith Climate Convergence to learn about challenges presented by climate change in Louisiana and to find our voices in responding to ecological destruction. The very first part of our week together was a … Continue reading Ahimsa: Protecting Our Sacred Waters
I spent the weekend before my birthday studying the Devi Mahatmyam and meditating on Divine Consciousness with two wonderful and wise teachers. They guided us through some stories from the Devi Mahatmyam, described qualities of the Divine, and guided us in love-filled asana and pranayama sessions. The retreat, held during the first three days of … Continue reading Merciful Goddess
Allegra Lovejoy 