VEDIC VILLAGE REVIEW
May 12, 2013, Volume 1.
NEW JAYAPUR RELOCATES TO 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.harekrishnasociety.org).
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 RamanikIsland, 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
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTrILxvUSkQ