New Vrindaban

Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra Temple, at Temple of Understanding Circle Drive, July 1997.

The community was founded in 1968 by Kirtanananda Swami and Hayagriva Das, two early disciples of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[1] New Vrindaban developed under the guidance of Kirtanananda Swami (honored as "Srila Bhaktipada" after March 1979), and by the mid-1970s the live-in population had grown to over 100.[2] By the 1980s the population was more than 500.[3]

ISKCON New Vrindaban is strictly vegetarian and believes that meat consumption creates negative karma. Alcoholic beverages and illegal substances (such as drugs) are prohibited in the main holy sites around the Temple of Understanding Circle Drive.[4]

According to ISKCON News, on 4 July 1983 Vedavyasa Priya Swami installed the statue of Sri Nathji at the RVC Temple.[5] Conversely, according to Gargarishi Das, the deity was not installed by Vedavyasa Priya, but was installed instead by Kirtanananda Swami.[6]

In October, 1986, a census report showed 377 adults living at the community.[7]

On March 16, 1987, during their annual meeting at Mayapur, India, the ISKCON Governing Body Commission expelled Kirtanananda from the society for "moral and theological deviations."[8] The community of New Vrindaban was expelled from ISKCON a year later.[9]

After Kirtanananda Swami left New Vrindaban, and new leadership stabilized, the community was readmitted to ISKCON in 1998.[10][11] The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported in 2006 the population stood at about 100.[10] However, this number only indicated how many people were members listed in the community directory rather than official census numbers.

^ Dasa, Hayagriva (1986). "The Hare Krishna Explosion" (PDF). Palace Press. Retrieved January 23, 2016. ^ Brugger, Rachael; Cappello, Cydney. "The Rise, Fall, and Rebuilding of New Vrindaban" (PDF). Ohio University Global Leadership Center. Retrieved 11 December 2013. ^ Fox, Margalit (24 October 2011). "Swami Bhaktipada, Ex-Hare Krishna Leader, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2016. ^ Welcome sign at entrance to Temple of Understanding Circle Drive ^ 26 July 2008 Sri Nathji: The Transcendental Cowherd Boy Goes West ISKCON News, Retrieved on 18 September 2008 ^ Gargarishi Das, “Radha-Vrindaban Chandra Festival,” Brijabasi Spirit, vol. X, no. IV (c. August 1983), 17.[verification needed] ^ This is confirmed by the New Vrindaban offering in the 1986 Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja book—"Sri Vyasa-puja 1986: The Most Blessed Event, August 28, 1986, The Appearance Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara-sata Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness"—which listed the names of each resident of the community. Disciples of Srila Prabhupada: 104 men, 66 women; Granddisciples: 99 men, 91 women; Varnasrama College: 17; Children 212. This was probably the year of greatest population for the community. ^ "GBC Resolution 1987 ISKCON - Governing Body Commission". Archived from the original on 2012-05-22., dead link March 2010 ^ Pulliam, Sarah (18 July 2008). "A lower-key kind of Krishna". Columbus Dispatch. p. 1–A. Retrieved January 23, 2016. Instead of communes, today's Hare Krishnas have embraced congregations and welcome those with only a casual interest in the movement. ^ a b Houser, Mark (30 April 2006). "Hare Krishnas are rebuilding their temple". The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved January 23, 2016. ^ James R. Lewis (6 April 2011). Violence and New Religious Movements. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 286. ISBN 978-0-19-973563-1.