Daycation: Palace of Gold in West Virginia on National Register of Historic Places

Jan. 8—There's gold in the rural hills of West Virginia.

Prabhupada's Palace of Gold is a tourist attraction and part of the New Vrindaban Temple community, which houses more than 250 members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the public are invited to visit, tour and learn more about the 2,200-acre nonprofit that welcomed more than 35,000 visitors last year.

It's an hour and a half drive from downtown Pittsburgh and about an hour and 45 minute drive from Greensburg.

"Tourism is a huge source of income for us. It's an experience for them here. Most visitors want to see the palace, but there's a broader experience here. Visitors can experience a Hindu temple, which is rare in the U.S. and even stay a few days at our Palace Lodge," said Thomas Haribol, ISKCON-New Vrindaban director of communications.

All religious faiths are welcome to the secluded and serene attraction and religious organization.

"This is a spiritual Disneyland of sorts for some (seriously religious), and immigrants from India visit, too. We get a broad range of people here that want to nourish their faith," Haribol said.

New Vrindaban offers hiking, lodging, a yoga studio, a Radha Krishna Temple, four barns, Govindas Restaurant and Express (vegetarian) and workshops and warehouses.

Hare Krishna Chandra Interrante, 48, works at the Palace Lodge that offers 51 rooms and 12 cabin accommodation choices.

"Word of mouth, advertisement, a lot of people call about the cow protection program," Interrante said.

Krishnas practice vegetarianism and do not eat anything that ever had a soul.

Open year-round, visitors enjoy petting the cows at America's oldest cow sanctuary, nestled among rolling hills and open farmland.

The community cares for more than 70 cows, bulls, oxen, calves and exotic birds such as peacocks, and no animals are ever killed here because Krishnas practice vegetarianism.

Additionally, Khrishnas abstain from alcohol, gambling and sex outside of marriage.

Ghee, jewelry and vegetarian jerkey factories produce products sold in the expansive gift shop.

Dine at Govinda's, a vegetarian restaurant with karma-free cooking, or picnic on the expansive grounds featuring a rose garden with more than 100 varieties.

Multiple gardens on the grounds provide fresh produce.

The principal of vegetarianism for Krishna's is to eat in a way that creates as little violence as possible.

Established in 1968 by devotees of Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedante Swami Prabhupada, the Palace of Gold was originally supposed to be a modest home for Prabhupada.

A local farmer wanted to dedicate land for spiritual reasons, and some of Prabhupada's first disciples came to Moundsville and met with him and arranged to lease 130 acres on a 99-year lease.

"That's how it began," Haribol said. "That was to fulfill Prabupada's vision that we have a farming community of simple, agricultural living that would model the place where Krishna grew up."

Prabupada never lived in the Palace of Gold because he died of natural causes in 1977 before the palace was completed.

Tours of the palace are offered daily and features of the ornate residence include 52 varieties of onyx and marble, more than 8,000 square feet of 22 carat gold, hand-carved teakwood furnishings, handmade Austrian crystal chandeliers imported from Europe, mirrored ceilings, stained glass windows and figures of Prabhupada.

The grounds feature a lily pond, fountains, gardens and sweeping views of the rolling rural hills.

A visit inside the Krishna Temple requires visitors to remove their shoes, and booties must be worn over shoes during palace tours.

The high tourist season is during the summer months, with 12% of visitors hailing from Canada.

Haribol referenced American author Mark Twain's quote, "The thing that kills prejudice more than anything is travel."

"Most people can't travel to India, so it's a way for them to experience the culture, the food, the faith of India right here in West Virginia. Culturally, it's a mind broadening experience for people," Haribol said.

Prabhupada's Palace of Gold is located at 3759 McCrearys Ridge Road in Moundsville, W.Va. For more information, email mail@newvrindaban.com

Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by email at jhanz@triblive.com or via Twitter .