A pleasing natural environment filled with glorification of Krsna makes New Govardhana a replica of Krsna's eternal home.
AN HOUR SOUTH of Brisbane, Australia, the glitzy tourist area called the Gold Coast stretches along the Pacific. Farther south, imposing Mount Warning, the first peak in Australia to receive the rising sun presides over the beautiful Tweed Valley, with its green fields of sugar cane. At the base of this former volcano and set against a forested hill sits a 1000-acre (450-hectare) farm of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Devotees bought the property in 1977 and with Srila Prabhupada's approval named it New Govardhana, after the sacred hill in Vrndavana, India, where Krsna would tend calves and sport with His friends.
With its subtropical climate and good yearly rainfall New Govardhana is generally green and scenic, its surrounding hills sloping gently down to the river flats. On one of the hills, commanding sweeping views, sits the spacious temple, built by devotees soon after the farm was bought. The temple's back wall is largely filled by a colorful stained-glass window depicting Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda amid peacocks, lotuses, and temple domes. The rising sun filters through the window to spread myriad colors throughout the temple.
Vrndavana Atmosphere
Every day in New Govardhana one can hear the songs of many types of birds the sweet warbling of the magpies, the "laughing" of the kooka-burras, and the trumpet call of the peacocks, some near and some distant. Bright red and blue crimson rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, and other parrotlike birds perch on branches.
A visiting sannyasi once said that New Govardhana reminded him of Vrndavana. "One need only be in the right consciousness to see Vrndavana here," he said. "Krsna is on New Govardhana Hill with Radharani by His side. The cows and peacocks are here, devotees are chanting the Lord's name, and a river flows by, just as the Yamuna River flows through Vrndavana."
The Community
About sixty-five devotees live at New Govardhana. Many community members have bought houses in nearby towns or rural areas. Some visit the temple daily, others weekly.
The devotees are a diverse group, coming from a variety of countries France, Fiji, Sweden, England, Ireland, Scotland, India, Canada, Hungary, New Zealand, the former Yugoslavia, and the United States.
Ideally, a Krishna conscious farming community is intended for self-sufficiency based on wealth drawn from the land. Though there are efforts in place to achieve this goal, the economic base of New Govardhana is still a long way from being entirely land-oriented. Most families from New Govardhana support themselves by selling things at local craft markets, and some devotees own businesses in which they employ others.
Isvara Dasa, originally from England, moved to New Govardhana in 1992 and set up what is now a successful incense and perfume factory. Two families in the area have started a restaurant Govinda's Natural Foods on the main street of Murwillumbah. Govinda's has become a popular lunch-time venue for the town's business people and devotees alike. More recently, Kisori Vallabha Dasi registered on the farm a child day-care center, approved and funded by the government.
Whether living on the farm or in neighboring towns, the devotees of the New Govardhana community are finding ways to contribute to its ongoing success.
Ambika Devi Dasi was one of the first Australians to join ISKCON, in 1971. She has been teaching in the New Govardhana school for twelve years and is a prolific writer of children's songs. She is married and has two children.