High up in the hills of West Virginia, nestled between Ohio and Pennsylvania, there is a secret palace of beauty, color, and intricate detail. Discover the Golden Palace of West Virginia! Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold is an intricate and beautiful gem nestled on top of a hill. The beauty and peacefulness of the place was enchanting and inviting.
New Vrindaban
High a top a mountain in West Virginia, you will find a temple that feels out of place, and out of time. The sprawling temple is the utopia of Hare Krishna’s New Vrindaban and includes the primary temple, lily ponds, rose gardens swans, and peacocks. The structure is showing their age and struggle against the West Virginian elements. Many of the fountains that you can see used to be functional are densely overgrown with vines. Tiny bits of the intricate design are broken and damaged. And a few of the temple structures, such as gazebos, are roped off. Despite this, you will find a beautiful location that feels alien to the location, but perfectly natural for the hilltop.
The structure seems to have transported a romantic version of a foreign temple right here in our very own backyard. When I think of West Virginia, I think of mountains, winding roads, bears, and Silent Hill. I don’t think of Krishna temples, swan lakes, and elephants. Yet, when you drive up the winding road and narrow road, you’ll find a beautiful and welcoming space, eager to receive pilgrims and tourists alike.
Be sure to save time to visit the inner temple. There is a small fee to join a guided tour of the inner temple, which is the real gem of the entire temple. Although you can explore the sprawling space, gardens, and trails freely, this religious temple survives on donations.
Road Trip Destinations
Hi, I’m Patti. I work in the IT field and my favorite thing to do is reboot stuff. (Muahahaha!)
I love exploring the United States and luckily I enjoy driving. Which is a good thing since it would be hard to explore if I had to walk everywhere. I am usually exploring the states on a tight budget with limited vacation time. I try to make the most of my free time, and I may have a trick or two up my sleeve.
I’m a weird mix of over-planner and free-spirit wanderer. There’s no in between. I see weekends as play-time. Laundry is for Wednesday nights and dusting is never on my to-do list.
I love museums, learning new things, and just letting my curiosity take me to my next discovery.
To discover more about me, check out my About Me page.
Happy traveling!