6/11/76 VÅNDÄVANA - ROOM CONVERSA- TION with DR. THEODORE KNEUPPER Jagadéça (Reading from newspaper ar- ticle): “ISKCON is also building a model Vedic community in Mäyäpur near Cal- cutta based on cottage industry and agriculture. The important principle is that every one must be gainfully em- ployed. In ISKCON’s Mäyäpur project hundreds of persons operate spinning wheels and more than a dozen hand- looms, dye the cloth, and (indistinct) popular design, process rice and däl by hand, crush sugar cane for sugar products, and manufacture by hand, wooden shoes and other items of daily use. On twenty-five acres of agricultural land in Mäyäpur, ISKCON is developing
and demonstrating scientific farming procedures such as crop rotation, organic fertilization, and using improved strains. ISKCON is also cross- breeding cattle from Canada and Australia with Indian cows to increase milk production. Thus the community provides (indistinct) daily needs, acts as an agricultural development and demonstration center, and ad- ditionally feeds thousands of people twice every week. Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON’s plans, the Mäyäpur project will extend into a complete Vedic city with fifty thousand...” Prabhupäda: We have applied for 350 acres of land from the government. The process is going on. If we get, then we shall spend crores of rupees for... The description is... Jagadéça: “Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON plans, the Mäyäpur project will extend to a complete Vedic city with fifty thou- sand inhabitants, its own university, airport, and stadium. It will also claim the world’s largest planetarium with 410 foot high Temple of Understand- ing...” [break] ...civilization. Dr. Kneupper: It sounds like a beautiful pro ject. That is near Bombay, now? Prabhupäda: No, that is near Calcutta.
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