About ISKCON Hebri
This Farmland is situated in the western ghats, heart of Agumbe rainforest area. As a community we are working towards creating a Vedic culture of village community with a self-sustainable model without depending unnecessarily on many modern facilities. Here people can utilize this facility by leveraging it for their higher purpose of life for their spiritual progress. A peaceful nature- filled environment for the devotees to get engaged in seva. Go seva being very dear to our Lord Krishna is very nicely lovingly being rendered by devotees here.
Ancient Hindu literatures like Bhagavad Gita , Srimad Bhagavatham and many spiritual literatures are taught to the local people in Hebri and deeply studied, relished and followed by the inmates. Online classes for Study of Bhagavad Gita are conducted in a timely manner. Frequent festivities are done in and around the town for the local people to be engaged in hearing of holy name. Providing free sanctified food (Prasadam – offered to Lord Krishna) for the spiritual benefit of everyone living nearby the temple and nearby towns
There are two wells within the community which are the main source of water here supplying required water throughout the year. There are 10 Jackfruit trees producing mouthwatering jackfruits. There are quite good number of coconut trees, the produce of this coconut trees is also used to prepare coconut oil for the cooking purpose for the whole year for the devotees living in the community. There are some cashew trees, almond trees, orange trees, lemon trees, mango trees, sapota trees also in the farm. We grow vegetables which are sufficient for the devotees living in the community, by this way all the basic needs are fulfilled within the community and not much dependent outside. Here we would see Frequent Visitors like Beautiful Peacocks, Monkeys, varieties of Birds which feels for the devotees like Vrindavan in South India. There are fifty plus cows being served here mostly of Malnad Gidda variety and few of other varieties as well. Here cows are taken care lovingly which pleases Krishna and his devotees. Cows here are not tied to the poles and allowed for Grazing 2 times a day and allow them to live under natural circumstances with complete care and protection.
The whole project is inspired by His Holiness Bhakti Raghav Swami Maharaj, ISKCON Minister for the Daiva Varnasrama Ministry – Promoting Rural Development in India. In the year 2006 Maharaja was able to return to India after a long absence of 13 years and spearheaded a rural project in South India called Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) from where courses on Varnasrama College were introduced and lots of them are benefitted. His Holiness Raghava Maharaj to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada to create simple living and high thinking community of devotees.
Future plans for the community are below:
1. Constructing larger temple to accommodate more detailed Deity worship.2. Gurukul facilities for students to learn, serve and grow in the Krishna conscious environment in practical farm facilities so that the students will learn simple living and high thinking.
3. Construct a Seminar Hall with all required facilities so that devotees conduct retreats and learn spiritual subjects.
4. Develop Agriculture projects – Organic vegetables and grains are grown in our farm and used in Hebri ISKCON temple, future developments can concentrate on more variety of agriculture products to accommodate more devotee families to progress spiritually.
5. Construct full-fledged Goshala with more facilities to accommodate cows in all seasons comfortably.
6. Build guest houses for the devotees to visit and stay comfortably for the retreats and onsite seva and learning.