Global Varnasrama Mission -– Make Vrndavana Villages
| Date : | February 14 - 17, 2010 |
| Time : | 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 2:45 pm - 6:00 pm |
| Venue : | Vaisnava Academy |
No service charges, but the facilitator will accept voluntary donations (dakshina)
Course description - The Global Varnasrama Mission
Make Vrndavana Villages Course is designed to deepen students' understanding of the Global Varnasrama Mission, and in particular, for those who would like to be actively involved. The course will unveil some fundamental concepts and principles of varnasrama and education, viewing both of them as inseparable and intimately connected. Various speakers will cover different themes of the seminar, leaving ample time at the end of each session for student interaction and participation. PowerPoint presentations, as well as various handouts, will highlight the main themes of the course.
The major portion of the course will present information contained in three related books: Make Vrndavana Villages, Varnasrama Education, and Implementing Varnasrama (the first was published in 2007, the other two to be published in 2008). Questionnaires will be distributed both at the beginning and at the end of the course. No special pre-requisites are needed to attend this seminar. However, devotees involved with or concerned about principles of sanatana dharma, traditional education, social and community development, cow protection, ecology, village organization (local economy, self-sufficiency, self-governance, holistic farming) and leadership qualities should find the course of particular interest.
By the end of the seminar, students should have understood the fundamental principles governing the varnasrama mission, the need and urgency to implement it and the means by which this can be done.
Those planning to attend seminar are requested to fill the attached application form and send by e-mail to
To pre-register for the course, please click here.
Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami
Bhakti Dhira Damodara Swami has served as a Temple President, Sankirtan and Harinama Leader, Regional Secretary for Nigeria and is now serving as GBC Deputy and Regional Secretary for West Africa. He is preaching throughout East and West Africa.
Bhakti Raghava Swami
Bhakti Raghava Swami joined ISKCON in 1974 after serving as a Social Worker and Mental Health Counselor in Canada. He started the New Bhakta Program in Sri Mayapur in 1977 and then spearheaded the development of the Nama Hatta Program from 1979 – 1986. He established the Bhaktivedanta Youth Services (BYS) in Calcutta in the year 1986 which helped develop youth preaching throughout India. He became Temple President of ISKCON Secunderabad and Co-President of the Hyderabad Farm in the year 2000 until he left India to become Temple President of ISKCON Montréal and GBC for Canada from 1993 to 2000.
In 2000, he returned to student life receiving a Masters in Education from the State University Yogyakarta, Indonesia in the year 2003.
Currently he is overseeing the development of five self-sufficient farm communities in Indonesia, one in India, is the Director of Global Varnasrama Educational Social Cultural Organization (GLOVESCO) since 2002, and is the President of GLOVESCO – CAMBODIA (NGO) established in 2007.
He wrote his first book in 2007, Make Vrndavana Villages. Maharaja is currently compiling three books related to varnasrama development, all of which should be printed before Gaura Purnima 2008:
- Varnasrama Education – In Support of Traditional Education
- Implementing Varnasrama – GLOVESCO Reference Guide and
- Traditional Education – Selected Interviews
Varnasrama Research Team
Samba dasa joined ISKCON in 1976 at Bhaktivedanta Manor, London, when he was 16.
From 1976 to 1979 he assisted with the maintenance and restoration of Bhaktivedanta Manor, the Aldenham house, Bury Place Temple, and the creation the Soho Street temple room.
1979-1982 Participated in a community retreat development in Glengariff, West Ireland. Designed and assisted in the construction of several community buildings and cottages. Set up a small alternative energy project. Also researched and built a variety of ethnic habitats, including Tipis (North American Sioux Indian) Yurts (Mongolian) and other similar structures.
1982-1986 Travelled in Europe adapting and restoring a variety of buildings for ISKCON restaurants and Temples. Specialised in custom designed coachwork of buses and trucks for travelling preachers.
1987-1989 Travelled extensively in India and the USA, working with Lokanath Swami in helping to manage Padayatra. Assisted Bhakti Raghava Swami in setting up the ISKCON Kumbha Mela camp.
1989-1993 Research Director for Mayapur project. Also headed the design team, and started a design office. Implemented AutoCAD design system. Designed a variety of houses and apartments to house approx. 30 families, and introduced a variety of alternative construction technologies. Travelled widely in India overseeing planning consultants, and researching construction technologies.
1993-1995 Created a design concept based on traditional North Indian vernacular architecture for a village settlement of approx. 100 dwellings. Utilised energy efficient techniques, and environmentally sound waste treatment, for a settlement in Raman Reti, Mathura Dist. UP India.
1995-1996 Research in South India to develop an eco-tourism project, for trekking in the forests of the Western Ghats (near Mangalore, Karnataka). Also managed a 60-acre spice plantation.
1997-1998 Project Manager for ISKCON Sri Mayapur Project Master-plan office. Overseeing and managing a team of 12 architect planners to create a Masterplan for Mayapur township. Travelled extensively in India and abroad meeting with consultants and planning agencies. Did a lot of research on community civic management in relation to Varnasrama.
1998-2001 Obtained two acres of land from the Mauritius Government to develop Organic farming and create a small simple living project.
2001-2003 Developed an eco-village project called Madhuvan in Spain. Member of the management committee of New Vrajamandala. Started a business making and selling yurts (Mongolian style nomadic shelters)