Misconceptions Illuminated

Today, the answer is no.  Whether or not you are welcome to attend the Sunday evening program depends on when you visit the temple.   During the winter (October to March) the temple closes at 5:00pm.  There is a Sunday program in the winter at 5:30pm for temple members only.

Guests may be welcome to the Sunday evening program during the other parts of the year.   Check the ISKCON Saranagati temple website for more details: saranagatitemple.com

Temple Winter Hours 
Daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
Except Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Visitors often inquire about any events that may be happening while they are in the valley. 

Saranagati hosts one public event each year, that is Ratha Yatra. Some other Vaisnava festivals may be open to the public, depending on the circumstance. These functions request that you register before attending.

Since Saranagati is a private residential area, events going on consist of private parties and family functions. Some of these take place at the temple, festival site and people's homes. 

Many people wonder about who makes up the population within the Saranagati Valley. There is a lack of multimedia content depicting locals going about their daily lives. However, some films which are produced during festivals like Ratha Yatra give the impression that there are many Indians/Bharatiyas in Saranagati. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Of the fifty-some shareholders with a stake in the land, there are but three of Bharat origin. Two of these shareholders only visit seasonally and have faced many challenges attempting to establish themselves. The other family will soon be selling their share and moving. There are personal reasons as well as sociological issues that contribute to this demographic. 

Visiting Bharatiyas who ask about the possibilities of moving here and becoming established are often met with unclear answers about complications, limitations, and general discouragement. While there are ways to become connected, it depends on who you talk to, because everyone has a different perspective.

Saranagati is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an eco village. To illuminate any possible misconceptions, we must define what an eco village is.

This definition is taken from theecovillageexperience.net:

"a community, either traditional or intentional, which aims at becoming more socially, culturally, economically, and ecologically sustainable"

In the early years, the founding members of Saranagati had the intention to live simply, following a traditional lifestyle based on agriculture and cow protection. While aspects of this high vision were realized, the full manifestation remains incomplete.

The modern day Saranagati is exactly that, modern. Households operate individually and depend on gas generators, propane water heating systems, and food from the supermarket to maintain a lifestyle with convenience, in the the beauty of the countryside. 

From theecovillageexperience.net:

In the four pillars approach to sustainability, sustainability is defined as the precise intersection of environment, economy, society, and culture.

More precisely, a sustainable community is a community which:

• preserves its natural…

The short answer is yes. 

There are two types of membership, one for temporary residents and one for permanent residents, the latter being required for buying shares in land. 

Associate Membership procedure in SVHI: This allows for residence within the valley more than three months out of the year.  

1. The applicant submits an application, a CPO screening form, a non-refundable $125.00 application fee, and a receipt indicating that a criminal record check has been requested (Criminal Record Check must be received by SVHI before membership can be granted).  

2. Upon receipt of the application, the applicant’s references are checked. (If the applicants are largely unknown and from another area, they should submit ample references from their area.)


3. The application along with the reference results are submitted at the next corporate meeting.


4. If the references are good, the Criminal Record Check is okay and there are fewer than 5 objections, the applicant is passed at the board of directors meeting four months from the time of application.

Full membership follows a similar process:

In order to become a Shareholder in the Company one has to complete…

Saranagati Village is a private residential community that has no guest facilities and restricted visitor hours.  Some residents find new/unknown people disruptive.

Guests are welcome at the ISKCON Saranagati Temple during specific hours.  Please consult the temple website for hours.