A Visit to Purushaland

At the end of March, 2014, I attended an 8-night WPA (World Peace Assembly) at the Maharishi Purusha Capital of the Western World, also known as the Global Capital of World Peace, and which I informally refer to as Purushaland. That's less of a mouthful.

This visit was in lieu of another trip to Fairfield, Iowa, and the Maharishi University of Management and the Invincible America Assembly. I've been going to Fairfield once or twice a year for over a decade for intensive meditation getaways, and I've documented eight of these visits, mostly recently here. I thought Purushaland, in West Virginia, would be an interesting change of scene, and it's four hours closer.

When you drive onto the property, the first thing you are presented with is the main dining hall. The lower block of residences are visible behind and above.

One of the residence buildings was used to house all but two of the nine course participants, and also provided a room for our extended group meditations. This is the one.

Here is your blogger in front of the building on the first day of the course.

I lucked out and got an upper corner room, very desirable. Here it is in panoramic view. The far doors lead to the bathroom and a closet.

The room was very comfortable, with lots of light. However, as one course participant noted, it was obviously designed by men: there is no light fixture next to the bathroom mirror.

The buildings are all of modular construction, custom designed for and by Purusha. Each accommodates 10 residents in single housing, plus two meditation rooms and a communal kitchenette.

Near the top of the hill is an upper block of 5 residential buildings.

From up here the already panoramic West Virginia view truly unfolds. 

Every building on this campus follows Sthapatya Vedic principles, including facing east and receiving morning sunlight within 12 minutes of dawn. However, I learned, the shadows of temporary objects such as trees and buildings don't count against the 12 minute limit. Only truly permanent obstacles, such as mountains, need be taken into account.

Most people go from place to place on campus by foot, but if needed electric carts are available.

Walking down the road from my residence building to the dining hall, I saw the following view.

Here is a panoramic view of the dining hall, complete with flags of the world.

The dining area uses only about one-third of the building; the remainder is kitchen, mail room, and Purusha meeting room.

Off to one side, a somewhat larger building is being finished. Having four additional modules (two up, two down) it will accommodate 14 course participants. Availability is slightly delayed due to a last-minute decision to excavate a full basement.

A closer view, with panoramic curvature.

A look without curvature. With this new building, Purusha hopes to offer other course variations in the near future, including Creating Coherence (afternoons are free) and TM Teacher Training.

Walking around, I noticed a few things. For one, erosion barriers are strategically placed on the roads.

In several places orchards are being started. They are surrounded by an unusual double electric fence.

Having two fences a foot or two apart thwarts the deer, whose depth perception is reputedly poor. They are reluctant to jump over something they can't suss out.

The gardens in front of the dining hall were being prepped for spring planting.

Walking back from the dining hall one evening, I took this twilight photo.

Down the hill, before reaching the campus, there is a tennis court.

From this court I tried to reach the Purusha lake, but a creek blocked my way. It's necessary to go out to the road first.

From a site a few feet higher the lake comes into view. Purusha do swim there.

The course itself was wonderful. The rhythm of life in Purushaland, with its lack of bustle and distraction, is settled and sharply different from that of Fairfield. There is no wandering downtown to visit restaurants and shops, for instance; the closest "downtown" is twelve miles away. Each location has its strong points, and I suspect I will continue to visit both.

The morning is spent following the meditation schedule. After lunch there is some time to stretch your legs. The afternoon and evening course meetings featured videos of Maharishi from the early 1970s, when he was bubbly and outgoing -- the so-called "giggling guru." His replies to questions were vivid, heartfelt, and candid. These early videos are cherished, as Maharishi's talks became less and less ebullient during the 1980s and 1990s.

If, after too much of an intensive meditation schedule, you're not sure what these hard objects are, there's a helpful sign.