New Vrindaban’s Pink Building: The Rise and Fall
Rise and Fall of The Pink Building
Before the Palace Lodge, there was the Bahulaban Administration Building, aka the Guest House, known to some as the “Pink Building”.
Anyone who knows about New Vrindaban in the early 1980’s knows the “Pink Building”. This structure served many functions. Upstairs were the guest house rooms and some residents’ rooms, as well as offices for some of the Brijabasis. The topmost floor was a men’s ashrama. Downstairs was a big, marble-floored prasadam hall, the laundry room, the marble shop, bath houses, and a kitchen. In other words, the pink building was the heart of downtown Bahulaban.
In the late ‘70’s and ‘80’s, the building was teaming with life. Although there were not many guests in town, if someone’s parents ever came on a rare trip to spend the night, they would often get a room at the Guest House.
Rasalila dasi tells us, “We had regular short and sweet Bhagavad Gita classes before lunch in the prasadam hall in the pink building. A great midday pickup. And, in the mornings, during the Srimad Bhagavatam classes in the temple room, when your baby would kick up a fuss, the prasadam room was the place to go!”
Dharmakala spent some time in the “pink building”. As a matter of fact, she helped build it.
“One day, we had an administration building marathon. Everyone had to stand in a long row, holding up the wall of the pink building, while the construction crew came along and banged in the nails as quickly as they could. That’s how we put up the walls of the pink building!” relates Dharmakala dasi.
Dharmakala also recalls, “At a certain point in time, before we were allowed to have lunch, everyone had to go to the garden on the hill across the road from the temple, and work for a little while, clearing weeds or picking vegetables. We did a lot of work together. “
The Pink Building suffered a fire in the late 1990’s, and it has been deteriorating ever since. So, a decision has been made by the New Vrindaban Boards of Directors to put it out of its misery. The demolition team will salvage as much of the building materials as possible to reuse and recycle .
Although it’s sad to see the Pink Building being demolished, it served Krsna and His devotees very well in its prime. Pictures and pastimes of the activities in the pink building will remain in the hearts of many people. It will be gone, but not forgotten.
If you have some Bahulaban Pink Building stories to share, please contact Lilasuka at 304 843 1600 ext 106 or lilasooka@msn.com
Pink House Under Construction 1976
Summer 1976 Bahulaban
Bahulaban Pink Building Demolition, 2013
