Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa

Coordinates: 41°03′03″N 91°59′38″W / 41.050732°N 91.993976°W / 41.050732; -91.993976
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Typical houses in Maharishi Vedic City, showing the gold-colored "kalash" on the roof

Maharishi Vedic City (MVC) is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The city was first incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City" five months later. The Census Bureau's 2006 estimates listed the city's population as 222 people.[1] It was the first city to incorporate in Iowa since 1982.[2] The city plan and buildings are based on Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, an ancient system of architecture and design revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who founded Transcendental Meditation and the Transcendental Meditation movement.[3][4] Its goals, as stated in its constitution, are to "protect, nourish, and satisfy everyone, upholding the different social, cultural, and religious traditions while maintaining the integrity and progress of the city as a whole".[5]

History

The concept of a "Vedic City" was conceived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.[4] Chris Johnson, a real estate developer from San Francisco, along with Bob Wynne and several others, began to actualize their joint vision for a vedic town in 1991.[6] This concept evolved into a working municipality centered around a system of building called Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design architecture.[4] This ancient Indian system of architecture and city planning, part of Maharishi Vedic Science, is said to promote happiness and prosperity.[4] Each building includes a gold-colored fixture on the roof, called a "kalash". In addition, all structures are built according to precise proportions, room placement and entrances that face due east.[4]

Johnson and a dozen other developers purchased 50 farms totaling 3,000 acres (12 km2), some 1,200 of which were designated for the town itself.[6] Together they planned a city arranged in ten circles totaling about one square mile, along with paved roads, utilities, sewage and Internet. They then began the first phase of construction which included two hotels, various houses and office buildings. After one year, 46 structures had been built and more than $35 million spent on development.[7] According to city officials, more than $200 million of venture capital has been invested in Fairfield and Vedic City companies during the past 13 years.[8]

One of the unique features of the city is an outdoor Vedic Observatory. It consists of ten, six feet tall, white, concrete-and-marble astronomical instruments arranged in a circle. According to Tim Fitz-Randolph, the developer, each instrument is precisely aligned with the sun, stars and moon, and could be used to calculate their movements but also has the potential to create inner happiness and balance the physiology.[6][9]

A double golden dome is planned for the center of the city to serve as a venue for yogic flying, similar to a facility already in use at the nearby university, Maharishi University of Management. Residents subscribe to the theory and research that group practice of this technique "will create coherence for the whole country".[6] Financial and infrastructure needs led Maharishi Vedic City to seek formal approval as a city from the state, and after petitioning the Iowa City Development Board and holding a referendum,[6] it was incorporated as Iowa's newest city on July 21, 2001—the first in Iowa since 1982. The city is expected to have a population of over 1,000 by 2010, many of them transplants from Fairfield.[6][10]

Sanskrit has been named the city's "ideal language", although other languages are used. In November 2002, the city council passed an ordinance banning the sale of non-organic food. The city council voted to ban the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers within the city limits in April 2005, becoming the first all-organic city in the country. In 2003, the city began offering tours to the public.[11] The city runs an organic farm that sells its produce to Whole Foods.[12] MVC receives federal grants from agencies including the Departments of Energy and Agriculture for developing renewable energy sources and recycling programs.[13]

In 2002, a building known as "The Mansion" located in the heart of the city became the headquarters for the Global Country of World Peace.[14]

Geography

Maharishi Vedic City is located approximately two miles north of Fairfield, the home of Maharishi University of Management. All addresses in Maharishi Vedic City fall under the 52556 ZIP code.

Government

Maharishi Vedic City is administered by a five-person city council and a mayor.[15] Few laws or ordinances exist, citing natural law as the governing principle of the city. The city council's first resolution announced that the constitution of the city is "the Constitution of the Universe—Total Natural Law—RK Veda".[16] The current mayor is Bob Wynne.

References

  1. ^ "Subcounty population estimates: Iowa 2000-2006" (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2008-05-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ [1] In Many Ways, a New Iowa Town Looks to East, Jennifer Lee The New York Times April 17, 2001
  3. ^ http://www.maharishivediccity.com/
  4. ^ a b c d e American Way magazine, Home and Peace, William Kissel
  5. ^ "Resolution No. 1: To Adopt the Constitution of the Universe—Total Natural Law—as the Constitution of the City and Sanskrit as its Ideal Language" November 13, 2001
  6. ^ a b c d e f Jennifer 8 Lee (April 17, 2001). "In Many Ways, a New Iowa Town Looks to East". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-06-25.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Ottumwa Courier July 29, 2002, Jo Ann Gesner, [2]
  8. ^ Washington Post, Kari Lyderson, Aug 10 2004 [3]
  9. ^ AAA Magazine, Iowa Shangri La, Linda Egenes
  10. ^ The Des Moines Register, Sept 2, 2003, John Hagelin, [4]
  11. ^ Ellen Heath (August 17, 2003). "Vedic City opens its doors for tours". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2007-03-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Washington Post, Kari Lyderson, Aug 10, 2004 [5]
  13. ^ Washington Post, Kari Lyderson, Aug 10 2004 [6]
  14. ^ Official Web Site
  15. ^ Official Web Site
  16. ^ "Resolution No. 1: To Adopt the Constitution of the Universe—Total Natural Law—as the Constitution of the City and Sanskrit as its Ideal Language" November 13, 2001

External links

41°03′03″N 91°59′38″W / 41.050732°N 91.993976°W / 41.050732; -91.993976

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