Lakeland Bhakti Cottage - Fundraiser

Dear friends and family,

I feel so delighted to share with you that you finally have a Bhakti home to stay in, next time you visit the Lake District National Park!

We've set up a little fundraiser today to speed up the renovation process, so that you can come and visit as soon as possible.

Questions:

— Who will benefit from the Lakeland Bhakti Home?

Well let me answer that with a couple of questions right back at you! 

Are you:

• Seeking a break from your stressful day to day?
• Seeking comfortable and affordable accommodation in a 'Bhakti Home,' 8 minutes from Lake Coniston, 5 minutes from the sea, 4.5 hours from London?
• Desirous to explore the poetic landscape of The Lakes, filled with a plethora of trees, mountains, waterfalls, animals, and like-minded individuals?
• Desirous to learn more about and or practice Bhakti Yoga, Kirtan and conscious creativity out in nature?
• Looking for a comfortable space out in the mountains to focus on your spiritual journey and or creative pursuits?
• Looking to expand your comfort zone by hiking, climbing, camping, and taking advantage of cold water therapy in stunning locations?
• Yearning to be part of a homely spiritual programme; including singing in Kirtan, honouring tasty Prasadam, catching up on your study of the Bhagavad Gita, and or connecting with the temples of nature? 
• Yearning to support and or be part of a more intimate spiritual community out in the Lake District National Park?

If your answer to any of these is yes. And or have your own personal reasons—then you will benefit the most!

Otherwise, you may wish to help support another's need to spend some rejuvenating time in The Lakes :)

— What will the funds will be used for?

After a year and a half of searching and applying, by Krishna's sweet will—we have just obtained a beautiful little cottage with a capacity for up to 5 people to sleep comfortably, and another 3 a little less comfortably!

Your kind donations will be used to: 

• Fix a couple of things in the 400-year-old Barn conversion; i.e. the chimney, the flush, the electrical plugs, the storage area and so on.
• Buy a couple of things so that you can have the most comfortable experience; i.e. mattresses, bedding, furniture, and so on.
• Redecorate; i.e. re-painting the whole house, filling the space with plants and art, and doing the garden area up.
• Feed you! We need to buy appropriate Kitchen utensils to be able to cook for more than one person ;)
• Keep the house nice and warm! Please note that the house only heats up via the fireplace, which is amazing, but unfortunately wood here isn't so cheap.

— How soon do we need the funds?

The sooner we fix up the place, the sooner you will be able to come and stay over!

— How much does your support mean to us?

Your support means the world to us! We actually can't do it without you. We've already maxed out our credit cards, and invested over £5000. So your support is the only way we can make this dream of being able to serve you come true! Plus it's a win win situation. The more you give, the more comfortable you and others will be!

Please note: 100% of your donations will go towards this Creative Sanga Home initiative.

Closing words of gratitude:

It is very important that I acknowledge all of the support that you have already given us. I'm conscious these are difficult times, so please do not worry if you cannot support us at this moment in time. Everything is in Krishna's hands and He will surely take care of his own home. Having said that, I wanted to take moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the fact that you have even click on this fundraiser! So please follow your heart and support you Bhakti Home in whatever way you can!

With much gratitude and a warm heart,

Yours in service, 

Balaram

A little historical timeline of inspiration for your pleasure: 

• 460 million years ago, the mountains of the Lake District were formed through volcanic activity at the bottom of the deep Iapetus Ocean. Later on, during the Ice Age which peaked 21,000 years ago, ending 11,500 years ago—incredible glaciers left behind a plethora of landforms, creating the breathtaking landscapes we see today, including the world-famous collection of lakes.
• 1799 — William Wordsworth takes residence in The Lakes, and together with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helps to launch the Romantic Age in English literature. Whilst living here, he also coined the phrase 'Simple living high thinking,' which we know Srila Prabhupada became very fond of whilst studying it in his Calcutta Scottish Church College.
• 1871 — John Ruskin writes about environmentalism, sustainability and craft, whilst in his home by Coniston Water. Explaining that the principal role of the creative individual is to be 'truth to nature.'
• 1905 — Inspired by living in The Lakes, Beatrix Potter begins her journey of writing her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
• 1951 — The Lake District National Park is established.
• 1955 — Alfred Wainwright writes his seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the 214 Lakeland Fells.
• 2012 — The Roberts family invites Ranchor Prime to their home to write 'The Eight Elements, my journey through life's mysteries.' And simultaneously, the birth of 'Kirtan Lake District' takes place.
• 2013 — After graduating from Mayapur Gurukul, I moved to the UK to pursue studies in Creative Writing at University.
• 2014 — Manu ignites my journey of teaching Kirtan; by inviting a group of us to the Bhaktivedanta College Kirtan Course in Belgium.
• 2016 — I begin two new spiritual careers as 1) head of the diversity outreach programme at Bhaktivedanta Manor; and 2) head of the Kirtan studies at the Avanti Schools Trust.
• 2019 — By Krishna's arrangement, Madhva and Sundari invite me to teach at their Kirtan retreat in Spain, where I meet the Roberts family, and later on that year in Autumn, I fall in love with the Lakes.
• 2020 — Just as the Pandemic hits, Krishna takes everything away from me. My job through redundancy. All of my savings through scammers. Whilst, at the same time, gifting us with an opportunity to begin a new life in The Lakes.
• 2021 — After a year and a half of going through therapy, studying conscious creativity under Julia Cameron, and thoroughly exploring The Lakes, we decide it's time to give back and open a little Lakeland Ashram for you all to come and feel wholly rejuvenated!
• Radhastami: Tuesday, 14th of September 2021 — We launch our new initiative, 'Creative Sanga,' where we hope to continue researching, teaching, and facilitating experiences around 'conscious creativity,' from the Bhakti yoga perspective as taught by the illustrious example of the most erudite Goswami's of Vrindavan.