Dignitaries cutting the ribbon in front of the treadmill house (Photo credit: @fotofilo)

On May 20th, 2023, Hungary’s largest and only active ox-powered treadmill was inaugurated at ISKCON Krishna Valley. The treadmill is a power-generating machine that uses animal power rather than fossil fuels. Power generated from the treadmill will be used to press oil, produce wood chips, mill grains and fodder, and generate electricity for the community.

Two oxen ready to demonstrate the guests how the treadmill works (Photo credit: @fotofilo)

The inauguration of the treadmill house helped kick off the upcoming year of festivities marking the 30th anniversary of Krishna Valley. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Ramji, representing the Indian Ambassador; Istvan Nagy, Ph.D., the Honorable Minister for Agriculture; Jozsef Attila Moring, a member of Parliament for the region; Norbert Biró, the Chairman of the Assembly of Somogy County; H.H. Sivarama Swami, the spiritual leader of ISKCON Hungary, and Radha Krishna Das, GBC secretary for Hungary.

Minister Istvan Nagy, speaking to the gathered crowd at the inauguration, noted, “Tradition, renewal, sustainability, and self-reliance are issues of strategic importance for Hungary’s future.”

The minister of agriculture delivering his opening speech (Photo credit: Mana-mohana Dasa)

Nagy emphasized that the Krishna Valley Indian Cultural Centre and Organic Farm in Somogyvamos is one of Middle Europe’s largest and longest-working ecovillages. For him, this proves that a lifestyle close to nature and a rural economy can offer people an attractive and high quality of life. He also underlined that our moral and physical survival might depend on preserving the traditional and natural approach modeled at Krishna Valley, which should be passed on to the next generation.

2023 is a time to reflect on the last three decades and how the inhabitants of Krishna Valley transformed a barren sheep run into the largest, flourishing ecovillage in Central Europe. Devotees have researched many sustainability principles and immediately put these solutions into practice. All this offers the only guarantee for the future of humankind. Food and energy crises have become part of everyday life and demonstrate that the present world paradigm does not provide a secure solution for the needs of the earth’s population. Humankind must brace itself for the possibility of tumultuous environmental and social changes caused by climate change.

Krishna Valley is also a model programme that can be emulated in Europe and worldwide. It is a conscious return to our ancestors’ lifestyle, combined with the sensible and measured use of the latest technology. Throughout its 30 years, life in Krishna Valley has integrated and preserved the values of Hungarian rural traditions alongside the practical application of the wisdom of ancient Indian-Vedic culture, living by the principles of non-violence and respect for nature.

Krishna Valley has also become a well-known, popular tourist centre, which welcomes over 30 thousand visitors and pilgrims annually who come to gain inspiration and knowledge. Organic gardening, cow protection, landscape-based husbandry, the wise use and preservation of water supplies, and vegetarian cooking are all practices visitors can learn about during their visit. Krishna Valley is a beautiful organic farm and an island of peace where spiritual self-realization and meditation are practiced, and people can live a high quality of life.

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