Just a few miles outside the small town of Fairfield, Iowa, is a town unlike any other: the Maharishi Vedic City. The city itself is about one square mile, but big things are happening there. The founding principle of the city is based on the belief that groups of people who work and meditate together can achieve world peace.
The city plan is based on the principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, an ancient system of architecture and design that was revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The city is connected to the Maharishi University of Management, which incorporates consciousness-based learning and the practice of Transcendental Meditation into its degree programs of art, business, education, communications, mathematical science, literature, physiology & health, Vedic Science and sustainable living.
The city is serious about organic food and sustainability. They make use of solar and wind power to minimize their environmental impact, and the city council even passed an ordinance banning the sale of non-organic food inside the city limits in November of 2002. They also run an organic farm that sells produce to stores like Whole Foods.
The city includes 200 buildings, with offices, homes and two hotels.
City of Fairfield
Wikimedia/Keithbob
Wikipedia/Keithbob The Maharishi Ayur-Veda Spa Center and Hotel (nicknamed, “The Raj”) is one of the hotels in the city. The spa offers treatments aligned with the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health. The other hotel is the Rukmapura Park Hotel.
There are two meditation domes where residents do Transcendental Meditation and other practices.
Flickr/LindaDee2006
Flickr/LindaDee2006
Wikipedia/Keithbob Their large Vedic observatory features ten concrete-and-marble astronomical instruments that are precisely aligned with the sun, moon and stars. They believe that the alignment and arrangement of the instruments can potentially create inner happiness and balance.
Flickr/Joselito Tagarao This city is truly one-of-a-kind, with citizens who strive for sustainability, mindfulness and world peace.
The video below gives you a guided tour of this unique and interesting city.
City of Fairfield
Wikimedia/Keithbob
Wikipedia/Keithbob
The Maharishi Ayur-Veda Spa Center and Hotel (nicknamed, “The Raj”) is one of the hotels in the city. The spa offers treatments aligned with the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health. The other hotel is the Rukmapura Park Hotel.
Flickr/LindaDee2006
Their large Vedic observatory features ten concrete-and-marble astronomical instruments that are precisely aligned with the sun, moon and stars. They believe that the alignment and arrangement of the instruments can potentially create inner happiness and balance.
Flickr/Joselito Tagarao
This city is truly one-of-a-kind, with citizens who strive for sustainability, mindfulness and world peace.
If you’re curious about the town and want to learn more about it, city tours are held from 1:30-4:30 PM on any day of the week.
Address: 1734 Jasmine Avenue, Maharishi Vedic City, IA
Want to learn more about the interesting places in Iowa? Check out these 10 Places In Iowa You Must See Before You Die.
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