The Palace of Gold: West Virginia’s Hare Krishna Utopia Turned Hell

This week, I’m diving into one of the most bizarre, beautiful, and ultimately broken places in West Virginia: The Palace of Gold.

Perched above the hills near Moundsville, what began as a spiritual sanctuary for Hare Krishna devotees became a national headline factory in the 1980s—complete with FBI raids, murder plots, fraud, racketeering, and one of the most surreal downfalls in religious history.

I’ll walk you through:
-How a WV hilltop became a marble-and-gold mecca built by hand
-The rise of Swami Bhaktipada (Keith Ham) and the New Vrindaban community
-The power, control, and devotion that blinded many followers
-The violence, manipulation, and financial corruption that eventually tore it apart

This is the story of faith, excess, betrayal, and collapse—all set in the heart of Appalachia.

Many thanks to Henry Doktorski, a former Hare Krishna devotee and New Vrindaban resident, who has published TWELVE nonfiction books about Hare Krishna history, including a biography of Swami Bhaktipada, and a history of the West Virginia Hare Krishna commune. His books are available on Amazon. For more, see https://www.henrydoktorski.com/author.html#HareKrishna.

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Solo Stories - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxM_meUps8eOSFgB6XFmefueia2ZvRc4G&si=1wL1ft-UVhM_PiAN

Mysteries - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxM_meUps8eN0mOcv-OBjI1MqeQgoMi9W&si=wA7zLRkT5MiUQIlC

Hauntings - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxM_meUps8ePTwq7hLiYjlzSs-UqWtrfp&si=ddRW_lx1pXQrxLUC

Creepalachia was started and will remain as a show diving into the dark, strange, unknown, tragic, and heroic stories of J.D. 's homeland. These hills have stories. LONG LIVE APPALACHIA!

Disclaimer:
The stories, views, and opinions shared by guests on Creepalachia are solely those of the individuals speaking and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or the show. Creepalachia does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of guest statements and is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or outcomes related to their content. All discussions are presented for storytelling, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Viewers are encouraged to research and form their own conclusions.