The Palace of Gold is an ornate shrine built in the 1970s with traditional Hindu architecture. It feels so uncanny to be in the middle of West Virginia’s mountains and stumble upon something you’d only expect to see in India. And I think that’s what makes this place particularly alluring for visitors.
You’ll likely hear “Hare Krishna” used to greet guests to the palace, as this excerpt from a longer religious chant is often used as a greeting amonst the followers.
The religious folk at this site follow the teachings of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded by Prabhupada in the 1960s. It’s basically a sect of Hinduism that focuses on worshipping the god Krishna as the principal deity. So I think that calling the Palace a Hindu temple would probably be an oversimplification or misleading. I’m guessing that the majority of visitors aren’t concerned with this distinction, but I found it interesting.
The palace’s odd location and the unique beliefs of the followers are probably the most amusing aspects of the place. The building itself is neat, but not epic. There are also some well-cared-for gardens throughout the property, which, again, are neat, but nothing I’d write home about.
A stroll along other parts of the property is also enjoyable.
The palace is also home to various animals. Look around enough, and you’ll come across a few peacocks.
McCreary Cemetery
A two-minute drive from the palace is McCreary Cemetery, final resting place of legendary frontiersman Lewis Wetzel. He was a famous scout and Indian fighter.
The cemetery is named for the McCreary family, who obtained the land in 1788 from the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia—right before Virginia, and long before West Virginia, were states.
