The Little Town In The Middle Of The U.S. That Just Might Be The Most Unique In The World

This country is filled with incredible small towns that all have their own unique flavor. However, one little community in Jefferson County, Iowa has an especially interesting claim to fame. Here’s what makes Maharishi Vedic City such a fascinating small town and one that Oprah called “the most unusual town in America.”

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Maharishi Vedic City is a small community of about 1,300 people in Iowa. It was only officially incorporated in 2001 and was originally known simply as "Vedic City." The tiny town is only about a square mile, but its streets are hiding a truly remarkable secret. Maharishi Vedic City was built using Maharishi Sthapatya Veda, which is an ancient system of architecture and design based on 5,000-year-old Sanskrit texts.

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The system claims that there is a connection between human health, building materials, and the position of heavenly bodies like the sun and moon. The system was assembled by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement and spiritual guru to The Beatles and the Beach Boys.

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The entire city plan of Maharishi Vedic City is based on this system. In fact, the official language of this Midwestern town is Sanskrit and the sale of non-organic food is banned. All the homes in the city are built with the movement of the planets in mind and feature gold-colored roof fixtures.

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Twice a day, more than 1,000 people gather in the town’s Maharishi University of Management to meditate and promote peace and harmony in the world. Visitors can also check out the outdoor Maharishi Vedic Observatory, which consists of large, white marble astronomical instruments that are used to create inner happiness and balance.

Would you visit this utterly unique town? If you’re interested in dropping by, check out the Maharishi Vedic City website for more information about tours.