West Virginia is renown for natural beauty, verdant hills and mountains, but who would expect to see at the end of one of those winding Appalachian roads a Palace of Gold? On seeing its domes and stained-glass windows, the visitor may stop a moment to wonder whether he's suddenly transported to mystical India. But unlike buildings such as the Taj Mahal, Prabhupada's Palace is not a memorial to mundane love. Its greatness cannot be understood in terms of marble, teak, silver, or gold. No expert architect nor experienced artisans were involved. It was built by young devotees reading "do-it-yourself" books and inspired by their desire to build a modest home for their spiritual master. By God's arrangement, their work was transformed into a labor of love.