Mayapur is a town on the island called Antardwip, one of the nine islands that come together to form Nabadwip. Nabadwip, which translates to a collection of nine islands, is a spiritual hub dedicated to different deities. Mayapur, previously known as Miyapur is a neighborhood of Bamanpukur area, situated adjacent to Nabadwip, at the confluence of two rivers, where the waters of the river Jalangi mix with the Ganga.
Well connected by rail, road, and water with Kolkata, It is located about 130 km north of Kolkata within Nadia district, West Bengal, India. also called Shree Mayapur is famous for Chandrodaya Temple (first temple established by ISKCON in Mayapur), Samadhi of Prabhupada (temple dedicated to the founder of ISKCON), Shree Chaitanya math (the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu), Goswami Maharaj Temple of Dashavatar and Chand Kazi’s Samadhi. Mayapur is where the Material and Spiritual Worlds meet. Just as there is no difference between Lord Chaitanya and Lord Krishna, similarly there is no difference between Shridham Mayapur and Vrindavan.
The main attraction in Mayapur is the Temple of Vedic Planetarium built by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) which is the world’s largest temple. Also, there is Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi Mandir, a memorial to ISKCON’s founder. The main shrine is surrounded by a museum depicting Srila Prabhupada’s life, using fiberglass exhibits. Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir or the main temple has 3 main altars, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Panca-tattva, and Lord Narasimha Deva. These Pancha Tattva deities are the largest deities of Pancha Tattva in the world.
The Panca-tattva comprises Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara Pandit, and Srivas Thakur. There are a number of Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations in Mayapur, such as the Gaudiya Math. The town is heavily centered on this particular Vaishnava religious tradition, officially known as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, with temples devoted to Radha and Krishna or Gaura-Nitai throughout. The Gaudiya-Vaishnava devotees every year circumambulate the various places of Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes in the group of nine islands known as Navdvip. This Parikrama takes about 7 days. This event takes place around the Gaur Purnima Festival (Appearance Day of Lord Chaitanya). Devotees from all over the world come to Mayapur for this auspicious Parikrama to celebrate the Lord’s Divine Appearance Day.
In addition to having a fascinating history, there are several lovely places to visit in Mayapur including Ballal Dhipi, Mayapur’s Gosala, Chand Kazi Samadhi, Nabadwip City., Mayapur Market, Yoga Peeth, Srila Prabhupada’s personal quarters. There are numerous ashrams for tourists to stay in Mayapur, besides a few budget hotels and lodges. For those initiated members living in Mayapur, there are Brahmachari ashram as well as family quarters. The biggest draw of Mayapur are thousands of devotees of ISKCON from various parts of the world who have come here and made it their home. Another attraction is elephants used during weekly, monthly processions. Mayapur takes a completely different spectacle during morning and evening mangal aarti. Also, worth visiting is the t. Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary. Krishnanagar City, and Plassey, scene of Battle of Plassey (1757).
Mayapur draws thousands of tourists and Krishna devotees especially during Krishna Janmashtami, Ras Parvv, and all occasions associated with Shree Krishna. The best time, without a doubt, would be between November and February as Winters s a time when the weather is splendid in this part of West Bengal. Although it is open to visitors throughout the year.
