Mayapur is a city positioned in the banks of Ganga River, at the meeting point of Jalangi River near Nabadwip, West Bengal, India. It is located 130 km north of Kolkata. Mayapur is the Head Quarter of ISKCON and is considered a holy place by a number of other traditions within Hinduism but is of special significance to followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the birthplace of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya. He is regarded as a special incarnation of Krishna in the mood of Radha. It is visited by over a million pilgrims annually.
Travel to Mayapur
Travel to Mayapur can be easy, as it can be reached by boat, also by bus and train. ISKCON Kolkata runs daily bus service from Kolkata to Mayapur. Frequent trains are also available from Kolkata`s Sealdah Station to Krishnanagar, Nadia. From the main station of Krishnanagar City it takes 18 km by cycle rickshaw or auto to reach Mayapur. During the visit one can "the huge headquarters of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)" and "a long stream of saffron-robed devotees chanting" the Hare Krishna mantra.
Memorial of Mayapur
Major attraction of Mayapur is a memorial to ISKCON`s founder, Srila Prabhupada`s Samadhi Mandir. The main temple is surrounded by museum symbolizing Srila Prabhupada`s life, using fibre glass exhibits. There are also plans by International Society of Krishna Consciousness to construct a garden in memory of George Harrison.
Gaudiya Vaishnava Temples of Mayapur
Ever since 1970, the head quarters of ISKCON have been situated in Mayapur. Apart from that, there are also numerous other Gaudiya Vaishnava organisations in Mayapur, such as the Gaudiya Math. The Mayapur town is particularly centred on Vaishnava religious tradition. It is officially known as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya. It has temples devoted to Gaura-Nitai or Krishna and Radha throughout.
There used to be a sizeable Islamic population in the historic centre which called the place as Miyapur.
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