Mayapur ISKCON - Spiritual Capital of the world

Mayapur - ISKCON temple - Nabadwip


Nabadwip is the birth place of Load Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533). It is situated in the bank of Ganga (bhagarati), where river Jalangi ( locally Khoyra) meets with Ganga. One side of the Ganga is Swarupnagar (can be reach by bus from Krishnanagar city) and another side is Nabadwip ghat. Boats are available for crossing the Ganga , fair Rs. 1.50. One banks of Khoyra is Nabadwip ghat and another is ISKCON.

Nabadwip is 120 K.m. away from Kolkata and can be reachable either form Howrah or form Sealdha. At Howrah, Katwa Local is available also there are few passengers/ express trains available for Nabadwip. For Mayapur - ISKCON temple, it is better to get down at Bishnupriya halt, which is after Nabadwip station. I took Local at 7.53 am from Howrah and reached Bishnupriya halt around 10.40 a.m. A rishka takes around Rs. 10-20 for the Nabadwip ghat from the station..

Mayapur is an Island grown in between river Khoyra(Jalangi River) and the Ganga. Take a boat to cross the Ganga to reach Mayapur ghat. Here make sure you see the difference in the color of the water while crossing the river. It can be reached by crossing the rivers. After reaching Mayapur there are riskaws or van riskaws are available to go ISKCON temple, charges Rs. 10-20..  It will be good if someone take the holy dip in to the Ganga, because the other side of the Ganga here said Khoyra not the Ganga.

The another way to reach Nabadwip is from Sealdah. From Sealdah there are Krishnanagar local, or lalgola passenger of Bhagirathi express are daily available. By local it takes 2.30 hrs and in Bhagirathi it takes around 2 hrs. only. There are locals available every one hour from Sealdah. From Krishnanagar there are buses available for Nabadwip ghat. Fair is around Rs. 10. Autos are also available, but after 8.30 p.m. it is difficult to get those. Other way to reach Sadar by van rishka or rishka, they take around Rs. 30 or Rs. 6 in share. From sadar there are buses available for Nabadwip ghat. Nabadwip ghat is around 11 k.m. away from Krishnanagar Station.

ISKCON


Radha Krishna Temple


ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was founded by His holy Sri Bhakti Vedanta Prabhupada. This is a bhaktibada Baishnab organization, H.O located in Mayapur. There is devotee all over the world to visit Mayapur. There are two main shrine one is devited for Sri Bhakti Vedanta Prabhupada and another is main temple where Load Krishna with Radha and others are worshiped. The area is very large and can be viewed only by the permission of the authority.




Sri Radha Madhava, surrounded by Their Ashta-sakhis (eight principal gopi friends) — Sri Lalita, Sri Champakalata, Sri Chitra, Sri Tungavidya, Sri Vishaka, Sri Indulekha, Sri Rangadevi and Sri Sudevi, along with Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Giri-Govardhana.




Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with his associates Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acharya, Sri Gadhadhara Pandita and Sri Srivasa Thakura

Radha Krishna Temple


On the left side of the main temple room is a murti of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, Srila Prabhupada in his Vyasasana. On the right side, on the main altar are the presiding deities: the beautiful larger than life size Sri Sri Radha Madhava, surrounded by Their Ashta-sakhis (eight principal gopi friends) — Sri Lalita, Sri Champakalata, Sri Chitra, Sri Tungavidya, Sri Vishaka, Sri Indulekha, Sri Rangadevi and Sri Sudevi, along with Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Giri-Govardhana. The small Radha Madhava Deities in the altar goes out in procession during Ratha-yatra and other festivals like Jhulana-yatra (swing festival) or boat festival. These Deities also come out in procession on a chariot every Saturday after Sandhya-arati during winter from the beginning of the Kartika (Damodara) month till Gaura-purnima.


In the center of the temple is the merciful deity of Lord Nrisimhadeva. This rare form of Nrisimhadeva is known as “Sthanu-Nrisimha” and this is the only place where this particular form of Nrisimhadeva is known to be worshipped. With bent knees and in great anger with reddish eyes, He is ready to spring out of the pillar to attack the demons and protect His devotees. The Deity was installed here in 1986 after the temple was attacked by dacoits.


The third altar (past Lord Nrisimhadeva), adjacent to the main temple hall is the Sri Sri Pancha-tattva temple. The most attractive and magnificient larger than life dieties of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with His associates Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acharya, Sri Gadhadhara Pandita and Sri Srivasa Thakura were installed in 2004, which was a remarkable event in the history of ISKCON. The small Pancha-tattva deities were installed earlier, in 1996.

Timings of some of the prominent daily events here are:


Mangala-arati: 4:15AM (closes at 5:00AM)
Darsana-arati: 7:00AM
Srila Prabhupada Guru-puja: 7:30AM
Class on Srimad-Bhagavatam (English and Bengali separately): 8:15AM
Bhoga-arati: 12 noon
(temple closes at 1:00PM and reopens at 4:00PM)
Sandhya-arati: 6:30PM
Class on Bhagavad-gita (Bengali): 7:45PM
(temple closes at 8:30PM)


The evening Arati in the temple is very charming. People from variety of origin are dancing in a same name in the form of Kritan i.e.
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare;
Hare rama Hare Rama,
Rama Rama Hare Hare”.


After attaining Arati it will be better to move for Kolkata. The last connecting train from Nabadwip to Howrah is available at 7.45 p.m. which reaches Howrah at 10:45 PM and from Krishnanagar to Sealdah is available at 8.10 p.m. which reaches Sealdah at 11 PM

Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi Mandir

The magnificient memorial shrine of Srila Prabhupada is the largest of its kind in India. The tall majestic marble dome dominates the skyline and shines beautifully in the golden rays of the sun at sunrise and sunset. The garland which adorned His Divine Grace while placing him in Samadhi has been brought and laid down in the Pushpa Samadhi Mandir. A larger than life size brass murti of Srila Prabhupada has been installed and worshipped here.

Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa Samadhi Mandir

The Samadhi Mandir’s gardens are very beautiful and extensive. They never fail to attract the attention of all guests. Upstairs, inside the Samadhi, a large diorama display depicts Srila Prabhupada’s life and struggles to establish ISKCON and its preaching mission. Outside, the walls are decorated with terra-cotta displays of Krishna’s pastimes from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. A large auditorium is in the basement with facility for stage lighting. It is equipped with a sound system and seminars, festivals, ISKCON film shows and cultural programs take place here.
The Samadhi Mandir is open for general guests from 7:30AM to 1 p.m. and 3:30PM to 8:30AM

River Khoyra (Jalangi River) meets Ganga




Temple of The Vedic Planetarium


One new big temple of Radha-Krishna ( Temple of The Vedic Planetarium) is in under process.


Nabadwip was the capital of Ballal Sen and later Lakshman Sen, the famous rulers of the Sena Empire, who ruled from 1159 to 1206. In 1202, Nabadwip was captured by Bakhtiyar Khilji. This victory paved the way for Muslim rule in Bengal
Hotels are available in Krishnanagar, Nabadwip or better in Mayapur.

There are plenty of Mandirs to visit in Nabadwip, specially Sonar (golden) Gouranga. One of the disciple of Mahaprabhu built this idol of Mahaprabhu made by gold. Here devotee can also see the shoes worn by Mahaprabhu. Beside the shrine of Sonar Gouranga there is one place in between Samaj Bari, where there is still a Kool tree planted by Shri Chaitanya. The Sri Sri Samaj Bari is famous tample and ashram for’ Baishnab’ on the same lane. There are other things in Nabadwip which are birth place of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhy, Narashingha tample, Lake etc.