East India · West Bengal
Mayapur, West Bengal
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
World headquarters of ISKCON and birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; Gaura Purnima (Feb-Mar) draws pilgrims from around the world.
About Mayapur
- Riverside
Where it is
Mayapur is a village in Nadia district of West Bengal at the meeting of the Jalangi and Bhagirathi rivers, facing the old town of Nabadwip across the water, north of Kolkata.
History
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 15th–16th-century saint who inspired Gaudiya Vaishnavism, was born in the Nabadwip area, and in the 1880s the reformer Bhaktivinoda Thakur identified Mayapur as his birthplace and built the Yogapith temple there. ISKCON, founded by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, later made Mayapur its world headquarters.
People
Mayapur's Bengali-speaking villagers farm and fish along the rivers, while devotees from many countries live and study at the ISKCON campus. Kirtan, devotional singing with mridanga drums and cymbals, fills the day, and Gaura Purnima brings the Navadvipa parikrama pilgrimage.
Known for
- ISKCON's Mayapur Chandrodaya temple
- The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
- The Yogapith, Chaitanya's birthplace
- Nabadwip's temples across the river
- Gaura Purnima and the Navadvipa parikrama
Did you know?
The name Mayapur is said to come from Miyapur, an older village settled by Muslim fishermen.
Shrines and sites
- ISKCON's Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
- Yogapith
- Nabadwip's temples across the river
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.