Mayapur: Spiritual Sojourn

Any pilgrimage help savour the flavors of the soul as expressed in art, architecture, music, food, and every other aspects of living. We move deeply into the pilgrimage experience, expanding our ability to perceive the connections between the soul of India and the soul that animates our life. This experience of inner and outer soul allows us to integrate the riches of this culture into our own life.

Mayapur, located on the banks of the Ganges River in West Bengal, at the point of its confluence with the River Jalangi, near Navadvip, 130 km north of Calcutta is considered a holy place and is of special significance as the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, regarded as a special incarnation of Krishna and Radha in Hindu mythology.

The Holy Birth Place of "Sri Chaitanyadeb" is also known as "Gour Gangar Desh" as well as “Oxford of Bengal". The city has several temples and is an important religious center in Bengal. There is nothing like being there physically. One actual glance is equal to a hundred times hearing!

The charming scenery, array of colourful flowers smiling all along, trees filled with fruits, lawns with lotus tubs in the corners and the smell of the falling leaves from the trees soothes the mind of the weary visitors longing to find some peace in their mind.

And adjacent to it is Nabadwip which continued to be an important cultural, religious and educational center of Bengal till the sixteenth century. Today it is a major religious center attracting devotees from all parts of the nation and the world. Mayapur is also the world headquarters for ISKCON.

The gurukul and goshala are close by. While the gurukul is basically a school for studying Vaishnav religion, the goshala provides shelter to abandoned cows and manufactures medicines from their excrement.

Nabadwip becomes gay and festive at the time of full moon day in the Bengali month of agrahayan (November). People enjoy the festival of "Raas" with dance, songs, tableau, lighting, colourful decoration etc. Thousands of outsiders flock to Nabadwip to enjoy the festival of Raas and unlock this mystic place of the birth of lord Chaitanya, where small huts invites everyone to visit its interiors and experience the mystery surrounding it.

The evenings resonates with the sound of prayers everywhere with hundreds of devotees and visitors dancing to the rhythms of the chantings & a mesmerisical harmony everywhere in the prayers along with the rythm of the lighted fountains; the waters swinging up to dizzy heights in a smooth melancholy.

Travellers Info:

Mayapur is located 150 kms from Kolkata. Navadwip is at the other end of the River Ganges at Mayapur. So whichever place you visit first you have to cross the river in a ferry/boat to catch the other place.

From Kolkata you can hire a Taxi / Jeeps to Mayapur/ Navadwip which will take around 3 Hours. This will be a bit costly than train but the most hassle free option.

You can also visit Mayapur/ Navadwip by Train from Sealdah or Howrah Railway Station.

- Sealdah Railway Station (here you reach mayapur first and then cross the river to navadwip)

1) Book the ticket to Krishna Nagar City Station. The journey will take around 3 Hours. From Krishna Nagar Railway station you can get shared/reserved auto and other vehicles to Mayapur. After reaching there you can hire a auto or any other vehicle to visit the entire place of Mayapur and then go across to Navadwip.


- Howrah Railway Station (here you reach navadwip first and then cross the river to mayapur)

1) Book the ticket to Navadwip Station. The journey will take around 4 Hours. After reaching there you can hire a auto or any other vehicle to visit the entire place of Navadwip and then go across to Mayapur.

Daily bus services are also available from Kolkata to Navadwip and Krishnanagar.

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