# Mayapur

Mayapur (Mayāpura) is a human settlement and pilgrimage town in the Nabadwip CD block in the Krishnanagar Sadar subdivision of the Nadia district, West Bengal, India. It is situated at the confluence of the Jalangi River and the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges. The area is considered spiritually significant by followers and devotees of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

## Etymology

The name Mayapur is derived from Miyapur (Bengali: মিঞাপুর), which is the Bengali name of a village known for being settled by Muslim fishermen. The name Miyapur was mentioned in various government documents, including maps and surveys.

## History

The region is associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a known figure in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism believe that Krishna appeared along with his brother Balarama, as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. These two brothers appeared just for the fallen conditioned souls of this Kali Yuga to bestow upon them the blessings of Harinama Sankirtan based on the teachings of Bhagvad Gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. Along with their associates, the Pancha Tattva, they distributed the divine Love of Godhead to anyone and everyone without seeing any qualifications or disqualifications. 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.

## Gaudiya Vaishnava temples and memorials

There are a number of Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations in Mayapur. The headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is situated in Mayapur. The town is heavily centered on this particular Vaishnava religious tradition with temples devoted to Radha and Krishna or Gaura-Nitai throughout.
In the 1880s, at the birthsite of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhaktivinoda Thakur established the Yogapith temple, a white ornate structure with a pyramidal pointed dome standing on the bank of a pond and surrounded by trees.
There are several Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations in Mayapur, with ISKCON's headquarters being particularly notable. The town has temples devoted to Radha and Krishna or Gaura-Nitai. The Panca-tattva comprises Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara Pandit, and Srivas Thakur.
The Gaudiya-Vaishnava devotees every year circumambulate the various places of Lord Chaitanya's pastimes in the group of nine islands known as Nabadwip. This Parikrama (circumambulation) 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.
* Yogapith temple at Mayapur, established by Bhaktivinoda Thakur in the 1880s.
* Idols of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jagannath, Balarama, Subhadra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ISKCON Mayapur).

## Transport

Kolkata is approximately 100 km from Mayapur. The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. The region can be accessed by road and rail, and the nearest railway station is Nabadwip Dham.

## Gallery

* Mayapur Ferry ghat
* Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupada
* Main gate of ISKCON Mayapur
* The Ganges river at Mayapur
* ISKCON Campus