Mayapur & Nabadwip

A Vaishnava holy site on a Ganges distributary, home to ISKCON's headquarters and the giant Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, with the old town of Nabadwip across the river.

Mayapur and Nabadwip lie in Nadia district of West Bengal, India, on opposite banks where the Hooghly (the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges) meets the Jalangi, about 130 km from Kolkata. This is the birthplace of the 15th-century religious reformer Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Gaudiya Vaishnavas regard it as holy ground. Mayapur on the east bank is famous as the world headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON); its campus includes the Chandrodaya Mandir, with daily morning worship, the Prabhupada Samadhi memorial, and the enormous blue-and-white Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP). Nearby pilgrimage sites include Yogapith, Chaitanya's birthplace, Sri Chaitanya Math and the Ballal Dhipi ruins. Nabadwip on the west bank is an ancient centre of medieval Sanskrit learning, packed with temples, and its Raas festival in November is known for its processions of giant deities. Ferries shuttle between the two banks. The best season is October to March, when the weather is cool; during Gaura Purnima (Chaitanya's birthday) in February–March, devotees pour in and accommodation must be booked well ahead; April–June is hot and July–September is the monsoon. Getting there: take a train from Kolkata to Nabadwip Dham station (about 2.5–3 hours) and cross by ferry, or drive or hire a car via Krishnanagar (about 3–4 hours). The ISKCON campus has several guesthouses and vegetarian restaurants; meat, eggs and alcohol are banned on campus. Allow 1–2 days, plus an extra day for Kalna, 25 km to the south, and its 108 Shiva Temples. Remove your shoes and dress modestly in temples.

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