Mayapur, 130 km north of Calcutta, is one of the most holy places in India, visited by over a million pilgrims annually. It is also the world headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

It's importance to Vaisnavas is that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born here in 1486 and many of his early pastimes were performed here.

Mayapur Highlights

Gaura Mandala Area
Gaura Mandala is over 200km in circumference, with the Ganges running through the centre. It takes the form of a hundred-petaled lotus with Navadvipa as the hub. Navadvipa consists of nine (nava) islands (dvipa), each of the nine islands resembling an eight-petaled lotus flower. Antardvipa, the centre of the flower, has a circumference of 15km.

The central point, situated within Navadvipa, is the Yogapitha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace. Navadvipa is considered to be a spiritual manifestation, for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performed his transcendental activities in this holy place.

Each one of the nine islands of Nava-dvipa represents one of the nine processes of devotional service. The nine divisions are:

1. Antardvipa, Shri Mayapur (surrendering everything);
2. Simantadvipa, (hearing);
3. Godrumadvipa, (chanting);
4. Madhyadvipa, (remembering);
5. Koladvipa, Navadvipa city (serving the lotus feet);
6. Ritudvipa, (worshiping);
7. Jahnudvipa, (praying);
8. Modadruma-dvipa, (being a servant); and
9. Rudradvipa, (being a friend).

ISKCON Candradoya Mandir
This is ISKCON's international headquarters.

The largest temple to be built in India for 200 years is currently under construction here. When complete, the temple will be surrounded by its own city and will include a vedic planetarium.

At present, there is a temple with Radha Madhava Deities. These Deities are full size. Next to them are eight gopis, four on either side. The Deities of Narasimhadeva and the Panca-tattva, (Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Caitanya, Gadadhara Pandit, and Srivasa Pandit) can be seen here too.

Srila Prabhupada's Puspa Samadhi (memorial) is also here. Buried here, under a murti (statue) of Srila Prabhupada, are the flowers (puspa) that he wore when he passed away in 1977. There is also an auditorium, a garden, a diorama exhibit, and a small lake in front of the samadhi.

Shri Caitanya's Birthplace (Yogapitha)
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared under a tree. As a child he was known as Nimai. A small house was built here and houses the Deities of Jagannath Misra and Sacidevi (Caitanya Mahaprabhu's parents), together with baby Nimai.

There is a small temple dedicated to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur who was responsible for raising the money for building the original temple dedicated to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The main temple has a 30m high tower. Inside are the Deities of Radha Madhava and two Deities of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, on the left altar. On the central altar is Shri Caitanya and his two wives — Visnupriya and Laksmipriya.

Sri Srivasa Angan
Deities of Radha Krishna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Prabhu Nityananda can be seen here. Sri Caitanya and his associates used to have kirtan here all night long. This is also where Chand Kazi and his men broke the mridanga. Thus it is also called Khol Bhanga Danga, the place where the mrdanga was broken.

Shri Chaitanya Math
This temple complex was founded by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja, the Founder-acharya of the Gaudiya Math and is dedicated to Radha Govinda. Inside are four altars dedicated to the Vaisnavas acaryas: Sri Madhvacarya, Sri Visnuswami, Sri Nimbarka, and Sri Ramanujacarya.

Chand Kazi's Samadhi (Tomb)
During the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Chand Kazi was the Muslim magistrate of Navadvipa. He opposed the sankirtana movement, but was later converted; he then vowed that neither he nor his descendants would impede the movement again. A Champaka tree grows above his tomb. This tree growing along with a neem tree is said to be 500 years old.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura's House
Bhaktivinoda Thakura lived here. It was here that he wrote Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, which describes the glories of Navadvipa-dhama. His Samadhi, along with Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji's bhajan kutir can be seen here.

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