Mayapur () is a

human settlement In geography, statistics and archaeology, a settlement, locality or populated place is a community of people living in a particular location, place. The complexity of a settlement can range from a minuscule number of Dwelling, dwellings gro ...

and pilgrimage town in the Nabadwip CD block in the Krishnanagar Sadar subdivision of the

Nadia district Nadia () is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. It borders Bangladesh to the east, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts to the south, Purba Bardhaman to the west, and Murshidabad to the north. Nadia district is highly influe ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, India. It is situated at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of the Jalangi River and the Bhagirathi, a

distributary A distributary, or a distributary channel is a stream channel that branches off and flows a main stream channel. It is the opposite of a ''tributary'', a stream that flows another stream or river. Distributaries are a result of river bifurc ...

of the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

. The area is considered spiritually significant by followers and devotees of

Gaudiya Vaishnavism Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnavism, Vaishnava Hindu denominations, Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region o ...

Etymology

The name ''Mayapur'' is derived from ''Miyapur'' ( ), which is the Bengali name of a village known for being settled by

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

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 Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

appeared along with his brother

Balarama Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

, as

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; ), born Vishvambhara Mishra () (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), was an Indian Hindus, Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bha ...

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. 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 Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj, Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of ...

Temples and memorials

There are several Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations in Mayapur. The headquarters of the

International Society for Krishna Consciousness The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by ...

(ISKCON) is also situated here. The town is heavily centered on this particular

Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...

religious tradition, with temples devoted to

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

and

Gaura ''Gaura'' was a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The name was derived from Greek Language, Greek ''(gaûros)'' meaning "superb" and named in reference to the stature and floral display of some specie ...

- Nitai throughout. In the 1880s, at the birth site of

, 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. 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. File:Yogapith, Mayapur.jpg, alt=A white ornate structure with a pyramidal pointed dome standing on the bank of a pond and surrounded by trees, Yogapith temple at Mayapur, established by Bhaktivinoda Thakur in the 1880s. File:Idols of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jagannath, Balarama, Subhadra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ISKCON Mayapur) in Mayapur, Nadia, West Bengal, India.jpg, Idols of Sri Sri Radha Madhava,

Jagannath Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, '' Purushot ...

, Balarama, Subhadra and

at the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ISKCON Mayapur).

Transport

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

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 at Mayapur, Nadia 02.jpg, Mayapur Ferry ghat Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupada, Mayapur 07102013 04.jpg, Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupada Main gate of ISKCON, Mayapur 07102013.jpg, Main gate of ISKCON Mayapur Crossing the Jalangi river at Mayapur.JPG, The Ganges river at Mayapur ISKCON Campus - Mayapur - Nadia 2017-08-15 2005.JPG, ISKCON Campus

Footnotes

References

* *

External links

Yoga-Pitha - Holy birthplace of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Mayapur in photos & video clips

Sri Mayapur Dham, ISKCON Mayapur main site

ISKCON Mayapur Design Archive

MayaPur Dham Yatra
* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Nadia district Hindu holy cities International Society for Krishna Consciousness Vaishnavism Tourist attractions in Nadia district