Mayapur

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Mayapur
Neighborhood
Mayapur is located in West Bengal
Mayapur
Mayapur
Location in West Bengal, India
Coordinates: 23°26′18″N 88°23′34″E / 23.4382755°N 88.3928686°E / 23.4382755; 88.3928686Coordinates: 23°26′18″N 88°23′34″E / 23.4382755°N 88.3928686°E / 23.4382755; 88.3928686
Country India
StateWest Bengal
DistrictNadia
Languages
 • OfficialBengali, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
741313
Telephone code91 3472

Mayapur (Mayāpura)[1] is a neighbourhood of Bamanpukur, in the Nabadwip CD block in the Krishnanagar Sadar subdivision of the Nadia district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is situated adjacent to Nabadwip, at the confluence of two rivers, where the waters of the Jalangi River mix with the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges. It is located about 130 km north of Kolkata. Along with Nabadwip, it is considered a spiritual place by the adherents of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Etymology[edit]

The word Mayapur derives from Miyapur (Bengali: মিঞাপুর [Miñāpura]), the Bengali name of a village, known as a Muslim-inhabited village, especially for the settlement of Muslim fishermen.[2][3] The name Miyapur was mentioned in various government documents, including maps and surveys.[2][4] In the 20th century, the Gaudiya Vaishnava reformer Bhaktivinoda Thakur proclaimed this place as Mayapur.[5]

History[edit]

Nabadwip-Mayapur
R: temple, F: facility, H: historical site
Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
See also: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Bhaktivinoda Thakur

It is said to be the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.[6] It is said 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 on them the greatest 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.[7]

Gaudiya Vaishnava temples and memorials[edit]

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.

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.[citation needed]

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.

Idols of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Jagannath, Balarama, Subhadra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ISKCON Mayapur) in Mayapur.

The most prominent attraction in Mayapur is the Temple of Vedic Planetarium built by ISKCON which is the world's largest temple.[8][9] Also there is Srila Prabhupada's Pushpa Samadhi Mandir, a memorial to ISKCON's founder. The main shrine is surrounded by a museum depicting Srila Prabhupada's life,[10] using fiberglass exhibits. Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir or the main temple has 3 main altars, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Panca-tattva and Lord Narasimha Deva. These Pancha Tattva deities are the largest deities of Pancha Tattva in the world.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

Transport[edit]

Kolkata is about 100 km from Mayapur. The nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport which is around 86 km (53 mi) away. It can easily be accessed through roads, although there is no proper rail connectivity. But it can be reached through Nabadwip Dham station. It can also be accessed through Delhi Road, then from Magra, to Nabadwip Dham Rail Gate and Krishnanagar and take left from NH-34.

Gallery[edit]

  • Mayapur Ferry ghat

    Mayapur Ferry ghat

  • Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupada

    Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupada

  • Main gate of ISKCON Mayapur

    Main gate of ISKCON Mayapur

  • The Ganges river at Mayapur

    The Ganges river at Mayapur

  • ISKCON Campus

    ISKCON Campus

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ↑ "THE CALCUTTA REVIEW VOL.101". Internet Archive. Kolkata: Thomas S. Smith, City Press. 1895. p. Critical Notations- xli. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bhatia, Varuni (2017). Unforgetting Chaitanya: Vaishnavism and Cultures of Devotion in Colonial Bengal. Oxford University Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-19-068624-6.
  3. ↑ Mondal, Mrityunjay (2012). Chaitanyadeb. kolkata: Patra Bharati. p. 202.
  4. ↑ Bose, Satyendranath (1937). "শ্রীগৌরাঙ্গদেবের জন্মস্থান" (PDF). bn.wikisource.org. Kolkata. p. 30. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  5. ↑ Rari, Kantichandra. "Nabadwip-Tattwa - 2nd ed". Internet Archive. Kuladaprasad Mallik, Nabadwip. p. 6. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "MAYAPUR - West Bengal Tourism, Experience Bengal, Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of W. B." wbtourismgov.in. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Narottam.com - Lectures and Kirtans by Indradyumna Swami". Narottam.com. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Temple of the Vedic Planetarium - Home". Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "ISKCON's Mayapur in West Bengal temple to be world's biggest". Telangana Today. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Guide for winter celebration at Mayapur".

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Template:Hindu holy cities

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