Mayapur - "The Abode of Lord Krishna".
Mayapur - "The Abode of Lord Krishna"
Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of the city?
Are you hunting for a chance to get the feel of mental calmness? If so, you are
in the right place. This article will help you to plan a day where you can find
Serenity and Purity in the air. I am talking about Mayapur – “The Abode
of Lord Krishna” - Mayapur is a little village situated on the banks
of River Ganges and the headquarters of ISKCON.
Tourism can be divided into multiple sectors and each
one of us have one or two of these sectors in our priority list. We generally
try to plan trips as per our own preferences. I have my own preference as well
but am inclined towards finding the essence of different such sectors. So, I thought of giving a try at Spiritual
Tourism and hence chose Mayapur as a one-day trip on the 05th of
January,2020.
Brief on Mayapur - "The Abode of Lord Krishna"
Mayapur is a small village situated at the confluence
of two rivers – Jalangi and Ganga and is specially known for its Spirituality.
It is almost 130 km north of Kolkata and falls within the Nadia District of
West Bengal, India. It is one of the best places to squeeze yourself
out from the tiresome pollution and crowd of the city and find yourself amidst
a calm and pure climate, relax and rejuvenate yourself sitting by the river
Ganges, enjoy the sweet chime of ringing bells and mystic sound of conch shells
and feel the divine spiritual culture all around.
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| Confluence of River Ganga and Jalangi, Mayapur |
Mayapur is the headquarters of the ISKCON
movement in India. The ISKCON Mayapur campus houses several architectural feats
including the upcoming largest temple - the Temple of Vedic Planetarium -
describing the universe according to the Vedic cosmology.
Brief on ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON), otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement was founded by the
divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966.
This society, founded for and by the devotees of Lord Krishna, and dedicated to
the dissemination of the teachings of Sri Krishna, the Bhagwad Gita and the
ideals of Vedantic Hinduism, and it promotes a non-violent spiritual life where
the devotees follow a life of asceticism, social service and vegetarianism
having their belief in “God is a Person” - the Supreme Person is not abstract
and his eternal, blissful, all-knowing, and all-attractive personality tends to
remain hidden behind His all-pervasive majesty and overwhelming greatness.
God is known across the world by many names including
Allah, Bhagoban, Jehovah, Rama, etc. ISKCON devotees chant God’s names in the
form of the maha-mantra, or the great prayer for deliverance: Hare Krishna,
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare.
How to reach Mayapur - "The Abode of Lord Krishna"?
You can reach Mayapur by taking any of the below
routes:
- There are trains
leaving Howrah Junction heading towards Katwa Railway Staion which
passes through “Nabadwip Dham” railway station and is available at an
interval of almost an hour and a half. It takes about 3 hours to reach
“Nabadwip Dham” from Howrah. Once you reach “Nabadwip Dham” railway
station, you can take a rickshaw/toto/auto to Mayapur Ghat (around 7-10
mins) and then get on a boat to cross over the Ganga to reach Hular Ghat
at Mayapur. If you want to visit ISKCON Chandradoya Mandir, you will find
several totos/autos here.
- From Sealdah Junction,
you can board any train going towards “Krishnanagar City Junction” railway
station which will take a little more than 02 hrs to reach Krishnanagar
City Junction. From there you can take a rickshaw to the bus terminus from
where you can catch a bus to “ISKCON, Mayapur”.
- Alternately ISKCON
Kolkata operates bus service to ISKCON Mayapur 3 times a week.
- West Bengal Transport
Company(WBTC) also operates a daily bus service from Esplanade to Mayapur.
- You can take a cab or
use your own vehicle to make a short trip to Mayapur.
We had taken the 5th option, started
our journey at the break of dawn, at around 05:00 AM.
As we stay near to the airport, we took the Jessore
road towards Barasat which is a straight road without many turns and thereafter
took NH-34 towards Krishnanagar via Ranaghat and Shantipur and then took the
downward district road to Mayapur and Navadwip.
Experience of a day in Mayapur -
"The Abode of Lord Krishna"
It was a serene and mind freshening morning
- a gentle cool breeze blowing around, echoes of cooing birds, a
sublime touch of lush greenery and the embracing beauty of Nature filled our
hearts with purity and calmness.
We stood by a roadside shack selling snacks and tea –
enjoyed the ginger cardamom flavoured morning tea along with some biscuits and
cakes and started our way forward towards our destination.
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| Ginger cardamom flavoured Morning Tea |
We stopped at Krishnanagar for a breakfast break,
grabbed some “Puri- Sabji” along with Sharpuria (special sweet dish of
Krishnanagar) and then drove through to our destination taking the district
road amidst the green paddy fields and wide stretched flowing waterbodies.
Mayapur is a house of several temples, we stood by
some of them and soon did the religious ambience and the serene natural beauty
of the place seemed to have brought peace to our busy troubled mind.
We could see traditionally decked men and women all
around chanting Hare Krishna in their own way and greeting every other person
with “Hare Krishna”. The basic calm aura of the place filled up our hearts with
happiness.
It was around 11:15 AM that we reached the main temple
– Mayapur Chandradoya Mandir. We were given our parking coupons and went ahead
towards the huge but well managed parking area where we finally got down from
the car. The first glimpse of the temple made us feel that the almighty was
welcoming us with his open hands.
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| Parking space at Mayapur |
Everything around us was totally enchanted with the
magic of Radha Krishna. We headed towards the main entrance and were mesmerized
to see the beautiful oasis of so many acres filled with the power of the
almighty.
Before entering the main temple premises, we had to
deposit our shoes, electronic gadgets(including our mobiles) and luggage bags
in a counter developed inside the premise. We found several foreigners who had
decked themselves to the ethnic Indian costumes and were chanting the
Maha-Mantra in their own sweet way.
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| Foreigners decked in Indian costumes in Mayapur |
Finally, we entered the temple of Mayapur - The abode
of Lord Krishna. The huge hall with a domed ceiling is the abode to the supreme
power – Radha Krishna.
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| Main Building, Mayapur |
The eternal beauty of Radha Madhava and Asta Sakhis
filled our hearts with an omnipotent power. Peace and a feeling of sacredness
prevailed all over. We also saw the magnificent deities of Panchatattva, Lord
Nrisingha Dev, Srila Prabhupada. The ceiling held paintings depicting Hindu
scriptures and stories of Lord Chaitanya. The architecture and decorations were
a real treat to the eyes. There is also an excellent destination if you want to
meditate for some time.
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| Peace and feeling of sacredness, Mayapur |
This temple has an exhibition section which displays the different works and events of the life of Shree Chaitanya. After spending some time inside the temple, we finally came out and strolled around
for a while. The main temple is adorned by a water body and many trees.
During casually strolling around the temple, I found a
lady of western origin who seemed to have devoted her life to Lord Krishna and
was found meditating amidst the lush greenery of the pious land.
We ourselves could breathe the pure and fresh
air there.
The temple was thronged with many visitors as well as
devotees. There was a small hut like construction where some devotees were
chanting the Maha-Mantra to the tune of harmonium and other musical
instruments.
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| Hut like construction where the maha-mantra is being chanted in Mayapur |
This felt to be a place flowing with devotion like no
other place on earth. We noticed devotees chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra and
enjoying to the tune of the same.
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| Chanting the Maha-mantra to the tune of musical instruments, Mayapur |
We thought to join them and spend some time there.
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| We, enjoying the Maha-mantra, Mayapur |
This religious place attracts thousands of travellers
from all the corners of the world. During Janmashtami, Dol yatra(Holi) and
other festivals of the Vaishnava calendar Mayapur is crowded by a large number
of visitors as well as devotees all over the world. The Mayapur campus of
ISKCON serves to house several temples, living quarters for devotees, several
cottage industries and other social enterprises of the sector.
The temple in ISKCON complex sells exquisite icons,
statues and decorative images of Krishna and Radha. There is a book store that
sells Vaishanava literature. The real piece of art works that are worth
purchasing here are the idols of Lord Krishna and other deities.
These idols or statues have been intricately carved by the local artisans and
professionals. One can also purchase various artifacts as well as miniature
sculptures specially created to make the decors of the home look more
beautiful.
Mayapur is steeped with the eternal deeds of
Mahaprabhu. So, when you come to buy something as a souvenir you can also
consider the texts and books written on Mahaprabhu as well.
It was time for us to collect food coupons for lunch –
the Maha Prasadam. There are three types of food coupons available
as below:-
- Gada Kitchen:
12.30-1.30pm (Lunch Rs.70/-) 12.30- 1.30pm (Special Lunch - Rs.120/-) 8:00
- 8.30pm (Dinner - Rs.50/-) 8.00 -8.30pm (Special Dinner - Rs.120/-)
- Sulabh Kitchen 9.00am
(Breakfast - Rs.30/-) 12.00 noon - 4.00pm (Lunch - Rs.30/-)
- Free full meal
prasadam coupon is available to individuals on first come first serve
basis upto max. 500 pilgrims/day @ Radha Madhav Temple Courtyard on 6.00
am everyday.
We collected the coupon for Rs. 70/- for all of us and
went towards the hall where food was being served.
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| Stalls where you can get the food coupons |
It was the 05th of January, we initially
did not understand that it would be such a huge crowd and already bought the
coupons. There were multiple queues moving in a snake like formation towards
the hall. It was already 02:45 P.M by then and the hall remains open till 3:00
PM or 03:30 PM, I don’t remember the exact timing now. So, we understood there
was a very thin line of hope that we could enjoy the Bhog. With a heavy heart,
we decided to sell our coupons at the counter, but that was not possible, so we
distributed the coupons among the people who still wanted to stand in the queue
for the Bhog. Finally, we had a vegetarian meal in a restaurant outside the
hotel.
This holy place of Mayapur is surrounded by the nine
Islands and Mayapur itself is situated on the Island named Antardvip and every
island is separated by a tributary of the river Ganges. On the other bank of
the river, lies Nabadwip Dham. We decided to visit Nabadwip Dham – The
birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
The birth place of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Nabadwip a village in the Nadia district is a place
with immense historical importance. During the 12th century, reign of Sen
Rulers, it was the capital of Bengal. We hired a three wheeler toto and went to
the river ghat.
The expansive waters of the River Ganges flowing in
its own way, the sparkling small waves hitting the banks all together conjured
up a picture of holiness all over.
Apart from the glorious view of Mayapur, this place
offers a picturesque riverside where one can either bask in the sun, or watch
the sunset or enjoy the sight of the boat rides or enjoy a boat ride oneself.
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| Enjoying the sight of the boat rides |
The Boat ride took about 15 minutes to reach
Nabadweep. We could clearly notice the merging point of the two rivers Ganges
and Jalangi.
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Merging of the two rivers Ganga and Jalangi, Mayapur
|
Finally, we got down from the boat and thought to book
an auto/toto to visit the nearby places of importance.
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| Mayapur Ferry Ghat |
But we stopped at the sweet shops as the sight of the
“Mishti Doi” and “Sandesh” left us mouthwatering. Nabadwip is quite famous for
its 'Shondesh' (a Bengali sweet), and Mishti Doi (Sweet Curd) and one should
try one of these on this tour.
Then we booked a toto on a contract of taking us to
few of the most religious places. We didn’t have the option to visit every
corner of this divine land as we were running short of time.
It is believed that "He who sees Navadvipa-dhama
gets ecstatic love of Krishna birth after birth" and "The essence of
purity and spirituality is everywhere here and becomes freed from all
offenses". It would be no exaggeration to term Nabadwip as the “City of
Temples” because of the presence of nearly 185 temples.
He took us to Poramatala - Temple of Pora-Maa (burnt
mother). It is the deity of Goddess Bhabatarini/a. Once upon a time, the deity
was burnt in thundershower. Since then, it is called "Pora Maa" -
Mother whose face is burnt. It is believed that If you make a wish to the
mother here and tie “laal suto”, your wish will be fulfilled for sure.
Next, we went to an amusement park, where you can find
the sculptures depicting different phases of Lord Krishna’s life.
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| Amusement park in Nabadwip |
We then visited the “Mahaprabhu Janma Sthan” – the
place where Mahaprabhu was born. The locals believe that Sri Krishna Chaitanya
was the incarnation of Lord Krishna who came at the time of 1486.
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| Mahaprabhu Janma Sthan |
Sri Chaitanya started the Hare Krishna movement. The
majestic beauty of Radha Krishna, spiritual culture and education all around
can inspire and attract you to feel the presence of the almighty and his divine
power.
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| Non Stop Harinam Sankirtan in Mahaprabhu Janma Sthan |
Though we had a plan to visit some other spots like
“Sonar Gouranga Mandir” - that has a golden statue of Mahaprabhu and few
others, but, we could not make out time as we would otherwise miss the “Sandhya
Aarti” in Mayapur Iskcon, we just moved past the “Sri Devananda Gaudiya Math”
and went straight towards the Ghat. These places see heavy tourist inflow
during the Rash festival of Kartik and also during Rath Yatra and Dol Yatra.
We returned to Mayapur to enjoy the “Sandhya Aarti”.
After reaching Mayapur, we entered the temple once
again. The solemn beauty of “Radha Madhava” filled our hearts with joy and we
could feel an immense soulful peace.
The grand Sandhya Aarti is a must watch for all who
come here. This aarti is also called Sandhya-aarti because every evening
(sandhya), this aarti is performed in the temple with incense, lamps, flowers,
Chamara and a melodious music. The rejuvenating environment will make you tap
your feet and chant Hare Krishna along with all others. The religious ambience
will at least for once remind you of Lord Krishna’s Vrindaban as you might have
seen in some film or picture in your childhood.
The Chants of Hare Krishna reverberated the air of
this place with devotees dancing and singing in ecstasy. The atmosphere became
very serene and filled our mind with peace. The essence of purity and
spirituality could be felt by each one of us. The aarti itself unravels the
spiritual significance of this land.
After enjoying the Sandhya Aarti, it was 08:20 PM and
finally time to bid adieu to this spiritual land of beauty. We drove back our
way towards Kolkata with an unfulfilled wish that we couldn’t taste the
delicious Bhog.
We brought back some sweet memories which we shall
relish in our hearts forever and yearn for the day we can once again visit this
place and taste the delicious bhog which we missed this time.
If you are planning for a day out from the rush of the
city to a place with spiritual calmness, you can surely plan for day's trip to
Mayapur and Nabadwip.
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| Mayapur - "The Abode of Lord Krishna" |
Hope the information provided is helpful enough to
plan your trip.
Keep yourself tuned to my other posts on Short Stories from My Diary and keep supporting me.
Don't forget to comment below and share your experience if you have already been to this place or it is one of the places in your wish list.
Don't forget to comment below and share your experience if you have already been to this place or it is one of the places in your wish list.
Hare Krishna.
Nice reading...Pics are also good.
ReplyDeleteWill love to visit this place sometime. This article will surely help in that.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot..
Delete