Mayapur, previously known as Miyapur is a place situated adjacent to Nabadwip, at the confluence of two rivers, where the waters of the riverJalangi mix with the Ganga. It is located about 130 km north of Kolkata within Nadia district, West Bengal, India. Along with Nabadwip, it is considered a spiritual place by the adherents of Sanatana Dharma, also known as Hinduism, especially Vaishanvism.
Etymology
The word Mayapur derives from Minyapur , the Bengali name of a villages, Known as Muslim inhabited village, specially for the settlement of Muslim fishermen. The name Miyapur was mentioned in various government source like maps and also in the survey report. In the 20th century, Bhaktivinoda Thakur proclaimed this place as Mayapur.
About
It is said to be the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The headquarters of ISKCON is situated in Mayapur. It is said that the Supreme personality of godhead 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.
Memorials
The main attraction in Mayapur is the Temple of Vedic Planetarium built by ISKCON which is the world's largest temple. 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, using fiberglass exhibits. Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir or the main temple has 3 main altars, Sri SriRadha Madhava, Panca-tattva and Lord Narasimha Deva. These Pancha Tattva deities are the largest deities of Pancha tattva in the world. The Panca-tattva comprises Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara Pandit, and Srivas Thakur.
There are a number of Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations in Mayapur, such as the Gaudiya Math. The town is heavily centered on this particular Vaishnava religious tradition, officially known as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, with temples devoted to Radha and Krishna or Gaura-Nitai throughout. The Gaudiya-Vaishnava devotees every year circumambulate the various places of Lord Chaitanya's pastimes in the group of nine islands known as Navdvip. This Parikrama takes about 7 days. This event takes place around the Gaur Purnima Festival. Devotees from all over the world come to Mayapur for this auspicious Parikrama to celebrate the Lord's Divine Appearance Day.
