Sanatani Directory · Ashram
इस्कॉन मायापुर
ISKCON Mayapur
Parichay · Introduction
In one line
World headquarters of ISKCON in the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — Mayapur, West Bengal.
Itihaas · History
How this place came to be
ISKCON Mayapur sits in the very town where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — the 15th-century saint who established Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the harinama sankirtan tradition — was born in 1486. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York in 1966, declared Mayapur the spiritual world headquarters of the movement.
The ongoing construction of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP), planned to be one of the largest temples in the world by floor area, has been the dominant project at Mayapur since the early 2010s. Annual events — Gaura Purnima (Chaitanya's birthday), Janmashtami, Radhashtami — draw lakhs of pilgrims from India and abroad. The campus also houses Gurukula schools, a goshala, and the international Bhaktivedanta Institute.
Karya · Day-to-day
What happens here
- ·Daily darshan and aartis of Sri Chaitanya, Radha-Madhava, Pancha-Tattva
- ·Continuous harinama sankirtan (24x7 chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra)
- ·Construction of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP)
- ·Mayapur Institute — Vaishnava theology and Bhagavatam study
- ·Annual parikrama of the navadwip mandala (nine islands of Mayapur)
Karyakram · Programmes
What you can take part in
Bhakti Sastri and Bhakti Vaibhava (Vaishnava philosophy courses)
Mayapur Academy — kirtan, deity worship, cooking
Navadwip Mandala Parikrama (annual nine-day pilgrimage around Mayapur)
Aavas · Stay
If you want to visit
Multiple guesthouses on campus — Gada Bhavan, Vamshi Bhavan, Ishodyan and others. Bookings via the ISKCON Mayapur website. Vegetarian satvik prasadam included with most stay packages. Best to book months in advance for Gaura Purnima or Kartik month.
Utsav · Calendar
What to come for
Vishesh · Notable
Worth knowing
- Sits in the very town where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in 1486
- Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (under construction) — planned to be one of the largest temples in the world
- World headquarters of ISKCON, the largest organised Gaudiya Vaishnava movement
- Continuous 24x7 harinama sankirtan has been ongoing at Mayapur for decades