ByRadha Govinda dd

Stay in Mayapur

Mayapur is definitely perfect destination for lovers of ecotourism in West bengal. In fact, staying is Mayapur is more then being a tourist. It’s helpful to have few informations, if you want to stay in Mayapur. Mayapur is a place of pilgrimage, a holy place called Dham.

To stay in Mayapur as common tourist is hardly possible. You have to open your heart for its spirituality and depth, then this holy place will reveal its full beauty to you. Learn about spiritual backgound of Mayapur.

This is what Mayapur looked like 500 years ago according to the artist.

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Stay in Mayapur: why not in a bamboo treehouse ashram?

If you want to stay in Mayapur for some time-you should come and visit the Jahnavi Kunja-Ashram from the Vrinda Mission, Jahnavi Kunja Gaudiya Math. It is very good idea to stay in ashram while you stay in Mayapur. But if you want to stay longer or live in ashram, this article might be helpful for you: I want to live in an ashram.
It is very beautifully located near the place where the rivers Ganga, Saraswati and Jalangi flow together. The meeting of this holy rivers is a special place with high vibrations, ideal for meditation and spiritual activities.

If you have never slept in a bamboo treehouse: this is a very good opportunity! A unique atmosphere of detachment can occur while sleeping there on a tree on the bank of the Ganges.

The food here is cooked with love and devotion in the temple kitchen and offered every day to the temple Deity, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This delicious prasadam is of course another good reason to visit us!

History of Mayapur

Mayapur is a city in the Indian state West Bengal with approximately 20 000 inhabitants. It is located on the banks of the Ganges river and is as Antardvipa-Mayapura one of the nine islands of Sri Navadvipa.

Mayapur was for many centuries only a peasant village with about one thousand locals. But it grew rapidly after Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad established the Hare Krishna movement there in the early 1970’es and built a big temple and spiritual centre.

Mayapur is one of the most important places of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, because Sri Krishna Caitanya, an incarnation of Lord Krishna, was born here in 1486.

In the eighties of the nineteenth century, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, a Vaisnava saint of the Gaudiya tradition, discovered Sri Krishna Caitanyas birthplace in Mayapur, the Yogapith.

Ambience of Mayapur

Any open-hearthed visitor can experience the concentrated spiritual atmosphere In Mayapur. The hustle and bustle of other Indian cities can not be found there. The ambience is peaceful, and if people are bustling, it comes from an inner mood of dedication to a higher aim. Because most of Mayapurs inhabitants perform devotional service to their Lordship Sri Caitanya.

There are merchants with their merchandise along the main road. Behind them temples of the different school of thought-mostly Gaudiya Vaisnava temples-are located.

Of course river Ganges flows right next to mayapur

Mayapur as a pilgrimage place

Mayapur is also called the spiritual capital of the world. Mayapur-Dham, or Navadvip-Dham, is known as Sri Krishna Caitanyas realm, a spiritual pilgrim place.

It is also called gupta-Vrindavan, what means hidden Vrindavan. Vrindavan area is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and one of the most important pilgrim places of India.

Sri Krishna Caitanya is known as an extremely generous and munificent incarnation of Lord Krishna, and so is also his holy Dham, Mayapur. If you stay in Mayapur for some time, you can really feel this merciful and sweet atmosphere.

This place is said to be transcendental and eternal. Material time and circumstances have no influence here. Sri Caitanya perform and manifests his eternal lilas, pastimes here.

The ten offences against the holy Dham Mayapur

Practictioner of Bhakti, who want to make real advancement in their spiritual life should avoid to make offences against the holy land of Mayapur. The holy scriptures of the Gaudiya tradition mention ten offences, called Dham-aparadas that should be avoided while staying in Mayapur. These are the following:

• To disregard the holy persons while visiting the Dham.
• To consider the Dham as something temporary.
• To give troubles to the inhabitants of the Dham and its pilgrims
• To run after sense gratification while staying in the Dham
• To make money while pretending to execute devotional service.
• To measure the holy Dham with material intelligence and to consider it an ordinary place.
• To act sinful while residing in the Dham.
• To consider Navadvip-Dham and Vrindavan-Dham to be different
• To critizise the holy scriptures who glorify the Dham
• To think the descriptions about the glories of the Dham are false or exaggerated.

Still-despite all these offences one can commit, the holy Dham of Mayapur does not consider these offences, what means there are no reactions on the spiritual level, but only mercy.

The realm of the nine islands

“Here you can find some glorifications of Mayapur and Navadvip Dham”

“What yogis reach at other holy places after ten years; the same result can be attained after three nights in Navadvip.”

“The realm Gauda-Mandala resembles a desire fulfilling jewel, it consists of spiritual happiness. Everything there is spiritual.”

“Those who visit Navadvip-Dham will be freed from all offences.”

“Somebody who visits Mayapur only once, can leave behind the material existence easily.”

These are quotes from the book Sri Navadvip-Dham Mahatmya from Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur.

Conclusion on staying in Mayapur

The sweet and spiritual atmosphere of this special pilgrim place will make your stay in Mayapur unique. It’s all about making a new experience of spirituality and profundity while being in a relaxed ambience. Just try it, and you will feel the mercy of this beautiful place.