Mayapur, in Nadia district on the banks of the Hooghly River, is one of the most important centres of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the site of ISKCON’s main India temple complex, roughly 130 km and about three hours from Kolkata by road via NH12.
The town is considered the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 15th-century saint whose teachings shaped the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, and the ISKCON temple complex here draws both devotees and visitors curious about the philosophy and daily temple life, including regular kirtan and aarti ceremonies open to the public.
Mayapur sits directly across the river from Nabadwip, another town closely tied to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life, and the two are often visited together on the same trip, connected by a short ferry crossing over the Hooghly.
The temple complex includes guesthouses and a dining hall serving vegetarian meals, and many visitors choose to stay overnight rather than treat Mayapur as a rushed day trip, particularly during major festival periods when the town’s spiritual calendar is at its fullest.
Gaura Purnima, marking Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s birth anniversary (typically falling in February or March), is Mayapur’s largest annual event, drawing devotees from across India and abroad — visitors planning a trip around this date should book well ahead, as accommodation fills quickly.
Chandrawanshi Tour & Travels arranges day trips and overnight stays to Mayapur as part of our pilgrimage and religious tour packages — see our Shantiniketan tour package too, since the two destinations are sometimes combined into a longer Nadia-district itinerary.