The Experience of Staying Two Days at ISKCON of Mayapur

I went to ISKCON with my family before. It's a beautiful place and this International Society for Krishna Consciousness is the hive of Lord Krishna's followers. People come from all parts of the World just to have the experience of a lifetime. The devotion for Lord Krishna is multiplied as one enters the Sankha and Padma Bhavan and stays there for a few hours. Time passes by at lightning speed as one watches the beautifully decorated idols of Radha and Krishna along with their followers. ISKCON is a high security zone. It's a place where donations overflow. It's the place where you will think only of Lord Krishna forgetting all the materialistic aspects of life. You will forget the pain and sorrows of your life. Your heart will be filled with joy. It's a place where importance is given on interaction. The pujaris of Lord Krishna sing and dance and you will be encouraged to dance and chant the Maha Mantra "Harey Krishna" with them. Beside the deities of Lord Krishna, there is a hall where Lord Chaitanya's statue stands with hands raised high above the air. It's the place where your mind will be changed. You might wonder in which direction. Oh...!! Towards the Almighty Lord!! Towards Lord Krishna under whose shelter all creatures bright and beautiful, all creatures big and small lives happily. The Krishna followers enjoy the joy of living. The Krishna followers love to sing, dance and the religion that evolved is known as Vaishnavism. The followers of this religion is known as Vaishnava. The followers of this religion abstain from smoking, drinking, eating fish and meat, association with any women, etc. This abstinence of fish and meat is really praiseworthy. Its good for those who love animals very much and regard it as a cruelty and a sinful act.

I went to ISKCON with my mother taking a three days leave from office in the month of December. I started my journey on December 2, 2009 taking a rickshaw to Dum Dum where we had planned to take the "Krishnanagore Local." Though the train was originally scheduled to come on 7:09 a.m., it entered the station around 7:30 and we reached the Krishnanagore station around 9:30 a.m. The fare is Rs. 18. We took a rickshaw from the station. Finally we took a bus from the bus stand and reached ISKCON. I had already booked my room from Kolkata. I had also booked the lunch and the bus for the return journey to Kolkata. The lunch is Rs. 45. The breakfast and dinner is Rs 25 each. The quality of food at ISKCON is really high quality. When we went to travel the tourist attractions surrounding the temple, we saw lush green fields. The natural beauty surrounding the temple is simply extraordinary!

During my two days stay at Mayapur, I visited the museum of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupad. It's a beautiful building with marvelous domes and towers and the well-maintained building is really a crowd puller at the peak season!! There is a statue of Prabhupad in this building, which is so beautiful that devotion and respect will overflow from your mind as you see with amazement the golden face of the founder of ISKCON!!! On the top, the dome is painted with beautiful tiles and foreign architects were employed to build such a marvelous building.

The life and activities of the founder of ISKCON is really inspiring and has motivated and moved millions of people around the world. The attraction of staying and praying Lord Krishna at ISKCON has forced many people to leave their profession and birthplace and come to India to get a taste of Vaishnavism. Mayapur, as the name suggests, is really an enigmatic and magical place. When thousands of people pray and think about the God in one place, the place becomes a Second Heaven to those who visit the place later!!! I can confidently state this is not an exaggerated statement as I experienced this Second Heaven when I had visited Dakshineswar, Shyampukur house of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa, and the ancestral house of Swami Vivekananda whose teachings provide "ananda" (joy) in the heart of millions of people who come to the prayer hall of Belur Math.

The major activities in the life of Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupad to create an internationally reputed organization called ISKCON can be summarized as follows:

1909 Prabhupad made Ratha Yatra with followers at Kolkata at the age of 5.
1922 At Ultadanga (Kolkata), he met Sril Saraswati Thakur.
1944 At Delhi, he distributes the first edition of Back to Godhead magazine.
1935 At the bank of Radhakund, Vrindaban, Saraswati inspires Prabhupad: "If you get money, print books."
1965 Leaving Calcutta, Prabhudpad embarks a journey towards USA on a steamship named "Jaladuta."
1966 At New York, Prabhupad takes Bhagwat Gita class to his first temple in the west.
1967 Tomkin Square, New York, Prabhupad inspires America's youth to chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
1968 London ---- Installation of Sri Radha Londoneswar deities by Prabhupad.
1972 Dallas, Texas --- Prabhupad introduces Gurukula System of education in t the West.
1962-77 International activity ---- Prabhupad translating the Vedic literatures into English in the early morning hours.
1977 14th November ----- At 7:30 p.m., Srila Prabhupad's departure from this world.

Inside the Sankha and Padma Bhavan, I also saw another exhibition in paintings in plaster of paris on Lord Chaitanya's Transcendental Pastimes.

The activities can be described as follows:

• The Ekchakra Dham temple project - Birth Place of Nityananda Prabhu.
• Advaita Acharya prays for the Lord's descent.
• The Lord appears.
• Nimai will only cease crying when he hears Krishna's names.
• Sitting upon discarded pots, Nimai discusses philosophy with his mother.
• Nimai steals the offerings of Lord Vishnu.
• Nimai defeats Keshava Kashmiri, the most learned scholar of the time.
• The Lord accepts the hand of Vishnupriya Devi in marriage.
• Nimai accepts the invitation for Isvarapuri one night as the lord performed Sankirtan, Srivas Thakur son died.
• The lord revives Srivas' son who then speaks of philosophy.
• Mahaprabhu showed his universal form sitting on the diety altar.
• As Nityananda and Haridas were preaching two drunkards, Jagai and Madhai became angry.
• Nityananda begs Nimai to forgive the brothers for striking him.
• The muslim magistrate Chand Kazi surrenders to the Lord joining his Sankirtan Party.
• The lord leaves home to take Sanyasa and begin his mission.
• At the sanyas ceremony, the lord's devotees cannot bear to see his hair cut.
• After taking Sanyas, the Lord takes Prasad at Advaita prabhu's house.
• Lord dances before Advaita Prabhu's house.
• The Lord shows Ramayanda Raya that he is non-different from Radha and Krishna.
• The Lord converts Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, the leader of the impersonalist community in Puri.
• The Lord shows Sarbhabhauma that he is non-different from Vishnu and Krishna.
• Hearing the story of Kshira Chora Gopinath, the Lord faints in ecstacy.
• The lord feeds Sivananda son's dogs with his own hands.
• King Pratap Rudra massagint the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu disguised as a Vaishnava.
• The lord enjoys Sankirtan in the Narendra Sarovar Lake.
• Lord Gauranga leaves Puri fro Vrindavana.
• The Lord induces all the animals in Jharikhanda forest to chant and dance.
• As the lord ecstatically remembers Krishna's pastimes, the forest creatures surround him.
• Rupa and Sanatana meet the Lord.
• The lord's devotees are arrested by Pathans whom the lord later converts.
• Crossing the Jamuna, the devotees sees the Lord dancing in the boat!
• Prakasananda Saraswati advises Chaitanya to leave the unclean place.
• Mayavati Sanyasis are captivated by the Lord's ecstatic Sankirtan.
• From the Lord's pleasure, Nrishananda Brahmachari prepares jeweled road for the Lord to dance upon by meditation.
• The Lord embraces the leper Brahman Vasu Deva freeing him from all his diseases.
• On Shaila Hill in South India, Lord Chaitanya discusses Krishna Katha with Lord Shiva.
• Mahaprabhu delivers his servant Krishnadas from the clutches of Bhattatharis, the so-called sanyasis.
• When the Buddhists gave contaminated food to the Lord, a huge bird took it and dropped it upon their heads.
• Haridas watches as the Lord's returns from his South India tour.
• As he beheld the Lord's radiant face, Haridas thakur left his body.
• The Lord personally carries Haridas' body in procession to the beach.
• The Lord personally distributes Prasad in honor of Haridas thakur's passing.
• Thinking it to be the Jamuna, the Lord falls unconscious into the ocean.
• As the devotional ecstasy increases, the lord dreams of Rasalila.
• Mahaprabhu discusses Krishna Katha with his intimate associates.
• Though an old lady stood upon his shoulders to see Lord Jagannath, the Lord, however, is undisturbed.
• The lord experiences love of Krishna in separation of day and night.

In this exhibition of Lord Chaitanya, the visitor is amazed to see the beautiful life of Chaitanya and writings under each paintings has been listed above. My love for Lord Chaitanya has increased and I came to know the Lord in a better way than before. Visual media teaching is quite relevant and important these days. I had seen Ramayana and Mahabharata in the form of dolls at Nehru Children's Museum in Kolkata. Its an excellent method of teaching.

The Nabadwip Dham has 9 islands. They are as follows:
1. Antadwip ( Sri Mayapur).
2. Simantadwip (Simulia).
3. Godrumdwip (Gadigacha).
4. Madhyadwip (Majdiya).
5. Coldwip (Present city of Nabadwip).
6. Ritudwip (Ratupur).
7. Jahudwip (Jannagar).
8. Moddrumdwip (Mamgachi).
9. Rudradwip (Rudrapara).

The acts that are regarded as sinful in ISKCON are as follows:
1. If anybody insults the preacher who tells about ISKCON.
2. If somebody thinks the dham or the holy place is temporary and expresses doubt over its existence in the future.
3. If anybody provokes a traveler and causes harm to them.
4. If somebody tries to earn money pretending as a follower, singer, etc.
5. Any sinful act during the stay at Mayapur.
6. If anybody criticizes the rules of the holy place.
7. If somebody thinks the holy place as a pilgrimage spot, and trying to gauge the boundary of the area.
8. If somebody suspects the holiness of the Mayapur.

If somebody is free from the sinful acts mentioned above, then he understands the greatness of the Mayapur.

Important Places of Visit at Mayapur:

a) Bhajan Kuthir of Sril Prabhupad: This place is famous for nonstop Hare Krishna chanting. Here the Lord Gour and Nitai are worshipped and songs are sung to please them. This is the first establishment of Mayapur acting as a spiritual capital. Prabhupad started "Harinaam" at this place and at that time, it was infested with mosquitos and forests.
b) The Puspa Samadhi Temple or The Memorial Grave of Sril Prabhupad: The paintings on the wall are takes from the ancient scriptures of India, the Puranas. There is a waterfall in front of the temple. Inside the temple, there is statue of Sril Prabhupad made of eight metals (astadhatu). Surrounding this statue at the center, there are statues of the Gurus who influenced Prabhupad. The holy messages are demonstrated in pictures at the ground floor of the temple. At the top floor, the biography of Sril Prabhupad are demonstrated with dolls. Its just like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata at the Nehru Children's Museum of Kolkata.
c) Chandroday Temple of Sri Mayapur: This temple is famous for the idols of Sri Sri Radhamadhav, Sri Nrisinhadev, and Panchatatva composed of eight metals. The panchatatva idol is the world's largest idol of Krishna in the world! The dresses and decorations of the eight female companions are changed every day. The dress is quite expensive and highly aristocratic!! This is the prayer hall and thousands of devotees come here to pray and dance chanting "Harey Krishna!! Krishna Krishna!! Hare Rama! Rama Rama! Harey Harey!!" At the Panchatatva, it's a beautiful combination of deities where Lord Chaitanya is placed at the center. On his two sides are Nityananda Prabhu and Gadadhar Pandit. Sri Chaitanya is standing with arms open wide and upward. After watching the deities, a devotee will be inspired to chant Harinaam and be happy!!! Ultimately Lord Chaitanya is a symbol of Holiness and under him, the followers feels very happy and optimistic about life! The prayer hall itself is enigmatic!

Standing on the two sides of Radha and Krishna are Latika, Vishakha, Champaklata, Chitra, Tungabidya, Indulekha, Rangadevi, and Sudevi. The favorite followers of Radhamadhav are inspiring the devotees around the world.

d) The life of Lord Chaitanya and his teachings have been shown in the form of painting using plaster of paris models.
e) Gurukul: This is meant for the children. The primary education is imparted to children in the form of games, painting, English, Bengali, Maths, etc. Besides these, there are two English and two Bengali medium schools.
f) Goshala (Cowshed): Different types of cows are taken care and different types of grasses are cultivated, which acts as the food for the cows. The cow milk is used for the devotees and Bhagavad Seva. Medicine is also manufactured from the cow urine. The cow dung is used to manufacture tooth paste, manure for making the soil fertile.
g) Grand Mridanga Hall ( Brihad Mridanga Bhavan): It is a big publication house of Sril Prabhupad. The name of the publisher is Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Religious books like the Bhagavad Gita, Chaitanya Charitamrito, colorful calendar, etc are published. Two journals are published from this house. They are "Bhagavat Darshan" and "Hare Krshna Sankirtan Samachar."
h) Prayer Hall (Sankirtan Bhavan): The devotees travel by bus carrying the books of Sril Prabhupad from this center.
i) Hare Krishna Naamhatta: Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Haridas Thakur to spread Krishna consciousness among the masses. For educating the masses, this building has been set up on the eastern side of the Brihad Mridanga Bhavan.
j) Guest House: Guest houses were set up for the tourists from India and abroad. They are Gada Bhawan, Bansi Bhavan, Shankha Bhavan, Chakra Bhavan, Padma Bhavan, Gour Nitai Dharmashala, Hare Krishna Dharma Shala, Nityananda Kuthir, Gouranga Kuthir, etc. If there is no vacancy in the guest houses of ISKCON, its better to stay in the guest houses of Goudiya Math.

k) The Religious Offerings of ISKCON: One should not have nonvegetarian foods within the premises of ISKCON. It is not advisable to take dirty and unhealthy foods outside. It is advisable not take foods cooked with onion and garlic.

The foods can be classified in the following way:
i) Rajbhog of Sri Radha Madhav: The offerings to God are available from 1 p.m.
ii) Sulav Bhojanalay: Food coupon is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the main gate.
iii) Guest House Prasad: All the foods offered here are called "Prasad," an offering to the God. The lunch is scheduled at 1 p.m. and dinner at 8:30 p.m. The coupons must be collected 1-1/2 hours earlier.
iv) ISKCON food relief: Food in the form of Kichuri is distributed free of cost at 10:30 a.m. and at 5 p.m. in front of the temple of Sri RadhaMadhav.
v) Cake and Laddu Prasad of Radha Madhav: At the right side of the entrance to the temple, the Prasad is available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The visiting hours of the places of attraction at ISKCON are as follows:
1. Sril Prabhupad Puspa Samadhi Temple: From 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. and from 3:30 to 8:45 p.m.
2. Museum of Sril Prabhupad: from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3:30 to 8:45 p.m.
3. Sri Sri Radhamadhav temple: From 4:15 a.m. to 5:15 a.m., from 7:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
4. Life history of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m .and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Mayapur's ISKCON temple is an architectural marvel where devotion to the Lord Krishna comes spontaneously. The beautiful campus and the good administration of ISKCON will impress you. The security inside the temple is very tight. The quality of food is really very good. The prayers in the morning and in the evening at Sankha and Padma Bhavan are worth seeing. Overall the place is beautiful and you would like to visit again and again to get a relief from the stressful life.