M

of
āyāpur |
Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir
The Magazine

M A Y A P U R

The International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

1
2
.....this plot of land known as Bhāratavarṣa, India, is the
most sacred place within this universe. And of the whole land

Bhāratavarṣa, in Bengal, it is very sacred. And the whole of

Bengal, Nadia is very sacred. And in the whole Nadia, this
this

part is very sacred, Māyāpura Candrodaya Temple.

Lecture on CC Ādi-līlā 1.15 -- Māyāpur, April 8, 1975

CONT9 ARTICULATING ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA’S VISION FOR MĀYĀPUR

12 MISSION
13 DEDICATION

14 SRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA’S PLACE OF WORSHIP

20 THE TEMPLE OF THE 32 A C O N STA N T

VEDIC PLANETARIUM F E ST I VA L
22 BRIEF TIMELINE OF THE
ŚRĪ MĀYĀPUR CANDRODAYA MANDIR
3 4 ISKCON’S ANNUAL MĀYĀPUR
GAURA-PŪRṆIMĀ FESTIVAL
36 ISKCON LEADERSHIP SANGA
37 GAṄGĀ-PŪJĀ

24 DEITY WORSHIP IN 38 SPREADING THE

ŚRĪ MĀYĀPUR MISSION OF MAHĀPRABHU
26 SRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA’S PUSPA-SAMĀDHI
39 THE SAṄKĪRTANA DEPARTMENT OF
MANDIR
ŚRĪDHĀMA MĀYĀPUR
28 SRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA’S BHAJANA KUTIR
40 PREACHING TO THE TRIBAL
29 SRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA’S QUARTERS IN
COMMUNITIES OF INDIA
THE LOTUS BUILDING
42 THE BHAKTIVEDANTA GĪTĀ ACADEMY
30 SR Ī JAGANNĀT H A MAND IR IN
43 BH A K T I - V Ṛ K Ṣ A IN ŚRĪDHĀMA
R ĀJĀ PU R
MĀYĀPUR
45 MĀYĀPUR CHANDRA’S
46 JĀGRATA CHATRA SAMĀJ
47 MĀYĀPUR TOURISM
48 BHOGA BHĀṆḌĀR
48 CAITANYA EXHIBITION
49 MĀYĀPUR TV
50 CARING FOR VISITING VIPS
51 ISKCON NAMA-HAṬṬA

44
 E N T S

16

SRI MAYAPUR CANDRODAYA MANDIR AT A GLANCE

17“THE LAND IS YOURS!”

52 MĀYĀP U R 82 PR A S Ā D A M
COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION
83 I S K C O N M Ā Y Ā P U R FOOD FOR
54 MĀYĀPUR C O M M U N I T Y SEVAKAS
LIFE
(MCS)
84 KITCHENS OF M Ā Y Ā P U R
55 BRAHMACĀRĪ ĀŚRAMA
85 MAHĀ PRASĀDAM
56 TRAINING NEW DEVOTEES
85 GOVINDA’S RESTAURANT
57 SRĪ MĀYĀPUR VAIṢṆAVA CARE TEAM
58 SRĪ MĀYĀPUR COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL
86 JOIN US IN OUR SERVICE TO
59 MĀYĀPUR SECURITY DEPARTMENT
SRILA PRABHUPADA
60 INTERNATIONAL DEVOTEE AND
ANDHISPLACEOFWORSHIP!
GUEST CARE
87 GET CONNECTED
60 MĀYĀPUR’S GUESTHOUSES
61 GAURĀṄGA TRAVELS
61 VISITING DEVOTEE AND LEADER CARE
62 ISKCON MĀYĀPUR GOŚĀLĀ
64 AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT
66 ŚRĪ MĀYĀPUR ĀYURVEDIC
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST
67 ŚRĪ MĀYĀPUR VIKĀŚ SAṄGA
68 MĀYĀPUR FORESTRY PROJECT

69 A CENTER OF
EDUCATION
70 MĀYĀPUR IN STI TUTE
72 MĀYĀPUR ACADEMY
74 BHAKTIVEDANTA ACADEMY
78 SRĪ MĀYĀPUR INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOL
79 BHAKTIVEDANTA NATIONAL SCHOOL
80 BHAKTIVEDANTA RESEARCH CENTRE

5 5
 MĀYĀPUR
The Magazine of
Śrī MĀYĀPUR CANDRODAYA
MANDIR
Editor-in-chief
Naru Gopāl dāsa
Project Manager
Binoy Gouranga dāsa
Editor
Vrindāvani devī dāsī
Design & Layout
Śrī-hari Kānta dāsa
Managerial Assistants
Anaṅga-gopī devī dāsī,
Bhaktivinodānuga dāsa,
Narahari Gaura-bhakta dāsa
Photographers
Jagannātha Kirtan dāsa,
Ārādhya Gaurāṅga dāsa,
Nrisimha dāsa, Narahari
Gaura-bhakta dāsa,
Mayapur.com, Sudāmā dāsa,
TOVP
Thanks to the departments
of ISKCON Māyāpur for their
input in and assistance with
this magazine, and for their
ongoing and dedicated efforts
in making Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
vision for ISKCON Māyāpur a
reality.
Copyright 2018 © ISKCON
Sri Mayapur
All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed,
or transmitted in any form
or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or
other electronic or mechanical
methods, without the prior
written permission of the
publisher, except in the case
of brief quotations embodied
in critical reviews and certain
other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law.
For permission requests, write
to the publisher, addressed
“Attention: Permissions
Coordinator,” at the address
below.
ISKCON,ISODYAN
BHAVAN,VISITING DEVOTEES
AND LEADERS CARE OFFICE,
SRI MAYAPUR
DIST: NADIA 741313,
WEST BENGAL, INDIA
mayapurcommunication@
gmail.com
6
WELCOME
M E S S A G E
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
On behalf of ISKCON Māyāpur, we would like to welcome you to the Śrī Māyāpur
Candrodaya Mandir, whether you are present here physically or through your
remembrance. We hope that all devotees of ISKCON and anyone who desires
to visit Māyāpur feels welcome and at home here in the headquarters of the
International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
In his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.24, Śrīla Prabhupāda states:
“The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has established its center in Māyāpur, the
birth site of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to give men the great opportunity
to go there and perform a constant festival of saṅkīrtana-yajña.”
In a conversation in Detroit in 1976, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “My idea is to
attract people of the whole world to Māyāpur.”
Māyāpur is meant for everyone, and it was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s great desire that
everyone take advantage of the opportunity to visit this holiest of holy dhāmas.
Here, the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His saṅkīrtana movement is
especially accessible.
Śrīla Prabhupāda stated that Māyāpur was his place of worship. What does
this mean? Śrīla Prabhupāda explained further by stating that Māyāpur is
specifically meant for the worship of Lord Caitanya. What is the best way to
worship Lord Caitanya? The best way to worship Lord Caitanya is to spread His
mercy throughout the world by taking part in His saṅkīrtana movement and
thus respiritualizing society at large and providing true happiness for suffering
humanity. Māyāpur is the heart of this movement, and it is from Māyāpur that
the flood of mercy is spreading throughout the world.
All who visit Māyāpur receive the opportunity to enter Lord Caitanya’s
transcendental abode, associate with His devotees and render devotional
service. In other words Śrīla Prabhupāda has given us an opportunity to
become freshly enlivened and invigorated in spiritual practice, and to gain the
mercy of Lord Caitanya and thus to gain the ability to share that mercy with
others.
The resident devotees of Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir are continually
inspired to assist Śrīla Prabhupāda in his worship of Lord Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur and are honored to also assist all ISKCON
devotees in their service to Lord Caitanya’s transcendental abode. We hope
you will also be inspired to visit Śrīla Prabhupāda’s place of worship, Śrīdhāma
Māyāpur. No matter where you reside in the world, it is also your home.
Welcome!
Your servant,
Subheksana Dasa
Subhekṣaṇa Dāsa
Gaura-pūrṇimā Festival coordinator,
on behalf of ISKCON Māyāpur’s Administrative Council (MAC)
"When I am not present any more, please take care to serve Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma
which is so dear to you. This is my special instruction to you."

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Letter to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura - 1910

7
 “It appears that things are progressing at a good rate,
and if you are determined enough to make a very
perfect scheme there in Māyāpur, Kṛṣṇa will give you all
encouragement to make all necessary arrangements.”
– Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa, Jayapatāka -- Sydney 2 April, 1972

8
 S rī Māyāpur
Articulating Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Vision
(Based on the writings, spoken comments and instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda)

ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA’S VISION FOR MĀYĀPUR

These vision statements have been developed based on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s direct statements about
developing Śrī Māyāpur. For each of the statements a compilation of supporting quotes is available
at https://goo.gl/nsDOlV or by writing to pancharatna@gmail.com
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s vision and instructions inspire and guide ISKCON Śrī Māyāpur to strive to fulfil
the transcendental desires of His Divine Grace and the previous ācāryas, establishing a spiritual city
where the following are essential and prominent.

1. HARINĀMA/KĪRTANA 2. PRASADAM DISTRIBUTION 4. TOVP AND VEDIC SCIENCE

Both residents and people from all Abundant, pure and delicious The Temple of the Vedic
over the world come together to en- prasādam is distributed daily Planetarium (TOVP) demonstrates
gage in a festival of harināma saṅkīr- without discrimination to all. Śrīla the Vedic alternative to modern
tana-yajña and hear, chant and dance Prabhupāda said, “No one within a atheistic science and cosmology. A
to the constant sound of the Hare ten-mile radius of any temple should variety of scientific presentations on
Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra and kṛṣṇa-kathā, go hungry.” spiritual life display the harmony of
thus forgetting their bodily conscious- science and spirituality, transcending
ness and experiencing the joy of lov- 3. TEMPLE WORSHIP all sectarian boundaries, thus
ing devotional service. inspiring all who visit to engage in the
The Deities of the Lord are gorgeously eternal service of Lord Caitanya.
worshiped with exemplary love
and devotion, and glorified through
numerous varieties of vibrant
festivals.

9
5. COW PROTECTION
The cows and bulls are kept happy,
protected, worshiped and fully
engaged, setting a standard for cow
protection all over the world.

6. SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Local organic agriculture, cottage
and small-scale industries provide
the basic needs of the resident
community with environmentally
sustainable and healthy products
enabling and promoting a self-reliant
internal economy.

7. COMMUNITY
A thriving international community,
whose central goal is devotional
service in harmony with a progressive
but simple material life, demonstrates
the spiritual culture, social, and
economic life of an ideal Vaiṣṇava
society, guided by daiva-varṇāśrama
principles and the Vedic tenets of
“simple living and high thinking.”
Exemplary social support systems
result in a community of happy,
healthy devotees.

8. EDUCATION
The highest level of spiritual and
practical education is imparted through
a variety of Vedic-inspired facilities
at all levels from early childhood
to adult education. This will
enable people of all ages, genders,
nationalities and socio-economic
status to be trained in devotional
service, develop exemplary
character, and acquire the practical
skills required to live a productive
and spiritually centered life.

10
10
 9. ENVIRONMENTAL 
PROTECTION &
BEAUTIFICATION

The architecture, fine craftsmanship,

ample parks and flower gardens, and
impeccable cleanliness, beautifully
reflect the philosophy, art, principles
and glory of Vedic Vaiṣṇava culture,
thus creating a favorable environment
for spiritual advancement. The
physical environment, pastime sites,
and sacred ambience of the dhāma
are respected and protected with
great care and attention.

10. SPREADING THE MISSION

The topmost priority is preaching,
book distribution, teaching, and
spreading the mission of Lord Caitanya
within the campus, from village to
village and country to country in both
traditional and innovative ways to all
classes of people.

11. WORLD HEADQUARTERS

A dynamic world headquarters for
ISKCON supports the propagation of the
teachings of Lord Caitanya all around
the globe. All ISKCON devotees are
encouraged to visit Śrī Māyāpur on
a regular basis and become spiritually
inspired.

12. HOSPITALITY
Pilgrims, guests and devotees, from
both nearby and far corners of the
world, experience spiritual upliftment
while being received, accommodated,
honored, cared for, and given an
opportunity to learn about and
engage in devotional service.

13. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Devotees care for and work
cooperatively with the broader
community of the Māyāpur region for
their spiritual and material wellbeing.

11
11
 MISSION

T he m issio n o fISKCON Ś rī M āyāp ur is to be a cen ter

of sp irit ual c elebratio n , ed u cat io n , cultur e , an d
c o m m un ity .
G uid ed by the teachin g s o f Ś rī   C ai tan ya
as giv en by Ś rīla  P r abhu p āda , ISKCON Ś rī M āyāp ur
will p ro pagate the sacred g if t o f K ṛṣṇ a co n scio usn ess
f o r t he benefi t o f the wor ld .

12
DEDICATION
This magazine is dedicated to ISKCON’s Founder-Ācārya, His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swāmī Prabhupāda. He established ISKCON’s center in Māyāpur
in the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in order “to give men the great
opportunity to go there and perform a constant festival of saṅkīrtana-yajña”
and thus fulfill the predictions of the previous Vaiṣṇava ācāryas and create a
headquarters from which the flood of love of Godhead would spread all over the
world.

Śrīla Prabhupāda stated that ISKCON’s headquarters in Māyāpur is his place

of worship. What does this mean? It is true that the Deity forms the Lord has
manifested in the Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir are worshiped most opulently
through saṅkīrtana-yajña. ISKCON Māyāpur is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s place of worship
because it is the headquarters of Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement. In this age
of Kali, spreading and participating in this saṅkīrtana movement is the best method
of worship. And it can be done in an unlimited variety of ways!

In this magazine, we will describe for your pleasure some of the many ways that
the resident devotees of Śrīdhāma Māyāpur are inspired to worship Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. In so doing, we hope to inspire whoever reads this to continue and
increase their own service and their own worship of Lord Caitanya and Śrīla
Prabhupāda.

None of the service performed by the devotees of ISKCON Māyāpur would be

possible without the support and blessings of all of you – our leaders, well-wishers,
visitors, donors, and fellow servants of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement. Thank you!
Don’t forget that Māyāpur is your home. Please continue to visit and participate!

13
13
 S rīla Prabhupāda’s Place of Worship

“Māyāpur,” Prabhupāda
said, “is where I worship
the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, Vol. 5, by Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswāmī)

14
“Now you make Māyāpur into
a gorgeous palace for Rādhā
and Kṛṣṇa, and I shall come
there immediately and sit
down there permanently to
stay by them.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda,Letter to Pālikā)

“Vṛndāvana is for residence,

Bombay is office for
organization, and Māyāpur
is for worship of the
Supreme Lord Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda,Letter to Gurukṛpā – 18 May 1977,Vṛndāvana)

“(Śrīla Prabhupāda) and

his devotees would worship
the Supreme Lord there in
such a magnificent style
that the whole world would
be attracted to Prabh-
upāda’s place of worship,
the Māyāpur Chandrodaya
Mandir.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, Vol. 5, by Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswāmī)

15
 1,157,680.8
BOOK POINTS WERE
SCORED IN 2018

CONGREGATION OF

Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir at a

APPROXIMATELY

5 THOUSAND
Glance
DEVOTEES

HOME TO DEVOTEES
FROM ALMOST

70
COUNTRIES

S ri Mayapur Candrodaya
M a n d i r at a Glance
APPROXIMATELY

7 MILLION
VISITORS IN 2018

IN 2018, APPROXIMATELY

5 MILLION PLATES
OF PRASADAM WERE DISTRIBUTED

16

Excerpt from Śrīla Prabhupā-
da-līlāmṛta by Satsvarūpa dāsa
Goswāmī, Vol. 5: Let There be a
Temple: India/Around the World
1971-1975, Chapter 37
Calcutta
March 1971
It was midnight. Śrīla
Prabhupāda sat on a pillow behind
his low desk, his light the only one on
in the building. All the other devotees
were in bed. On the desk before him
rested the dictating machine and
a volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
with Bengali commentary. A small
framed picture of his spiritual
master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī,
sat between two small vases of roses
and asters. On the floor beyond the
desk was the broad mat covered with
white cotton fabric, where a few
hours before, devotees and guests
“ T
Yours!”
had sat.
But now he was alone.
Although usually he retired at ten,
rising three or four hours later to
translate, tonight he had not rested,
and his Bhāgavatam lay closed, his
dictating machine covered.
He had sent two of his
disciples, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Bali-
mardana, to purchase land in
Māyāpur. Six days had passed,
however, and still they had neither
returned nor sent word. He had told
them not to return until they had
completed the transaction, but six
days was more than enough time. He
was anxious, thinking constantly of
his two disciples.
A breeze arrived, carrying
the fragrance of nīm trees through
the open window. The night was
becoming cool, and Prabhupāda wore
a light cādar around his shoulders.
Absorbed in thought, leaning against
the white bolster pillow, he paid
little attention to the familiar sights
in his room. A clay jug with drinking
water sat beside him, and a potted
tulasī plant sat upon a small wooden
pedestal. The electricity, off most of
the day and night, was now on, and
he Land is
moths and other insects hovered
around the bare bulb overhead.
A lizard patrolled the ceiling,
occasionally darting forward near
the light to capture an insect.
Why were Tamāla Kṛṣṇa
and Bali-mardana taking so long? It
had been more than just a wait of six
days; he had been trying to obtain
land in Māyāpur for years. And
this time the prospects had been
excellent. He had clearly instructed
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Bali-mardana,
and by now they should have
returned. The delay could mean a
complication, or even danger.
The land they were
trying for was a nine-bīgha plot
on Bhaktisiddhānta Road,
less than a mile from the birthsite
of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Sek brothers, Muslim farmers
who owned the plot, had been
asking a high price. Only recently
had a Calcutta lawyer familiar
with Navadvīpa been able to
seriously negotiate a fair price.
The Sek brothers had settled for
14,500 rupees, and Prabhupāda had
authorized withdrawal of the funds
from his bank in Krishnanagar. Thus
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Bali-mardana had
17
17

left for Māyāpur, while Prabhupāda
had remained in Calcutta, carrying
on with his affairs but thinking often
of the activities of his disciples in
Māyāpur. Their mission was very
important to him, and he kept them
in his mind, personally blessing them
with his concern.
Prabhupāda wanted an ISK-
CON center in Māyāpur; it was a desire
that had increased within him as his
movement had increased throughout
the years. He could easily visit or live
in Māyāpur; that was no problem. But
he needed a place for his disciples.
His spiritual master had ordered him
to preach in the West; and now with
the success of his Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness society, the Western Vaiṣṇavas
required a center in Māyāpur where
they could reside and worship and re-
ceive the immense benefit of the holy
dhāma. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
had stressed the great importance
of Māyāpur, and some of his sanny-
āsī disciples had temples there. Why
shouldn’t the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness also be
able to take shelter of Māyāpur?
Since birth, Prabhupāda had
been aware of the significance of Lord
Caitanya and His dhāma, Śrī Māyāpur.
He had grown up in Calcutta, where
everyone knew of Lord Caitanya,
and because his father, Gour Mohan
De, had been a pure devotee of Lord
Caitanya, from childhood he had sung
the Bengali songs of Gaura-Nitāi and
Their pastimes in the land of Gauḍa.
He had imbibed deeply the teachings
18
The Land is Yours!
and pastimes of Lord Caitanya,
especially after meeting his spiritual
master in Calcutta in 1922.
Lord Caitanya had spent His
first twenty-four years in Māyāpur
and Navadvīpa. Yet since His mani-
fest pastimes there almost five hun-
dred years ago, the places of those
pastimes had been obscured, the
Lord’s birthsite lost, and His teachings
confused and misused. Despite the
disciplic line of pure devotees from
Lord Caitanya, not until the advent of
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, the father of
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, did Lord
Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement
and pure teachings begin to emerge.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura published
many books and preached to reestab-
lish the intellectual, moral, and spiri-
tual integrity of Caitanya Vaiṣṇavism.
He researched and explored the land
of Navadvīpa, ascertaining the ex-
act birthsite of the Lord. Citing Vedic
evidence, he established that many
previous incarnations of Viṣṇu had
enacted pastimes in Navadvīpa.
Not only did Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura document Navadvīpa’s past
glory, but he also foresaw its glorious
future, when a religion based on the
teachings of Lord Caitanya would
emerge and spread throughout
the world, and when European
and American Vaiṣṇavas would
throng to Navadvīpa to join their
Bengali brothers in chanting “Jaya
Śacīnandana!” The time would come,
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote, when
in the land of Navadvīpa on the plain
of the Ganges a magnificent temple
would arise, proclaiming to the world
the glories of Lord Caitanya.
Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī, carrying out the desires of
his father and preceptor, Bhaktivino-
da Ṭhākura, had formed the Gaudiya
Math for propagating the teachings
of Lord Caitanya and the glories of
Navadvīpa-dhāma. He had induced a
wealthy disciple to spend his fortune
for erecting a temple at Lord Caitan-
ya’s birth site in Māyāpur, and he had
constructed a kīrtana hall commem-
orating the place of Lord Caitanya’s
kīrtanas. He had also constructed his
own residence in Māyāpur. He had
built temples throughout India – six-
ty-four in all – but because he wanted
Prabhupāda wanted
an ISKCON center
in Māyāpur; it was
a desire that had
increased within him
as his movement had
increased throughout
the years.
the English-speaking world especial-
ly to take to Lord Caitanya’s move-
ment, he had emphasized as first pri-
ority the publishing and distributing
of Kṛṣṇa conscious literature.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, sitting
in his room in the Calcutta temple,
shared the great vision of Bhaktisid-
dhānta Sarasvatī and Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura. Yet to enact this great vision
he had to take practical steps, and he
was content to take them in the most

humble way. A devotee should not
simply daydream, expecting Kṛṣṇa
to accomplish everything with “mira-
cles.”
Prabhupāda, however, was
not dreaming idly. Working for years
alone in India, he had held his plan of
going to the West, and Kṛṣṇa had at
last fulfilled that desire. In America,
in whatever circumstances and
with whatever small facility Kṛṣṇa
had provided, he had preached.
And slowly, step by step, he had met
with success, realizing his vision
of a worldwide society of devotees.
Always he had kept his greater vision
in mind, as every step forward had
given him deeper satisfaction and
had brought him closer to fulfilling
his mission.
Prabhupāda sometimes
told the story of a poor potter who
dreamed of expanding his business
and becoming fabulously rich. As the
potter slept one night, he dreamed
of how much land and how many
houses he would have and of how he
would have a beautiful wife. When
the potter considered that perhaps
the wife would quarrel with him, he
became angry and said, “If my wife
fights with me, I will kick her!” And
kicking, he broke the only two pots in
his stock and was reduced to nothing.
Whether chanting or writing
or reading or preaching, Prabhupāda
The Land is Yours!
had been absorbed in his plans for Tamāla Kṛṣṇa looked up tri-
spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness umphantly. “The land is yours!”
and fulfilling the dream of the past
ācāryas. Now he was anxious to Prabhupāda leaned back
complete the next step, and for this with a sigh. “All right,” he said. “Now
he was waiting up past midnight, you can take rest.”
meditating on his two disciples and
their important mission.
As Prabhupāda sat, rapt
in thought, the only sounds were
the usual sounds of the night: mice
within the walls, a brahmacārī
snoring on the veranda, and in
the distance the night watchman
making his rounds, his stick striking
the street. There were no cars, and
only an occasional wooden ricksha
clattered along the potholed street.
Prabhupāda wondered if
perhaps his boys had been robbed.
Before sending them off, he had
shown Tamāla Kṛṣṇa how to carry
money around his waist in a make-
shift cloth money belt. But it had
been a great deal of money, and rob-
beries were not uncommon around
Navadvīpa. Or perhaps there had
been some other delay. Sometimes
in land negotiations involving large
sums of money, the court would re-
quire that a clerk record the denom- Prabhupāda
ination and serial number of every wondered if perhaps
note exchanged. Or perhaps the
train had broken down.
his boys had been
robbed. Before send-
Suddenly Prabhupāda ing them off, he had
heard footsteps on the stairs. Some-
one opened the outer door and now
shown Tamāla Kṛṣṇa
walked along the veranda just out- how to carry money
side. A soft knock. around his waist in a
“Yes, who is it?” Prabhupā-
makeshift cloth mon-
da asked. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa entered and ey belt.
prostrated himself before Śrīla Pra-
bhupāda.
“So,” Prabhupāda asked,
“what is your news?”
19
 The Temple of the
Vedic Planetarium
“Now you all together make this Vedic
planetarium very nice, so that people
will come and see. From the descrip-
tion of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you
prepare this Vedic planetarium. My
idea is to attract people of the whole
world to Māyāpur.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda – 15 June 1976,
Detroit)

From the very beginning,

when the Māyāpur Project was only a
small plot of land with a single straw
hut, Śrīla Prabhupāda had a clear
vision for Māyāpur. He wanted dev-
otees from all over of the world to
move there and live simply accord-
ing to the principles laid down in
the Vedic literatures. He envisioned
not only an astonishing temple that
would attract and inspire millions of
visitors, but a city dedicated to spiri-
tual education, culture, and commu-
nity; a perpetual festival of devotion
to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Māyāpur is thus one of
his greatest legacies and a shelter for
all ISKCON devotees.

“I have named this temple Śrī Māyāpur

Candrodaya Mandir, the Rising Moon
of Māyāpur. Now make it rise, bigger
and bigger until it becomes the full
moon. And this moonshine will be
spread all over the world. All over In-
dia they will come to see. From all over
the world they will come.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Rāmeś-
vara, – 25 October 1974)

“Practically this in-

stitution is the real
U.N. We have the
co-operation from all
nations, all religions,
all communities, etc.

20

Śrīla Prabhupāda envisioned a majestic and unique temple that would
attract the whole world to Māyāpur. Now it is finally becoming
reality…
Śrīla Prabhupāda named
the Māyāpur Temple complex ‘Śrī
Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir -
Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.’
Māyāpur Candrodaya indicates the
rising moon of Lord Caitanya’s mer-
cy, which will spread out to flood the
whole world. Today, Māyāpur is home
to a growing community of thousands
of devotees from all over the world,
and is visited by millions of pilgrims
annually.
“Practically this institution is the real
U.N. We have the co-operation from all
nations, all religions, all communities,
etc. It will be an international institute.
To see the planetarium and how things
are universally situated has nothing to
do with sectarian ideas. It is a scientific
presentation of spiritual life.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Jayapatā-
ka – 26 June 1976)
The mission of the Temple of
the Vedic Planetarium, as set out by
Śrīla Prabhupāda, is to unite people
from all nations, religions and com-
munities through a unique and sci-
entific exposition showcasing Vedic
culture, philosophy, and spiritual life.
There will be 84,000 sq. ft. of museums
and exhibits, featuring cutting-edge
technologies like projection mapping,
virtual reality, and holograms.
“We shall show the Vedic conception of
planetary system within this material
world and above the material world…
We are going to exhibit the Vedic cul-
ture throughout the whole world, and
they’ll come here. It will be a unique
thing in the world.” (Śrīla Prabhupāda
– 27 February 1976, Māyāpur)
The new temple is the largest
Vedic temple built in the last thou-
sand years, and is the only project to
combine both a temple and a plane-
tarium. In many traditional temples,
the Deities are kept in a small, seclud-
ed sanctum far removed from the
world. However in the TOVP, Śrīla
Prabhupāda wanted a model of the
The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
entire universe to be within the main “It was the desire of Śrīla Bhaktivino-
temple room. This grand chandelier da Ṭhākura that Europeans and Amer-
at the heart of the temple will inspire icans would come here (Māyāpur) and
appreciation of the Lord as the ulti- chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That proph-
mate reality, the origin of all creation ecy is now being fulfilled, and that is
in all His grandeur, Who at the same my satisfaction.
time appears before us directly and
intimately in His Deity form. “Go on cooperating in this way, and
I am sure this mission of Caitanya
Now that the superstructure Mahāprabhu will be successful. It
is complete and the kalaśa and cakras must be successful, because Śrī Caitan-
have been installed, the focus has ya Mahāprabhu wanted it to be done.
moved to both internal and external Simply we, the workers, the servitors,
decorative work. The beauty of the must be very sincere. Then Caitanya
temple is gradually being revealed – Mahāprabhu will give us more and
the columns, marble walls and sand- more facilities so that we can work
stone windows around the exterior, very well. So keep this mission always
the imposing facades of the chatris, as in view and do your best. That is my
well as the bright blue and gold of the only request.”
domes can be seen. Work continues
at full speed inside as well, both on (Śrīla Prabhupāda, Arrival Lecture –
artistic and decorative features and 27 September 1974, Māyāpur)
on other aspects like the electric and
acoustic systems. All is on schedule
to move the Deities into Their new
home in 2022, the fiftieth anniversary
of ISKCON Māyāpur.
“We are making a very gorgeous plan
at Māyāpur and if you altogether can
give shape to this plan, it will be unique
if not in the whole world then at least
in all of India… This temple should be
subscribed by money raised all over
the world.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Tamāla
Kṛṣṇa and Gurudāsa – 23 August 1971)
The response and generosity
of the global devotee community has
been overwhelming – your heartfelt
donations and blessings are proof
of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statement that
our love for him is shown by our co-
operation. But although so much of
the TOVP has been completed, there
is still much to be done in order
to complete the temple. So please
continue to offer support in whatever
ways you can, according to your
means, in fulfilling Lord Caitanya’s
mission.
2121
 The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

Brief Timeline of the

ŚRĪ MĀYĀPUR CANDRODAYA MANDIR
Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
“Within our movement,” Śrīla
Prabhupāda told his secretary
Brahmānanda Swami,
“Māyāpur temple is the first.”

The first land for the Śrī Māyāpur

Candrodaya Mandir was purchased
in 1971, after Prabhupāda had been
trying for a few years to obtain land.

Eager to inaugurate his grand plans

for the Māyāpur Temple of the Vedic
Planetarium, Śrīla Prabhupāda laid
the cornerstone one year later in
1972 during the first annual Māyāpur
Gaura-pūrṇimā festival.

On September 21st, 2009, the first

work on the future temple site began.
On March 19th, 2010, the first pile was
sunk to begin construction work of
the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
The ToVP will be the largest Vedic temple built in the last thousand years.
Srila Prabhupada is the original ToVP architect. In letters and conversations,
he clearly outlined its key features. In July 1976 he expressed his preference
for the outer design of the temple.

In 2022, the Temple of the Vedic

Planetarium will – only by the
concerted effort and contribution of
all ISKCON devotees – be inaugurated,
thus realizing the desire and vision of
Śrīla Prabhupāda and the previous
ācāryas.

22
 Sridhama Mayapur
Confluence of the Ganga & Jalangi Rivers

23
 In 1972, it was hard to imag-
ine that the Deities of Māyāpur would
be served in the grand style in which
They are now worshipped. When the
Māyāpur project was just beginning,
the original Rādhā-Mādhava Deities
were housed in a simple thatched hut
and worshipped by only one pūjārī.
Yet, Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke about
housing Rādhā-Mādhava in a marble
palace and offering Them the most
elaborate worship. Śrīla Prabhupā-
da assured the devotees that since
Mādhava is the husband of the God-
dess of fortune, all facility would be
provided. They must simply contin-
ue to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava
with love and devotion, and Mādhava
would take care of everything.
Today, the Deities of Māyāpur
are worshipped with the opulence of
kings and queens, and the Deity De-
partment is so large that it is split into
seven subdivisions, each of which
is responsible for a different aspect
of Their worship. Overseeing all of
these aspects are His Grace Jananivā-
sa dāsa and His Grace Paṅkajāṅghri
dāsa, who have been the pūjārīs of
Māyāpur since the beginning and are
24
among the most senior pūjārīs in
ISKCON. Śrīla Prabhupāda
spoke about housing
The Deities of Śrī Māyāpur
Rādhā-Mādhava in a
Candrodaya Mandir are worshipped
on the altar by approximately 60 marble palace and
pūjārīs. They receive eight bhoga of- offering Them the most
ferings a day, which are cooked by elaborate worship.
at least 10 devotees and on festivals
days by 40 devotees or more. Approx-
imately 35 devotees are engaged in
devotees, who work year-round to
caring for the Deities’ paraphernalia
create the Lord’s beautiful clothing.
rooms and paraphernalia. Daily, 100
garlands are strung by more than 30
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and
devotees to be offered to the Deities.
Their Aṣṭa-sakhīs, Śrī Śrī Pañca-tattva,
The flowers offered to the Deities are
and Śrī Śrī Prahlāda Nṛsiṁhadeva are
grown in two expansive flower gar-
the proprietors of ISKCON Māyāpur,
dens on the ISKCON campus. Even
and all who reside there are Their
the opulent outfits offered to the De-
servants.
ities are made by a team of 28 local
D
Worship in
eity
Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir
 Deity Worship in Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir

They are the center of the

Māyāpur community, and all resi-
dents of ISKCON Māyāpur engage in
Their service in one way or another
– and as Śrīdhāma Māyāpur is the
World Headquarters of ISKCON, the
Lords of Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya
Mandir have a special relationship
with ISKCON devotees from all over
the world. Many thousands of dev-
otees take darśana of the Deities
in Māyāpur every year, and many
more take darśana regularly through
Māyāpur TV.

They are the center

of the Māyāpur community,
and all residents of ISKCON
Māyāpur engage in Their
service in one way or
another...

25
 Deity Worship in Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir
The Puṣpa-samādhi Mandir of Śrīla
Prabhupāda was first envisioned
as a residence for His Divine Grace,
although the building did not manifest
until after Śrīla Prabhupāda departed
from this world. It was built upon
the spot which Śrīla Prabhupāda
had selected for his residence as a
memorial and shrine. Flowers which
adorned His Divine Grace’s body
were placed in the ground at the site
of the samādhi before construction on
the memorial began in 1980.
The tall, majestic marble dome of the
Puṣpa-samādhi Mandir decorates
the skyline of Māyāpur and shines
beautifully in the golden rays of
the sun at sunrise and sunset. The
magnificent edifice stands 200 feet
high, and its dome spans 120 feet.
26
S rīla Prabhupāda’s
Extensive gardens, beautifully
maintained, surround the Puṣpa-
samādhi Mandir. The outside walls
of the samādhi are decorated with
terra-cotta reliefs featuring the nine
processes of devotional service, and
inside and upstairs is a museum of
large diorama displays which depict
the life of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Within the main hall of the samādhi a
large brass mūrti of Śrīla Prabhupāda
is seated upon a marble throne, and
on the domed ceiling of the hall is an
array of beautiful mosaics featuring
some of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s major
achievements.
The magnificence and beauty of the
Puṣpa-samādhi Mandir is a fitting
tribute to ISKCON’s Founder-Ācārya,
and an attraction for visitors to
ISKCON Māyāpur. Annually, the
Puṣpa-samādhi Mandir is visited by
approximately seven million people.
Those who visit the samādhi receive
the opportunity to offer flowers to
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lotus feet, chant
his praṇāma mantra and the Hare
Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and view the
various displays. A team of four
devotees preach to visitors after they
exit the samādhi.
Forty-two devotees serve at the
Puṣpa-samādhi Mandir, serving Śrīla
Prabhupāda as pūjārīs, cooks, and
museum guides, as well as by cleaning
and maintaining the samādhi and
gardens, preaching, and distributing
books and prasādam.
 Deity Worship in Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir

Puṣpa-samādhi Mandir

The
magnificent
edifice stands
200 feet high,
and its dome
spans 120 feet.

27
27
 Deity Worship in Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir
S
Prabhupāda’s
r ī l a
Bhajana Kutir
Just inside the main gate of ISKCON
Māyāpur, to the left, is the straw hut
which is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhajana
Kutir. The hut is dwarfed by the
Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
which is rising beside it, but although
it is small in size, the Bhajana Kutir is
an integral part of ISKCON Māyāpur’s
history.
The hut was the first building in
ISKCON Māyāpur, and was the
28
residence of Śrīla Prabhupāda when
he was in Māyāpur between 1972 and
1976. Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, who still
preside over the Bhajana Kutir, were
established in the Bhajana Kutir by
Śrīla Prabhupāda and later traveled
all over India on pāda-yātrā between
1984 and 1986. Nonstop harināma
saṅkīrtana has been going on here, 24
hours a day, since the Gaura-pūrṇimā
festival in 1990. Approximately
23 devotees serve in the 24-hour
kīrtana, and five pūjārīs worship and
care for Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi and Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
Nonstop harināma
saṅkīrtana has been
going on here, 24 hours
a day, since the Gaura-
pūrṇimā festival in 1990.
“Prabhupāda’s dwelling was a
simple thatched Bengali hut about
twelve feet square, with a dirt floor.
A thin partition divided the main
room from the servants’ quarters.
In front was a small veranda, and
in back a garden, where Prabhupā-
da could sit and take massage. Also
in back were a hand pump for bath-
ing and an outhouse. When the dev-
otees apologized for offering Pra-
bhupāda such a humble residence,
he replied that he liked the natural
simplicity. ‘Even if you build me
the biggest palace,’ he said, ‘still I
would prefer to live here.’”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, Vol. 5, by
Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswāmī)
Deity Worship in Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir

S rīla
P r a b h u pā d a ’ s
Q uarters in the
L otus B uilding
On the second floor of the Lotus
Building are two rooms (currently
Room 201) that were used by Śrīla
Prabhupāda as his personal quarters
between 1976 and 1977. These
rooms are kept as they were when
His Divine Grace was present. The
first room was Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
darśana room, and there a mūrti of
Śrīla Prabhupāda is now present
along with a display of his personal
belongings and books. In the second
room are Śrīla Prabhupāda’s personal
Deity of Śrī Māyāpur-candra and the
imprint of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lotus
feet.

29
 S rī J ag a n n āt h a M a n d i r in

Just a few kilometers away from the place where Lord Gaurāṅga appeared, situated on the
Rā jāpur

top of a hill in Sīmantadvīpa, is the village of Rājāpur. Within that lovely rural area one can
find the charming temple of Lord Jagannātha, which is now managed by ISKCON.

Whoever visits Śrī Navadvīpa must take darśana of Lord Jagannātha. It is stated in the
śāstras that Śrī Kṣetra, or Jagannātha Purī, is eternally manifest in this holy place and that
all benefits one can attain by visiting Jagannātha Purī may be achieved by visiting the Śrī
Jagannātha Mandir in Rājāpur.
(Excerpted from The Pastimes and History of Lord Jagannatha in Rajapur, by Paṅkajāṅghri dāsa)

The Deities of Śrī Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā-devī who preside over the Rājāpur Jagannātha
Mandir came into the care of ISKCON in 1979, after Their previous caretaker, Śrī Phatik Chandra Chatterjee,
was inspired by Lord Jagannātha Himself to hand over the Lord’s service and worship to the devotees of
ISKCON. In 1986, the current temple was constructed.

The Deities of Śrī Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā-devī in Their current forms have been present
in Rājāpur since the time of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when They appeared to a devotee named Jagadīśa
Ganguli.

30
 Deity Worship in Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir

A lso present in the Śrī

Jagannātha Mandir compound
is the mandir of Lord Śiva, who
is the protector of the holy
dhāma; the memorial samādhi
of Jayānanda Ṭhākura; and
the temple of Śrī Gaurāṅga
Mahāprabhu and Śrī Sīmantini-
devī. Extensive gardens surround
the compound, where many
varieties of flowers and fruits
are grown for the pleasure of the
Lord.

A total of 34 devotees serve at Śrī

Jagannātha Mandir.

31
31
 A C o n s ta n t F e s t i va l

“We have got many other festivities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

We have got Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rāma-navamī, Dola-yātrā, Jhulana-yātrā.
So there are twelve months, but we have got twenty-four festivals as
big as this Ratha-yātrā Festival. So if you kindly take to them, then as
advised by Lord Caitanya, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, you will always be
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and there will be no scope of your frustration
and confusion.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Satsvarūpa – 20 November 1975, Bombay)

32
I n Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, it seems as if a festival is always being celebrated. More than
150 days per year are celebrated as festivals for the pleasure of the Lord and His dev-
otees! These festivals are performed in a grand and opulent manner to please and
glorify the Lord and to submerge the Vaiṣṇavas in an ocean of bliss.

33
 A Constant Festival

The Best Time and Place

ISKCON’s Annual Māyāpur Gaura-pūrṇimā Festival

“The best time and place is Māyāpur on Lord Caitanya’s

Appearance Day. That is not only the best for me but
for everyone. Māyāpur is meant for that. If possible all
devotees from all our centers should go for 8 days at
that time.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa – 20 July 1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor)

“The members of the International

Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
should go to India during the birthday
ceremony of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu
at Māyāpur and perform saṅkīrtana
congregationally.”

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 11.96, Purport)

The annual Māyāpur Śrī Gaura-pūrṇimā

Festival takes place over the course
of one month every year between
February and March, and devotees from
all across the globe come to participate
in the festivities. The festival inspires
and surcharges devotees by immersing
them in hearing, chanting, and sādhu-
saṅga in the most auspicious Māyāpur
Dhāma.

34

Śravaṇa Utsava
Māyāpur’s Gaura-pūrṇimā festival
begins with Śravaṇa Utsava, a festival
of four days in which devotees have
the opportunity to hear about the
pastimes and glories of the Lord from
many senior devotees. By hearing
about the qualities and activities of
the Lord, devotees become immersed
in remembrance of the Lord and in-
creasingly eager to celebrate His ap-
pearance day.
Kīrtana Melā
Following Śravaṇa Utsava is the Kīrta-
na Melā festival. For four days, from
morning until evening and sometimes
late into the night, devotees engage in
the congregational chanting of the
Lord’s holy names, following in the
footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
and His associates and experiencing
the ecstasy of the holy names.
A Constant Festival
ISKCON Māyāpur’s Annual
Gaura-pūrṇimā festival in-
cludes many additional events,
including:
Rādhā-Mādhava’s Boat Festival
Śrī Navadvīpa Maṇḍala Rādhā-Mādhava’s Elephant
Procession
Parikramā
Immersion of the Ashes of
Navadvīpa Maṇḍala Parikramā
Departed Souls
follows Kīrtana Melā. For eight days,
devotees circumambulate the nine
islands of Navadvīpa, camping each
Śāntipura Festival
night in a different location, and visit
the various places where the Lord Gaṅgā-pūjā
performed His pastimes. Each day
of parikramā is a festival in itself, Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā
with ecstatic kīrtana, kṛṣṇa-kathā,
delicious prasadam, and vaiṣṇava- Gaura-pūrṇimā day festivities
saṅga.
Jagannātha Miśra’s Feast
In 1972, Śrīla Prabhupāda
and some of his disciples went on
parikramā around Śrī Navadvīpa Cultural Presentations
Dhāma, and since that time ISKCON
Māyāpur has been performing
Navadvīpa parikramā. ISKCON’s
Navadvīpa Maṇḍala Parikramā has
been steadily increasing in size – from
70 devotees to 10 thousand devotees
and beyond – and is continuing to
grow, not only in size but in activities,
destinations and transcendental bliss.
Over the last three years,
the Navadvīpa Maṇḍala Parikramā
team has built three new campsites,
and they plan to build permanent
facilities in additional locations to
better facilitate the parikramās in the
years to come. Some of the permanent
facilities they hope to build are
sleeping facilities, bathrooms,
kitchens, office spaces, traversable
roads and improved housing facilities
for senior devotees.
35
 A Constant Festival

THE ISKCON

LEADERSHIP S A Ṅ G A
Every second year, just prior to the start of the Gaura-pūrṇimā festival, ISKCON Māyāpur hosts the ISKCON Leadership
Saṅga (ILS). This event regularly draws hundreds of devotees from around the globe. The ILS provides an opportunity
for devotees to come together, observe the ISKCON world from a global perspective, expand their frame of reference,
and become invigorated by hearing from and sharing with leaders and devotees serving Śrīla Prabhupāda in many
different circumstances.

In 2018, around 1200 devotees attended the ILS. Over 360 seminars were conducted over a period of seven days, allowing
devotees to participate in discussion and learn about a large variety of topics. Thirty-four booths displayed services and
projects from all over the world. Kīrtana was performed every evening, and three opulent meals were served daily.

“ILS is an exceptional (and rare) opportunity to connect with fellow ISKCON leaders from around the world for over
a week of saṅga, training, in depth discussions, and problem solving so as to better serve Śrīla Prabhupāda and Lord
Kṛṣṇa, and to better lead Their ISKCON society and care for our many constituents.”

– Anuttamā Dāsa, Minister of Communications, ISKCON GBC

36
 A Constant Festival

G
“What is to be said of a devotee
who worships mother Ganges

aṅgā - pūjā
Worshipping the Most
Auspicious of Rivers
faithfully with a determined
vow? One can only imagine the
benefit that accrues to such a
devotee.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 9.9.13)

Every day in Śrīdhāma

Māyāpur, at 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.
depending on the season, Gaṅgā-pūjā
is performed on the banks of the river
Ganges. Gaṅgā devī is very dear to
the Supreme Lord, and thus worship
of Gaṅgā devī is most auspicious.

This pūjā is performed daily

by Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir’s
Gaṅgā Mātā Sevā Committee, a group
of gṛhastha devotees who have
dedicated themselves to the worship
of Gaṅgā devī by the inspiration of
His Holiness Jayapatāka Swami.

A new temple dedicated

to Gaṅgā devī has recently been
constructed by the Gaṅgā Mātā Sevā
Committee, known as the Śrī Śrī
Gaura-Gaṅgā Jagat-pāvanī Mandir,
where a Deity of Gaṅgā devī is
worshipped along with Deities of Śrī
Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. This temple is only
the beginning, as the committee has
plans to construct a larger and more
opulent temple for the worship of
Mother Gaṅgā.
“The greatness of mother
Ganges always brilliantly
exists. She is the most fortunate
because she emanated from
the lotus feet of Śrī Viṣṇu, the
Personality of Godhead. She is
a second goddess of fortune,
and therefore she is always
worshiped both by demigods
and by humanity. Endowed
with all wonderful qualities,
she flourishes on the head of
Lord Śiva.’
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 16.41)

37
 S preading the M ission
o f M a h ā p r a b h u

In a never-ending variety of ways, ISKCON Māyāpur spreads the

message and mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, following in the
footsteps of our Founder-Ācārya, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

“Therefore our mission is to bring Māyāpur everywhere… This is the

greatest peace movement, to bring peace to the suffering
humanity.” (Śrīla Prabhupāda – 17 March 1976, Māyāpur)

“This Māyāpur is meant for this purpose, to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness

movement all over the world as it was desired by Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.” (Śrīla Prabhupāda – 8 February 1977, Māyāpur)

38
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

T he Saṅkīrtana Department of
Śrīdhāma Māyāpur
“TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR PREACHING IN BENGAL. ESPECIALLY PLEASE GO FROM
VILLAGE TO VILLAGE WITH A PARTY OF 5, 6 MEN AND PREACH THE MESSAGE OF LORD
CAITANYA MAHĀPRABHU WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM.”

(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Bhavananda – 10 November 1976, Vrindavana)

The Māyāpur Saṅkīrtana

Department has only one purpose:
to please Śrīla Prabhupāda by
distributing more and more of
his books. ISKCON Māyāpur has
achieved one of the top three yearly
book distribution scores every year
for over ten years. For the year 2018
alone, Śrīdhāma Māyāpur had one of
the highest scores of any temple in the
world with 1,157,680.8 book points.

ISKCON Māyāpur’s
Saṅkīrtana Department operates ten
travelling saṅkīrtana bus parties, as
well as eight of the approximately
twenty book tables within the ISKCON
Māyāpur campus. They also manage
a storehouse where their many
books are kept, and have a building,
Saṅkīrtana Bhavān, where most of
the 100 brahmacārīs who serve within
the department reside when they are
in Māyāpur.
The majority of the 100 brah-
macārīs who serve in the Saṅkīrtana
Department travel and preach on the
ten bus parties, bringing the mercy
of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to those
people who do not visit Śrīdhāma
Māyāpur.
the saṅkīrtana devotees, who despite
The ten saṅkīrtana bus such challenges, remain unperturbed
parties travel year-round, throughout and enthusiastic in their service to
many different areas of India, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
including Assam, Odisha, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, His Holiness Jayapatāka
Meghalaya, Tripura, Bihar, and Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Charu
all over West Bengal. Six or seven Swami, and His Holiness Bhakti
devotees travel in each bus party, as Puruṣottama Swami are instrumental
well as Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Gaura- supporters of ISKCON Māyāpur’s
Nitāi. Saṅkīrtana Department, continually
offering support, guidance, and
Their preaching is not encouragement to the Saṅkīrtana
without challenges. Sometimes, Department.
the devotees preach in dangerous
areas. Once, while a devotee was
distributing books inside of a bank, a
group of dacoits entered and robbed
the bank. When the police arrived,
they assumed that the devotee
was one of the bank robbers, and
arrested him! By the Lord’s mercy,
everything was resolved and the
devotee was set free. This is just one
example of the challenges faced by

39
 P reaching to the Tribal
Communities of India

ISKCON Tribal Care Initiative throughout India while enabling the nurture future generations and
was established in 2013 by His preservation of traditional spiritual prevent the destruction of tribal
Holiness Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami values of harmony with God and culture by modern materialism.
to reach out to the tribal communities nature. ISKCON Tribal Care envisions
of India, which comprise around a pleasing, prosperous, healthy, ISKCON Tribal Care Initiative
9% of India’s population – over 104 educated and culturally rich life for has constructed prayer halls in
million people. tribal communities built on advanced tribal communities to facilitate
spiritual foundations and appropriate regular spiritual activities such as
India’s tribal communities technologies that can sustain and japa sessions and daily discourses
live very close to nature and believe
in honest and simple living, a
lifestyle which is very suited for
Kṛṣṇa consciousness. However, their
way of life is becoming lost as many
from tribal communities are forced
to move to the cities in search of
material maintenance.
ISKCON Tribal Care works to uplift the
physical, social, cultural and spiritual
well-being of tribal communities

40
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

on Bhagavad-gītā, and has arranged

yearly book distribution marathons,
paṇḍāl programs, and weekly
harināmas.

In addition, ISKCON Tribal
Care provides free coaching for
students, and is planning to establish
a feeless engineering college in
Kharagpur, West Bengal as well as
other schools in eastern India. In
Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, the Initiative has
acquired land to construct a tribal
guesthouse so that people from the
tribal communities can easily visit
ISKCON Māyāpur.

So far, amidst the forests of
rural India, ISKCON Tribal Care has
reached approximately 12,000 people
through this initiative, and they plan
to continue to expand their activities
into more areas and thus continue
to improve the standard of living,
maintain the values and culture, and
increase the spiritual practice of the
tribal people of India.

41
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

T
Parikramā, and of course the world
famous Gaura-pūrṇimā festival that
is celebrated in Māyāpur.

he Another division that is run

by the Academy is the Gītā Bhavān,

Bhaktivedanta a guesthouse and kitchen which

provides accommodation for over

Gītā Academy
550 people at a time. An average of
1500 plates of prasādam are served
daily, and they have the capacity to
serve up to 9000 plates per day. There
are 14 permanent kitchen staff who
lunch and dinner every day, and who
The Bhaktivedanta Gītā are all practicing devotees.
Academy teaches various courses on
the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, Teachings of Queen Kuntī,
and the Nectar of Instruction. Courses
take place in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur as
well as through correspondence.

Since 1994, over 16,500

students have attended and
successfully completed the various
courses. Out of the 700 students
who participated in the highest level
course, the Bhāgavatam Study course,
more than 350 students are now fully
practicing initiates.

The Bhaktivedanta Gītā

Academy also organizes and
participates in various festivals, such
as Nityānanda Trayodaśī in Kolkata,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī in Haldia,
Ratha-yātrā in Basirhat & Rajarhat
Circle, Navadvīpa Maṇḍala

42
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

B hakti-vṛkṣa
in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur

The vision of Śrīdhāma

Māyāpur’s Bhakti-vṛkṣa Department
is that each and every person within
twenty miles of Māyāpur is introduced
to the teachings of Lord Caitanya as
presented by Śrīla Prabhupāda in his
books.

Māyāpur Bhakti-vṛkṣa
conducts a wide variety of preaching
programs in Navadvīpa and in the
surrounding area, in places such as
Krishnanagar, Śāntipura, Dhubulia,
Shyampur, Barasat, Suvarṇa Vihar,
Dankuni, Srirampur, Dharmada, • spiritual picnics, where
Badkulla and Bardhaman. attendees are fed sumptuous • vaiṣṇava-sevā, especially
prasādam, engage in kīrtana, listen during ISKCON Māyāpur’s Gaura-
People are attracted to to classes, and participate in Kṛṣṇa pūrṇimā Navadvīpa Maṇḍala
become a part of bhakti-vṛkṣa in a conscious games and contests; Parikramā, when bhakti-vṛkṣa
variety of ways, including: members offer refreshments to
• visits to ISKCON Māyāpur, parikramā participants as they pass
• nagara-saṅkīrtana; and parikramās to other holy places through their respective areas;
such as Kanai Natasala, Ekacakrā,
• jīvan-jijñāsā programs Rāmakeli, Katwa, and more; • and more!
consisting of kīrtana, slideshow
presentations, Questions and Answers • book distribution;
sessions, and prasādam distribution;
• prasādam distribution;
• attractive stage programs • kīrtana festivals;
consisting of dances, musical
presentations, and dramas, as well
as lectures given by senior devotees,
kīrtana, and prasādam distribution;

• Dāmodara Programs
conducted during the month of
Kartik, in which attendees hear
dāmodara-līlā and offer lamps. In
2018, the Dāmodara Programs were
so successful that the Māyāpur
Bhakti-vṛkṣa Department engaged
over 170,000 people in offering lamps
to the Lord!

Bhakti-vṛkṣa members are
continually enlivened through:

• weekly group meetings;

• monthly get-togethers
with multiple groups;

• Gītā Seminars;

43

In the year 2018 alone, the
Māyāpur Bhakti-vṛkṣa Department
organized almost two hundred events
for members to participate in.
Currently, there are 44
bhakti-vṛkṣa groups and 530 bhakti-
vṛkṣa members. ISKCON Māyāpur’s
Bhakti-vṛkṣa Department aims to one
day have 108 bhakti-vṛkṣa groups in
the greater Māyāpur area.
44
Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu
Śrīdhāma Māyāpur is
the headquarters of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu and His preaching
movement, and so Māyāpur’s Bhakti-
vṛkṣa Department envisions that
from this central hub, the bhakti-
vṛkṣa network will continue to spread
outward throughout all regions.
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

...taking a piece of Māyāpur to temples and centers around the world...

Māyāpur Chandra’s are a group of second generation devotees, all expertly trained in the various devotional arts
such as music, cooking, and Deity worship, coming together to spread the traditional Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava culture of
Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma to centers around the world.

Māyāpur Chandra’s organize a variety of events in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, including kīrtana melās, day pilgrimages
to different holy places, and the annual Kartik Navadvīpa Maṇḍala Parikramā. They also visit other ISKCON
centers around the world to provide devotees everywhere with a taste of Māyāpur through kīrtana, prasādam,
and various seminars and classes.

45
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

J āgrata
Chatra Samāj
– A Spiritual Awakening

Jāgrata Chatra Samāj is a

spiritual initiative started by ISKCON
Māyāpur for the formation and
education of students from schools
and colleges. This preaching effort
aims to improve the quality of students
within society by introducing them to
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A team of 11 devotees visits

schools and colleges and conducts
seminars to introduce students to
Kṛṣṇa consciousness; students who
are interested are then invited to form
a Jāgrata Chatra Samāj (JCS) group.

The Jāgrata Chatra Samāj

student groups meet for one-and-
a-half hours weekly, either in the
students’ school or in a student’s home.
The meetings begin with chanting
of the mahā-mantra, maṅgalācaraṇa
and the recitation of one verse from
the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Students
then read from books published
especially for them, which include a students regularly attend the weekly
textbook of 100 spiritual questions Jāgrata Chatra Samāj meetings.
and answers and a guidebook named Approximately 180 of the students
Jiboner Prastuti. have become devotees, and out of those
who took to Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
The devotees who organize 36 students have joined as fulltime There are currently
each program ask the students ISKCON brahmacārīs.
questions from the books and discuss over 60 groups,
various topics related to ISKCON and and approximately
Śrīla Prabhupāda with them, and
then give the students a task for the 1000 students
next week. Students also have the regularly attend the
opportunity to speak about their
realizations. The meetings end with weekly JāgrataChatra
the participants chanting one round
of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and
Samāj meetings.
honoring prasādam.

Each Jāgrata Chatra Samāj

student group consists of 15 to 25
students. There are currently over
60 groups, and approximately 1000

46
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

M āyāpur T o u r i s m

As Māyāpur emerges as a budding spiritual city, it is also becoming a spiritual tourist destination! To cater to the needs
of visitors to Māyāpur and facilitate their having a comfortable and memorable Māyāpur experience, Māyāpur Tourism
was established in 2007. Māyāpur Tourism offers a variety of tour packages and attracts people to visit Māyāpur using
a variety of means, including contacts at travel agencies and various publicity campaigns. The tours and packages
offered by Māyāpur Tourism include the Nine Islands tours, Gaṅgā Boat tours, Discover Māyāpur tours, corporate tours,
wedding packages, and others.

To help Māyāpur’s visitors stay connected, Māyāpur Tourism regularly posts updates on social media, provides basic
knowledge of the practice of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, and gives Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books to visiting guests and tourists.

Recently, Māyāpur Tourism began to facilitate group tours that visit Māyāpur on river cruises. In the past year, they
have hosted groups from the USA, Germany, Canada, Australia, Korea, China, Switzerland, and the UK.

During the past year, Māyāpur Tourism has conducted Gaṅgā Boat tours for over 13,000 visiting guests, managed over
2,000 package tours, and facilitated Nine Island tours for over 7,500 visiting guests.

47
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

B hoga Bhāṇḍār
The Bhoga Bhāṇḍār facilitates
visitors to the Śrī Māyāpur
Candrodaya Mandir who would
like to make offerings to Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Mādhava, Śrī Śrī Pañca-
tattva, and Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva by
providing a variety of items which
can be offered. At a counter situated
at the front entrance of Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Mādhava’s temple, devotees
can purchase different varieties
of bhoga, such as fresh and dried
fruit, milksweets, tulasī leaves,
flowers, ghee lamps, and incense.
The offerings can then be made to
the Deities, and after the offering
is completed, devotees receive the
mahā-prasādam along with mahā
tulasī leaves from the Lord’s lotus
feet. Fifteen devotees serve in the
Bhoga Bhāṇḍār, working to provide
everyone with the opportunity to
directly serve and make offerings
to the Lord.

C a i ta n ya
The Caitanya Exhibition displays
the life of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya
Mahāprabhu in His hometown, Śrī
Māyāpur Dhāma. This exhibition is
located in the back of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Mādhava’s temple room in the Śrī
Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir. The
exhibition consists of a number of
displays depicting the pastimes of
Lord Caitanya, and each display
Exhibition
has an inscription describing it in
English, Bengali and Hindi. These
colorful and lifelike exhibitions
make the pastimes of the Supreme
Lord come alive for the pilgrims
who go through the exhibition.
Approximately 120,000 pilgrims go
through the exhibition every year,
facilitated by a team of four devotees.

48

In any location, at any
time of day, anywhere in the world,
transcendental kathā, kīrtana, and
darśana can be accessed through
Māyāpur TV. This service makes it
possible for anyone to attend ISKCON
programs and festivals from all over
the world virtually.
Māyāpur TV has created
channels for over 180 different ISK-
CON broadcasters worldwide.
Māyāpur TV features:
• video broadcasts of daily Holiness Jayapatāka Swāmī. This stu-
temple events
• video broadcasts of special
events and festivals
• Shoutcast (audio) broadcasts
• Youtube broadcasts
• Simultaneous video streaming performing a service which provides
to Māyāpur TV and Facebook
• Ability to stream to Māyāpur
TV from iPhones, Androids,
laptops, and desktops.
Māyāpur TV – Connecting You to ISKCON Worldwide
Māyāpur daily temple program in-
crease to 700.
Other updates from 2018
include the upgrade of the Māyāpur
TV website and the addition of two
new channels broadcasting from
Māyāpur dhāma. Śrī Rājāpur Jagan-
nātha Mandir and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
Bhajana Kutir now broadcast on their
own channels 24 hours a day.
In the last year Māyāpur TV
also constructed a new professional
studio, prompted by the desire of His
dio is professionally equipped to cre-
ate content for the daily cable TV live
broadcasts which are watched by ap-
proximately 4 million viewers every
day.
In the age of the internet,
Māyāpur TV aptly utilizes technolog-
ical advancements in Kṛṣṇa’s service,
inspiration to thousands of devotees
around the world and which preach-
es to millions.

In addition to this, Māyāpur

TV also broadcasts to five local cable
TV companies in West Bengal. The
potential reach of these TV broadcasts
is to 10 million people.

In 2018, Māyāpur TV’s largest

broadcast was on Gaura-pūrṇimā. On
that day approximately 2000 viewers
logged on to the Māyāpur TV web-
site at the same time. 2018 also saw
the average daily viewership of the

49
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

C aring for
The VIP Department
Visiting VIPs

The VIP Department cares for many of Māyāpur’s esteemed guests, such as visiting dignitaries and government officials.
Within the last year, the VIP Department has served over 1200 VIPs, including officers of the Indian Administrative and
Police services, media editors, and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee.

50
 Spreading the Mission of Mahaprabhu

ISKCON NAMA-HAṬṬA
Inspired by the Nama-haṭṭa program described in Śrīla
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s Godruma Kalpāṭavī, ISKCON’s
Nama-haṭṭa program was started by His Holiness
Jayapatāka Swāmī in 1979. It was officially inaugurated
in September of that year when a group of enthusiastic
villagers living near ISKCON Māyāpur filled in their
application form and officially became the first registered
Nama-haṭṭa Saṅga.

In the early days of Nama-haṭṭa, only a handful of devotees

and very limited facilities were available. Headed by
Jayapatāka Swāmī, these devotees would travel to remote
areas of West Bengal, Orissa, and Assam. They would
preach to the local people and inspire them to form Nama-
haṭṭa groups in their villages.

To register as a Nama-haṭṭa group, members had to pay

a nominal fee and agree to follow a minimal number of
regulations. To qualify as a registered Nama-haṭṭa Saṅga,
members had to agree to meet once a week in their village
to chant the holy names and hear from the scriptures.
Members were encouraged to chant a few rounds of
japa and to visit Māyāpur whenever they could. As often
as possible, the devotees would visit the Nama-haṭṭa
groups in their villages. Within only a few years, over one
thousand Nama-haṭṭa Saṅgas had been registered.

Today, in West Bengal alone there are over 10,000 initiated

Nama-haṭṭa members. There are tens of thousands of
other Nama-haṭṭa members who have committed to
varying levels of sādhana practice. Additionally, ISKCON
Nama-haṭṭa organizes dozens of Ratha-yātrās, almost
three thousand paṇḍāl programs, and close to 40,000
mahā-nagara-saṅkīrtanas every year in just West Bengal.
Close to 2 million plates of prasādam are also distributed
yearly in West Bengal.

Nama-haṭṭa members from all over India visit the Nama-

haṭṭa headquarters in ISKCON Māyāpur regularly, where
facilities have been built to accommodate and feed visiting
Nama-haṭṭa groups on a large scale.

51
 M āyāpur
C o mm u n i t y

ISKCON Māyāpur is
home to approximately
5,000 devotees from
almost 70 different
countries, who all live “Māyāpur Candrodaya
and serve together in temple is meant for

harmony with Śrī Śrī transcendental United

Rādhā-Mādhava in the Nation. What the United
center. Nation has failed, that
will be achieved here by the
process recommended by Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda – 15 January 1976,
Māyāpur)

52
Mayapur Community

“It was the desire of

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura that Euro-
peans and Americans
would come here
[Māyāpur] and chant
Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
That prophecy is now
being fulfilled, and
that is my satisfac-
tion.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Arrival
Lecture – 27 September 1974,
Māyāpur)

53
 Mayapur Community

The Māyāpur Community Se-

vakas (MCS) was established in 2005
to serve the devotees of the ISKCON
Māyāpur community and care for
their wellbeing.

The MCS aims to work as

a Gṛhastha Council which guides
the community members, ensures
that the principles established
by Śrīla Prabhupāda are upheld,
builds spiritual objectives, acts as
a medium between the community
and the management, and promotes
friendship within the community.
The MCS also assists foreign devotees
in obtaining visas so that they may
reside in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur.

As the community of ISKCON
Māyāpur expands, the MCS has made
changes to accommodate this growth.
In 2017, the MCS established a system
which separates the geographical
areas of the Māyāpur Community into
sectors and ensures that each sector is
assigned a leader who cares for and
regularly meets with the devotees
living within that specific sector.

In 2018, the MCS assisted over

3600 devotees in obtaining visas and
otherwise facilitating their residence
in Māyāpur. The MCS also teamed up
with Māyāpur Nama-haṭṭa to conduct
500 programs and establish 26 new
Nama-haṭṭa centers.

The MCS is continually trying

to develop ways to increase devotees’
opportunity for saṅga, service, and
spiritual nourishment and develop-
ment.

54
M āyāpur C o m m u n i t y Sevakas (MCS)
 Mayapur Community

B rahmacārī Āśrama

T here are approximately 300 residential brahmacārīs who are all engaged in service in and around ISKCON
Māyāpur. They are engaged in a variety of services, such as Deity worship, traveling saṅkīrtana preaching, school
preaching, bhakti-vṛkṣa preaching, office services, and management.

To join the Māyāpur Brahmacārī Āśrama, devotees are required to take a course in the New Devotee Depart-
ment for six months, and a course in vocational training for another six months. Once the two courses are completed,
the devotee can then join the Brahmacārī Āśrama.

To care for the wellbeing of the resident brahmacārīs, there is a brahmacārī counseling system organized by
25 senior brahmacārīs. The counseling system is separated into two sections, one for brahmacārīs who have been in
the Māyāpur Brahmacārī Āśrama for more than 10 years, and one for brahmacārīs who have been in the Māyāpur
Brahmacārī Āśrama for less than 10 years.

The Brahmacārī Āśrama in the Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya campus is located near the Pañca-tattva entrance
to the temple.

55
 Mayapur Community

T
New Devotees
raining

The New Bhakta Department

The New Bhakta Training

program was established by Śrīla
Prabhupāda in 1972, in order to train
young newcomers and systematically
transform them into Vaiṣṇavas. The
program teaches new bhaktas the
philosophy and practice of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness through the books of
Śrīla Prabhupāda, with the hope that
they will become inspired to serve
Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrīla Prabhupāda for

They attend both

the morning and eve-
ning programs in the
Śrī Māyāpur Can-
drodaya Mandir,
and perform many
services throughout
the day...

the rest of their lives.
The bhaktas are fully
immersed in the practice of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness as established by
Śrīla Prabhupāda. They attend both
the morning and evening programs
in the Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya
Mandir, and perform many services
throughout the day, including tulasī-
sevā, cleaning the temple, setting up
for the morning Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
classes and packing up afterwards,
and cleaning the Māyāpur campus.
Additionally, they attend a variety of
classes on philosophy and Vaiṣṇava
etiquette.
The program has proved
very successful. Many of Māyāpur’s
senior devotees went through this
training program when they first
joined ISKCON, including His Holiness
Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami, His
Holiness Bhakti Nityānanda Swami,
His Holiness Gaurāṅga Prem Swami,
and others.
In the last five years, 197
bhaktas have graduated from this
program.

56
 Mayapur Community

S
wheelchairs and arranges prasādam
for those arriving home after a stay
in hospital. A 24-hour helpline is
maintained so that devotees can reach
Māyāpur
rī the Team and receive the assistance
they require.
There are primarily six
devotees serving on the team,
with the help of numerous other
volunteers. The Śrī Māyāpur
Vaiṣṇava Sevā Team is working on
obtaining more training, helpers, and

Vaiṣṇava Care The devotees serving on

funding to expand and improve the
services they offer for the pleasure

Team
the Śrī Māyāpur Vaiṣṇava Sevā Care of the Vaiṣṇavas, and aims to have a
Team attempt to build relationships fully operational assisted living and
with those they serve, in which trust palliative care hospice in Śrīdhāma
is established and thus devotees feel Māyāpur in the future.
The Śrī Māyāpur Vaiṣṇava
comfortable to allow the Śrī Māyāpur
Care Team started in 2014 as one of
Vaiṣṇava Sevā Care Team to care for
the sub-committees of the Māyāpur
them.
Community Sevakas dedicated to
assisting the elderly and those in need
of assisted living help. Since then, it
has developed into a fully-fledged
department dedicated to assisting
needy members of the Māyāpur
community.

The Śrī Māyāpur Vaiṣṇava

Care Team takes care of devotees in
their homes when they are sick, have
had an accident, or are otherwise
unable to manage alone. There is
a team of volunteers who provide
practical assistance with cleaning,
cooking, shopping, bathing, escorting
devotees to the temple or hospital
appointments, giving association,
comfort and counselling. The Care
Team also lends daily-living aids like

57
 Mayapur Community

SMāyāpur
rī

C o mm u n i t y
Hospital
Caring for the Health of
Māyāpur’s Residents

As the community of
ISKCON Māyāpur continues to expand,
growing from 500 to 5,000 and, in
the future, to 50,000, appropriate
facilities to care for the residents of
this community are required. To this
end, the Śrī Māyāpur Community
Hospital has been established to care
for the health needs of Māyāpur’s
congregation.

The hospital provides the fol-

lowing services:

* Treatment of basic noninvasive

illnesses
* Treatment of minor injuries,
abrasions, sprains and strains
* Pathology
* ECG
* A wide range of dental services
* Optical services near ISKCON Māyāpur’s main
* Non-critical in-patient services gate, and additional Āyurvedic and
* Psychotherapy acupuncture clinics.

Currently, the hospital has
32 staff members working in the
hospital, pharmacies, and clinics. Currently, the
Six doctors serve at the hospital on a
permanent or weekly basis. Monthly, hospital has 32
the hospital serves approximately 650
devotees. staff members
working in
In the future, Śrī Māyāpur
Community Hospital plans to renovate the hospital,
its facilities in order to provide more
comprehensive services to meet pharmacies, and
the demands of ISKCON Māyāpur’s
In addition to the hospital growing community. clinics.
itself, Śrī Māyāpur Community
Hospital runs two pharmacies, one
located on the ground floor of the
hospital building and one located

58
 Mayapur Community

M āyāpur Security Department
Protecting and serving ISKCON Māyāpur and its guests and residents is the Māyāpur Security Department.
Over 200 security personnel, serving in three daily shifts, are stationed at 62 different posts to provide continuous
security, safety, and informative guidance.

Their service is integral to the daily functioning of ISKCON Māyāpur. During Māyāpur’s busiest season,
between October and March every year, the ISKCON campus is visited daily by an average of 16,750 people. During
the year 2018, the number of visitors to ISKCON Māyāpur is estimated to be around 7 million. The security personnel
organize and guide the influx of guests, and ensure that the safety and sanctity of the dhāma is preserved.

59
 Mayapur Community

International Devotee and Guest Care

Many ISKCON devotees have contributed to the development of the Māyāpur project, and in order to appreciate these
devotees’ contributions and great service to Śrīla Prabhupāda, His Grace Dayārāma dāsa created the International
Devotee and Guest Care Department. This Department facilitates any devotee who has served in ISKCON for more
than five years at any period by giving them free prasādam and sleeping facilities for seven days per year at the Vaṁśī
Bhavān guesthouse.

Māyāpur’s Guesthouses
Māyāpur’s guesthouses provide comfortable accommodation for hundreds of thousands of Māyāpur’s visitors. The
Māyāpur guesthouses comprise of the Śaṅkha Bhavān (Conch Building), Cakra Bhavān, Gadā Bhavān, Vaṁśī Bhavān,
Ishodhyan Bhavān, Caitanya Bhavān, Gītā Bhavān, Nityānanda Kutir and Gaurāṅga Kutir. Over the last five years, the
Māyāpur Guesthouses have accommodated over 755,540 visiting guests and pilgrims. Collectively, the guesthouses em-
ploy over 120 people.

60
 Mayapur Community

Gaurāṅga Travels
Gaurāṅga Travels serves visitors to Māyāpur by assisting
them with their transportation needs, aiming to help
guests have a positive visit to Śrīdhāma Māyāpur by
arranging suitable transportation to and from Māyāpur
and for visits to nearby holy places. Gaurāṅga Travels
arranges 25-30 vehicles daily according to the needs of
visitors, and during festival times approximately 50-60
vehicles per day.

Visiting Devotee and Leader Care

As the World Headquarters for ISKCON, ISKCON Māyāpur is visited annually by many devotees from all over the world,
and is visited regularly by ISKCON leaders during the GBC meetings, ISKCON Leadership Saṅga, and at other times
throughout the year. In order to care for and assist these devotees during their stay in Māyāpur, the Visiting Devotee
and Leader Care Department was established in June of 2017.

The department assists visiting devotees by arranging for transportation, accommodation, and prasādam, as required.
The department also assists devotees in their pilgrimage to the holy dhāma by arranging for tours around Śrīdhāma
Māyāpur and arranging for visiting devotees to engage in service while in the dhāma, and is ready and willing to help
devotees with any additional special needs.

Two devotees currently serve within the department itself, and they create opportunities for the local community dev-
otees to connect and serve the devotees and leaders who visit Śrīdhāma Māyāpur.

61

The Primary
Citizens
ISKCON Māyāpur Gośālā
“namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-
brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca… His first
business is to give all comfort to
the cows and the brāhmaṇas. In
fact, comfort for the brāhmaṇas
is secondary, and comfort for the
cows is His first concern.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.8.16, Purport)
The ISKCON Māyāpur Gośālā
is located in the southeast corner
of the Māyāpur campus, and is a
beautiful eight to twelve minute walk
from the Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya
Mandir and Temple of the Vedic
Planetarium. The Māyāpur Gośālā
holds over 350 cows and bulls and
is a very peaceful and serene place,
allowing anyone who comes to have
a wonderful experience of offering
service and worship.
The focus of the Māyāpur
Gośālā is the comfort and wellbeing
of the cows. The cows and bulls are
taken out every day to graze for a few
hours, and are fed many delicious
treats such as bran, freshly cut green
grass, hay and mineral mixes when
they return from their grazing.
Approximately 20 cowherd men serve
the cows in three shifts, making sure
that at the end of each day, the cows
and bulls are in a clean pen and are
supplied with fresh feed and drinking
water. An additional 15 sevakas
serve in the gośālā, performing other
services such as taking care of guests,
medical work, office work and selling
gośālā and Āyurvedic products.
Within the last two years
alone, the Māyāpur Gośālā has dou-
bled in size, allowing for more cows
to live with as little overcrowding as
possible. There are also separate pens
for the cows who have special needs,
such as pregnant cows and newborn
calves, and cows and bulls who are
either injured or sick, or too old to go
to the grazing fields.
62
Mayapur Community
Cows and bulls that have been
tested positive for any contagious
illnesses are quarantined and kept The Māyāpur
Gośālā holds
away from the general population.
There is also focused hospice care for
those that are passing away. There are
five doctors who are always ready to
over 350 cows
help and assist the cows and bulls in
any way.
and bulls
The gośālā is working on
obtaining more land, which will be
beneficial for the overall health and
happiness of the herd. The Māyāpur
Gośālā takes the comfort of each
individual member of the herd into
consideration, and ensures that the
cows and bulls are comfortable and
getting everything they need.
Devotees are given the op-
portunity to serve the gośālā’s cows
by adopting them. When a devotee
adopts a cow, they take care of the
costs of that particular cow’s feeding,
medical care, etc., for the duration of
the cow’s life. These adopters are en-
couraged to come meet their adopted
bulls or cows regularly and engage
with them. They can feed, brush,
play with, and do ārati for them. This
helps build a bond between the adop-
tee and adopter. To establish such a
There are five
doctors who are
always ready to
help and assist the
cows and bulls in
any way.
close bond with one’s cow is truly a
blessing; many devotees who have
adopted cows have had life changing
experiences.
 Mayapur Community

“When the bull and the cow are in a

joyful mood, it is to be understood

Cow Protection that the people of the world are

also in a joyful mood.”

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.18, Purport)

“According to smṛti
regulation, the cow is the mother
and the bull the father of the
human being. The cow is the
mother because just as one sucks
the breast of one’s mother, human
society takes cow’s milk. Similarly,
the bull is the father of human
society because the father earns for
the children just as the bull tills the
ground to produce food grains.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.29, Purport)

63
 Mayapur Community

The Māyāpur Agriculture

Department aims to supply organic
griculture Department
grains and produce for the Deity
kitchen so that Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Mādhava can enjoy foodstuffs which
are pure and naturally grown, and
in the future, to cultivate enough for
all the other kitchens of Māyāpur.
These projects are part of a long-term
vision to manifest Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
instructions that the whole of
Māyāpur be self-sufficient.

In 2017, the Māyāpur

Agriculture Department produced a
full crop of organic rice, cultivated on
a total of 60 bighas (35 acres) of land.
Mustard was grown on 20 bighas
(12 acres). This year, for the first
time, all the rice and mustard was
grown organically—a difficult feat
for agriculture in India and a major
achievement for the Department.
Maize was also grown, and in 2016,
coriander, jute, rice, and mustard
were grown.

The Department engages five

full-time devotees and four assistants.
Six laborers are employed full-time
and others are hired on commission
as needed for harvests and other
tasks.

64
 “Ah Mayapur water! Māyāpur is the
spiritual world. Living or dying in
Māyāpur is the same. When we live in
Māyāpur we are in the spiritual world;
Māyāpur Chandra’s
when we die in Māyāpur we return to the
spiritual world!”
– Śrīla Prabhupāda, conversation remembered by Jayapatāka
Swāmī from Vyasa Puja offering from GBC

65
 Mayapur Community

In April of 2007, Their Graces

Nanda Kṛṣṇa dāsa, Rādhāduti dāsa
and Satyarāja dāsa established the
Śrī Māyāpur Āyurvedic Research
and Development Trust (SMARDT).
Understanding Āyurveda to be the
Mother of Medicine, the devotees and
researchers serving in the SMARDT
provide a variety of Āyurvedic
remedies, powders, tonics, etc., for
the benefit and overall health of the
body.

They produce various

products derived from the cow, such
as ghee, lassi, buttermilk, yogurt,
distilled cow urine (go-ark), cow
urine tablets (ghanabati), dried cow
dung cakes (gobar upla), massage oils,
and tooth powder. They also supply
other Āyurvedic products such as
amalaki or Indian gooseberry juice,
bittermelon juice, aloe vera juice,
dhanvantari mahaousadi, amala
mukksuddi, herbal tea, and honey.

The profits from these

sales goes towards protecting and
maintaining the resident cows and
bulls which are no longer able to work;
they are taken care of until they die
naturally. The SMARDT team consists
of thirty people who have dedicated
their time and effort towards making
this project move forward.

Śrī Māyāpur Āyurvedic

Research and Development
Trust

66
 Mayapur Community

Śrī Māyāpur Vikāś Saṅga

Śrī Māyāpur Vikāś
Saṅga, also known as SMVS, is an
organization founded in Śrī Māyāpur
Dhāma in 1998. Śrī Māyāpur Vikāś
Saṅga focuses on helping the local
people of West Bengal in three crucial
areas, namely: health, education, and
livelihood.

West Bengal is an
underdeveloped third world state in
India, and as such diseases, sicknesses,
and substandard living conditions are
prominent. Śrī Māyāpur Vikāś Saṅga
reaches out to people in need and
helps them receive basic care.

Over the years, SMVS has

started various projects that have
helped thousands of people in the
rural areas of Bengal. Some of these
projects include providing arsenic-
free drinking water, free health
camps, Food for Life, and education
for child laborers. From 2007 to provides free healthcare to the
2015, an organization called RPG deprived and needy.
(Rebalance the Globe) provided
some funding to SMVS, with which
the program was able to give free
health/medical treatments to more
than 500,000 civilians. SMVS has also
provided courses to educate women
on how to earn better livelihoods by
activities such as sewing and using a
handloom.

At present, Śrī Māyāpur

Vikāś Saṅga has five ongoing projects:

1) Special Training centers,

which provide education for children
who are forced to work to maintain
their families and who are not able to
attend regular schools;

2) Ambulance Service, which

transports pregnant women to and
from hospitals free of cost;

3) Public Education, which

provides education for children
whose families could not otherwise
afford to send them to school;

4) Cow Protection,
which transports and treats ill or
malnourished cows; and

5) Free Healthcare, which

67
 M āyāpur Forestry
Project
A project of ISKCON Māyāpur’s Land Department is the Māyāpur Forestry Project, which helps
promote, conserve and develop the environment of Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma. They plant thousands of trees
annually and produce wood for the use of the Deities, devotees and kitchens of Māyāpur. They supply
timber for the construction of Lord Jagannātha’s Ratha-yātrā carts, and also for constructing the houses
of some devotees. They also supply over 150 thousand kilos of firewood to the kitchens of Māyāpur.

The Forestry Project cares for over 550 mango trees, more than 35 jackfruit trees, 10 lychee
trees, around 350 coconut trees, and three fields of banana trees, adding up to over two thousand
trees. They also plant a variety of timber trees, and have to date planted approximately 13 thousand in
various areas of Māyāpur Dhāma.

They also care for a nursery, flower garden, vegetable garden, a large bamboo forest, and a
kadamba grove with 1500 new trees. The flowers, vegetables, and fruit that come from these gardens
are given to the temple to be offered to the Deities.

6868
“But
A Center of Education
Europeans and Americans, they are going to India for learning brahma-vidyā. That is
the
education. The Europeans and Americans, when they go to Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur, they do not
go there to see how we have manufactured cycle and machine for sewing. They have seen enough
of this… Education means how to make one brāhmaṇa, how to teach him how he become sense
controlled, śama, dama, mind control, how to become truthful, how to become clean, how to
become simple, how to become full of knowledge, how to apply knowledge in practical life, how
to know God. That is education.”

(Śrīla Prabhupāda – 3 August 1975, Detroit)

69

Māyāpur
Institute
Training the Future of ISKCON
“Throughout the whole world there is
no institution to impart knowledge in
the matter of spiritual understanding.
So we are going to open a big center
in Māyāpur where this education will
be internationally imparted. Students
from all parts of the world will go there
to take education in this important
subject.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Ātreya
Ṛṣi – 20 August 1971)
The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava
ācāryas, especially Śrīla Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrīla
Prabhupāda desired to re-establish
Māyāpur as an international center
for spiritual education related to
śāstric studies.
In 1910, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura wrote the following in
a letter to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Ṭhākura: “I had a special
70
A Center of Education
desire to preach the significance of
such books as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
Ṣaṭ-sandarbha and Vedānta-darśana.
You have to accept that responsibility.
Śrī Māyāpur will prosper if you
establish an educational institution
there…”
To fulfill the vision of the
previous ācāryas, the Māyāpur
Institute first manifested in the year
2000 with just five students. Today,
Māyāpur Institute is training over
500 students every year in various
śāstric courses. From the beginning
to the present day, over 3500 students
have graduated from the Māyāpur
Institute.
Currently Māyāpur Institute
is offering over 20-30 courses,
including various śāstric courses like
Bhakti-śāstrī (Bengali, English and
Russian), Bhaktivaibhava 1 and 2 and
Bhaktivedānta; training courses like
the Teachers Training Courses 1 and
2, the Bhakti-śāstrī Teachers Training
Course, and the ISKCON Disciple
courses (Hindi, English, Russian,
Bengali and Chinese); and language
courses like the Sanskrit Course.
The Māyāpur Institute
also offers other short-term courses
such as Communications, Spiritual
Leadership, Varṇāśrama courses,
and the Kṛṣṇa Conscious Gṛhastha-
āśrama Course; and courses for the
resident devotees of Māyāpur such as
the Welcome Course, the Bhakti-śāstrī
part-time course and the Bhāgavata-
vicāra Course (English and Bengali).
In addition, the Māyāpur Institute
offers online courses like Gītā
Sanskrit, Basic Bhagavad-gītā, and
the Bhakti-śāstrī Online Course which
was launched in August of 2017.
Based on the success of
Māyāpur Institute’s śāstric study
programs and the resulting growth in
enrolments, and to offer better
 A Center of Education

services to the student community,

Māyāpur Institute has now embarked
on setting up an exclusive campus
in Māyāpur. This campus will have
many facilities for the convenience of
the students and faculty alike. There
will be accommodation for male and
female students and staff, along with a
temple and convocation hall, kitchen
and prasādam hall, and a library.

Due to the sheer size and

cost of the project, construction
of the campus facility will happen
in phases. Phase 1 of the campus
was inaugurated on the 3rd of July,
2017, in the auspicious presence
of His Holiness Jayapatāka Swami,
His Holiness Bhakti Viśrambha
Mādhava Swami, His Holiness Bhakti “Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Puruṣottama Swami, and many of and Śrīla [Bhaktisiddhānta]
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciples and Prabhupāda desired that such
other senior devotees. American and European devotees
may live at Māyāpur for studies
Delve deeper into the process
of devotional service by participating
of Śrī Caitanya philosophy, and
in Māyāpur Institute’s śāstric training now the time is ripe when many
programs and recommend it to your American, European, and Japanese
friends and relatives. students working as my disciples
are ready to go there for this
purpose.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Tīrtha
Mahārāja – 7 February 1969)

71

M
āyāpur
Academy
How Māyāpur Academy began
In 1972, Śrīla  Prabhupāda
instructed His Grace Jananivāsa dāsa
to “train up pūjārīs.”
Following the success of a
Deity worship course offered during
the Māyāpur Festival in the early
2000s, Jananivāsa dāsa turned to
Nṛsiṁha Kavaca dāsa and asked, “So
when are we opening a school?”
From this, the Māyāpur
Academy was born. The focus of
the Academy is to provide extensive
brahminical training and create an
educational institution of excellence.
The Māyāpur Academy’s goal is to
fulfill Śrīla  Prabhupāda’s request by
offering a systematic training for
devotees to learn and develop their
knowledge, skills, and values in the
process of Deity worship. Māyāpur
Academy aims to inspire devotees
in their own spiritual growth as
well as help sustain the standards
for Deity worship instituted by
Śrīla Prabhupāda.
72
A Center of Education
After years of small
training courses and workshops,
extensive planning and curriculum
development, generous donations,
and construction, the current school
opened its doors on December 7, 2007.
Since then, Māyāpur Academy has
trained over 300 devotees worldwide
in the international Diploma in
Arcanā course.
Where Māyāpur Academy is today
The Māyāpur Academy
experience is like nothing else in
the world when it comes to training
devotees in the art of Deity worship.
The Academy has specialized courses
in Brahminical Culture & Ethics, Deity
Dressing, Cooking for Kṛṣṇa, Tulasī
Care and Worship, Jewelry Making,
Saṁskāras and more. Devotees are
also trained in the complete nitya-
sevā of the Deity in the Temple
Worship unit. All of the facilitators
have mastery in their field as well as
years of practical experience in what
they teach.
The highlight of Māyāpur
Academy is the opportunity to
associate with two of ISKCON’s longest
serving pūjārīs: His Grace Jananivāsa
dāsa and His Grace Paṅkajāṅghri
dāsa. They are intricately involved
in the entire student experience
and provide invaluable wisdom and
association. They demonstrate a
unique spiritual depth and mood in
relation to the worship of the Lord.
Every year around 40 or 45
devotees enroll in the course, and
more devotees attend the shorter
courses offered during the Māyāpur
Gaura-pūrṇimā festival.
The Future of Māyāpur
Academy
Māyāpur Academy is
developing a state of the art campus
in Māyāpur where devotees will
have first class facilities to suit the
needs required by the units. The
new campus is an effort to please
Śrīla  Prabhupāda with an offering
of a world class institution where his
instruction to “train up pūjārīs” can
be fulfilled.
Students of Māyāpur
Academy consistently express the life
changing effect Māyāpur Academy
has had on them. The Academy has
trained a broad spectrum of devotees,

from head pūjārīs, to temple
presidents, to gurukula graduates,
to senior Vaiṣṇavas, and aims to
continually provide training and
courses that will have a meaningful
impact on all the devotees served by
Māyāpur Academy.
A Center of Education
Māyāpur Academy is focused
on inspiring many more devotees to
take up Deity worship seriously, and
to serve, train and inspire them for
the pleasure of guru and Gaurāṅga!
73
 B haktivedanta Academy

“Gurukula is our most important project.

If the children are given a Kṛṣṇa Conscious education
from early childhood then there is great hope
for the future of the world.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda, Letter to Dayānanda, Nandarāṇī – 27 January 1973, Calcutta)

74
 Bhaktivedanta Academy was
established thirty-three years
ago, in 1984, to educate boys
according to the traditional Vedic
gurukula system as envisioned by
Śrīla Prabhupāda. The gurukula
method of education is unique,
and quite different from the mod-
ern secular methods used around
the world today. Secular schools
indoctrinate their students into a
culture of mindless sense gratifi-
cation and ignorance;

Śrīla Prabhupāda had a very

different vision for the children
of his Society. He said, “Gurukula
is our most important project. If
the children are given a Kṛṣṇa
Conscious education from early
childhood then there is great
hope for the future of the world.
… So if you go to Gurukula, try
to help develop things there and
make it the model educational
institution in the world.”

Bhaktivedanta Academy’s mission is to provide a facility for its members to study, practice, and disseminate the
teachings of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam along with the standard works of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava ācāryas and the branches of
Vedic philosophy, culture, and science in the context of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings.

The school is headed by His Grace Prīti Vardhana Prabhu and His Grace Mādhava Gaurāṇga Prabhu, the
Academy’s deans. They are fully responsible for the school as a whole and for the education and well-being of each of the
Academy’s students. Under them is an administrative board of three members which carries out the daily management
of the school and makes sure that the students are always supervised. As for academics, there are a score of dedicated
teachers who are all experts in their various fields and who conduct classes in philosophy, mantra, Sanskrit, English,
mathematics, and the social and natural sciences. The Academy’s faculty includes eleven teachers.

The gurukula system of education has at its heart the relationship between teacher and student. This core
component of education is defined by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā when He says, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching
a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart
knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” This kind of education is about more than just intellectual
transmission of knowledge. It is about realization, values, and character, which are developed through association. In
the secular model of education, students attend academic classes and then go home. But this model provides little or no
room for moral or spiritual education, which doesn’t happen in a classroom, but in life, in the students’ relationships.
Values education, as it is now called, takes place more readily in informal situations. The time spent with the teacher
and other students outside of class enables the student to learn by example how to practically apply what they have
learned. Thus it is called guru-kula, “the home of the teacher,” not “the classroom of the teacher.” In gurukula, students
live at the āśrama of their teacher.

Students of Bhaktivedanta Academy learn Deity worship, yajña, and cooking; they study the scriptures and
learn Vedic mantras; they learn about cow protection; they learn about farming and agriculture; they learn English and
math; they study Sanskrit; and they practice martial arts, among many things.

75
 A Center of Education

Not only do students learn these things, but they also actively practice them. The students themselves prepare
all their meals, three every day; there are no hired cooks. They perform Deity worship, serving over a hundred forms
of the Lord on the altar, including more than fifty śālagrāma-śīlas. They learn about cow protection by maintaining a
gośala and taking care of fifteen cows and oxen. They manage a self-sufficiency project cultivating thirty acres of land
with produce, growing everything from rice to cucumber. Gurukula is nothing if not hands-on, and that is what makes
the gurukula experience so exceptional.

“This school has changed my entire being and life vision,” says Arjuna Dāsa, a student from the Academy who
returned to Kazakhstan, his homeland, in 2015. “Here I got true friends, wise mentors, a formula of proper living and
an incredible training of mind and soul. Bhaktivedanta Academy is a great school of life, where absolutely anyone can
get a lot of realizations, understand the point of existence and get closer to a spiritual lifestyle.”

Balarāma Dāsa, a student from the United States, has this to say: “If I had to choose between having what I got
from Gurukula or having everything else in the world, I would invariably pick the former. Gurukula gave me the best
parts of who I am. It has been the best thing in my life, and I am endlessly grateful for the extraordinary teachers who
made that possible.”

Dhāmeśvara Dāsa, a 2014 graduate from Russia, says, “I will never be able to repay my teachers — Mahārāja,
Mādhava and Prīti Mahāśayas — for the amount of sacrifice and austerity they performed on me to make me a con-
scious human being. If I have any good quality or skill, it is all due to their mercy. I had my best experiences in life when
I was in gurukula.”

76

Śrī Paramahaṁsa Gaura Dāsa graduated in 2016 and is now a member of the school’s administration. “Growing
up in Gurukula and being so well taken care of by our amazing teachers,” he says, “has given me faith in Kṛiṣhṇa and in
the Kṛiṣhṇa consciousness movement, and has also inspired me to dedicate my life to the service of Śrīla Prabhupāda. I
will never be able to repay the greatest gift they have given me. But I hope I will be able to impart that same gift to future
generations, giving them a chance to study and grow in this amazing school of Kṛiṣhṇa consciousness.”

In the last few years, eight students graduated from Bhaktivedanta Academy. The school now has almost 70
students from over 20 countries after an intake of 18 students in September of 2018.. The Academy’s future plans? In
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s words, “The old system of gurukula should be revived as the perfect example of a system designed
to produce great men, sober and responsible leaders, who know what is the real welfare of the citizens.” Bhaktivedanta
Academy aims to educate leaders for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission to respiritualize humanity. “It is a revolution,” Śrīla
Prabhupāda says. “That is what I think as I write on and on—a revolution to change the entire course of human history.”

77
 A Center of Education

S
Māyāpur
rī

International
School
In the midst of the lush,
green Gṛhastha Para housing area of
ISKCON Māyāpur the Śrī Māyāpur
in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma.
International School is situated. The
school campus features an idyllic
The school is working on a
combination of brick buildings,
more systematic approach to sādhana
pathways, and tree-filled grounds,
development for its students, with
and those living nearby can often
the aim to ensure that all students
hear the children at play, performing
attend the morning program either
kīrtana, or practicing mṛdaṅga.
in the temple or at school. The school
has already developed a Bhāgavatam
The Śrī Māyāpur Interna-
curriculum and teaches śāstric
tional School has been educating chil-
topics to primary school students
dren in Māyāpur since it was founded
on a daily basis, but the school is
in 1988. Students of many different
currently developing further śāstric
countries study together here and re-
curriculums in order to expand the
ceive a quality academic and spiritual
śāstric study in the school. In 2017,
education. The Śrī Māyāpur Interna-
SMIS also introduced Sanskrit as a
tional School, or SMIS as it is common-
compulsory second language for all
ly known, aims to be an inspiration to
students.
both ISKCON and the Vaiṣṇava com-
munity by practically demonstrating
Currently, the Śrī Māyāpur
how spiritual principles positively
International School has 155 students
contribute to the quality of education
and 40 teachers.
and the lives of children and young
people.

Many ISKCON devotees want

their children to be taught to be Kṛṣṇa
conscious from an early age, and
also want their children to receive
certified academic training. The Śrī
Māyāpur International School caters
to these needs. The school is affiliated
with Cambridge, and all students who
graduate receive certified academic
diplomas which will allow them, if
they so wish to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda
in this way, to continue their studies
at the university level. But students
do not have to study outside of the
association of devotees to receive
their academic accreditation; instead,
they are taught in an environment
where Kṛṣṇa is always the focus,
where teachers and students alike are
devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and where
they receive the opportunity to reside

78
 A Center of Education

The Bhaktivedanta National
School (BVNS) is affiliated with the
CBSE or Central Board of Secondary
Education of India, and offers a
quality education that is open not
only to devotee children, but to the
local children of the surrounding
communities at an affordable price.
This government affiliation helps
the students receive a recognizable
education of quality, which allows the
students to attend any good college or
university locally.

Children from the surround-

ing cities come to this school for a
balanced education in an English
medium school. There are children
who come from Krishnanagar and
Navadvīpa, as well as the children of
the military officers from the border
of Bengal. Children from any cultur-
al background or religion may join
the school, and Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, Sikhs and ISKCON children
learn and grow in harmony, equally
respecting each other’s religions and
backgrounds. National School’s education, out
of 42,800 schools spread across
In this school, spirituality 25 countries, one student from
is taught as a science and thus on a BVNS ranked first in an English
completely non-sectarian basis. Out International Olympiad examination.
of the 663 students, the school has
approximately 100 students from The Bhaktivedanta National
faiths other than Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. School offers a comprehensive
All of the students learn the science of education to every student, and in
Kṛṣṇa Consciousness in a friendly and addition to a good academic education,
conducive atmosphere. The BVNS also provides a strong foundation in Kṛṣṇa
regularly invites ISKCON sannyāsīs Consciousness.
and senior devotees to give spiritual
classes to the students. As testimony
to the quality of the Bhaktivedanta

B h a kt i v e d a n t a N at i o n a l S c h o o l

79
 B haktivedanta
Centre
In South Kolkata, a treasure
trove of Vaiṣṇava literature can be
found in ISKCON Māyāpur’s Bhaktive-
danta Research Centre This library is a
gem hidden in a quiet Kolkata neigh-
borhood, in which can be found cop-
ies of almost every book written by
the previous ācāryas going back to
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, and many rare
and out of print books, such as Śrīla
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s compilation
of commentaries on the Padma Purāṇa
and his commentaries on the Bhaga-
vad-gītā. The library also contains
scans of many original, handwritten
manuscripts, as well as many of the
original manuscripts themselves, such
as the only known copy of Śrīla Bhak-
tisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s per-
sonal diary, dating from 1904 -1906.
The Bhaktivedanta Research
Centre was established to fulfill sever-
al of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions:
In 1972, Śrīla Prabhupāda in-
structed that film records be made of
the original writings of Śrīla Bhaktiv-
inoda Ṭhākura so that these valuable
manuscripts could be preserved.
In 1975, Śrīla Prabhupāda
discussed the possibility of open-
ing a Vedic University in Śrīdhāma
Māyāpur. This university would re-
quire a first class library.
In 1976 in Bombay, Śrīla Pra-
bhupāda instructed his temple man-
agers to construct a first class library
with all of his own books, the books
of the previous ācāryas, and all the
Vedas. He said that scholars should
be able to come and study our philos-
ophy very deeply and become devo-
tees.
In addition, Śrīla Prabhupā-
da gave many instructions about the
Temple of the Vedic Planetarium and
how its presentation of Vedic cosmolo-
gy according to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavat-
80
Research
am would counter the theories of con-
temporary scientists. The ideas that
will be presented in the Temple of the
Vedic Planetarium will undoubtedly
be challenged, and a research cen-
ter and library of Vedic cosmology is
necessary to supplement and support
the construction of the Temple of the
Vedic Planetarium’s interplanetary
chandelier.
In 2008, it was with this in
mind that His Grace Hari-śauri dāsa,
the coordinator of the Temple of the
Vedic Planetarium’s cosmology team,
and His Grace Praṇava dāsa, who
was at the time doing his doctoral
research, planned the opening of a
Vaiṣṇava study center. This coincid-
ed with the opportunity to obtain a
very important collection of books, a
collection which dated back to Śrīla
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s
residence in the Bagh Bazaar temple
in the 1930s. The collection had been
held by Śrī Sundarānanda Vidyāvino-
da, a leading Gauḍīya Math member
and former secretary of Śrīla Bhak-
tisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, since
1937.
A building that had been
donated to ISKCON in Kolkata was
allocated by ISKCON Māyāpur to
be used for this library, and funds
were arranged so that the building
could be renovated and turned into
a suitable modern library. In June
of 2009, the Bhaktivedanta Research
Centre officially opened. Now, the
library is home to the collection of
Sundarānanda Vidyāvinoda, which
was loaned to the Bhaktivedanta
Research Centre by His Holiness
The Bhaktivedanta
Research Centre
was established
to fulfill several of
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
instructions
BB Bhodayan Swami from the Śrī
Gopīnātha Gauḍīya Math, as well as
thousands of other works.
Some of the prominent works
from the Sundarānanda Vidyāvino-
da collection are the personal diary
of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura, some original handwritten
 A Center of Education

articles by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī good relationships with many librar- weeks to two months to do research
Ṭhākura, and a 200 page songbook ies and private collectors in Bengal, work. The Centre aims to become
handwritten by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda and continues to work with them to affiliated with a government recog-
Ṭhākura. catalogue and scan all their manu- nized educational institution in the
scripts and to map out the where- future, such as the University of Cal-
The library also contains abouts of all of these important litera- cutta, so that it will be able to offer
works from Birnagar, the birthplace tures. its own PhD courses and thus affect
of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. In 2013, the entire worldwide community
Hari-śauri dāsa visited Birnagar and The library is open to any of scholars interested in Vaiṣṇava
connected with the Bhaktivinoda one who is doing serious research. philosophy. Eventually, once the
Ghosti. Impressed by the work being Many scholars, both members of ISK- planned Māyāpur University is built,
done at the Bhaktivedanta Research CON and others, have come to stay in the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre
Centre, the Bhaktivinoda Ghosti al- the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre’s will become the main library for the
lowed the Bhaktivedanta Research guesthouse for anywhere from two whole university.
Centre to catalogue, scan, and pre-
serve all the work in their library,
which includes approximately 25
manuscripts written by Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura. In their collection was also
found a handwritten letter from Śrīla
Prabhupāda to Lalit Prasad Thakur,
the younger brother of Bhaktisid-
dhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, sent from
Moscow in June 1971.

The Bhaktivedanta Research

Centre has collected many addition-
al works. They have collected and
scanned approximately 2,000 ancient
manuscripts, including a complete
copy of the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
handwritten in 1760. The Centre has
worked to create and maintain very

81
 P rasādam Distribution
“So by distributing food, the spiritual food, simply by eating, he will be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if he
does not do anything. But actually, we are inviting persons to come, sit down, chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa
mantra and take prasādam and go home. That’s all. This is our program.”
(Śrīla Prabhupāda – 6 April 1972, Melbourne)

82
 Prasadam Distribution

I S K C O N
Māyāpur
Food for Life
Over 3,925,700 plates of
prasādam distributed

Once while in Māyāpur, Śrīla

Prabhupāda witnessed local children
fighting with dogs for scraps of food.
His Holiness Jayapatāka Swami, who
was present at the time, recalls how
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s eyes filled with
tears and he said, “How hungry
they must be! They are picking the
prasādam from the pile – they must be
so hungry! We must arrange for their ness among the local villagers and
prasādam! If you want to make this farmers. This project is recognized
a mandir, a house of Kṛṣṇa, then you and supported by the Government of
must see that within a 10 mile radius, India.
no one goes hungry. That will be your
success. Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s father.
How can the son go hungry in the
presence of the father? Immediately
arrange to distribute prasādam.”

The devotees of ISKCON

Māyāpur have been endeavoring to
fulfill this instruction of Śrīla Prabh-
upāda’s ever since. Over the last eight
years alone, the ISKCON Māyāpur
Food for Life program, under the
Śrī Māyāpur Food Relief Trust, has
distributed over 4,000,000 plates of
prasādam.

The ISKCON Māyāpur Food

for Life project’s main prasādam dis-
tribution programs are Gaurāṅga
Prasādam, Pilgrims Prasādam, Dhām-
vaśī Prasādam, and Nāgara Saṅkīrta-
na Prasādam Distribution. On aver-
age, 2300 full meals are distributed
weekly, along with an additional 5600
bowls of kicharī. During festival
times such as Janmāṣṭamī and Gaura
Pūrṇimā, approximately 30 thousand
full meals are distributed.

The ISKCON Māyāpur Food

for Life program also looks out for the
welfare of the local people in a num-
ber of other ways, by providing ser-
vices such as emergency flood relief,
medical aid, educational help, and
providing clothes and purified drink-
ing water, as well as teaching and
encouraging environmental aware-

83
KM
itchens of
ā y ā p u r
Brahmacārī Kitchen
The Brahmacārī Kitchen daily serves
at least 690 plates of prasādam to
Māyāpur’s resident brahmacārīs,
and when the traveling saṅkīrtana
devotees are present in Māyāpur,
the number of plates increases to a
daily average of 915. During festival
times, an additional 900 plates are
distributed. Twenty-two devotees
serve within the Brahmacārī Kitchen.
Gadā Kitchen
Every year, the Gadā Kitchen serves
over 603,780 plates of prasādam,
providing full meals to the visiting
pilgrims and guests. A staff of 51
people engage in various services in
the Gadā Kitchen, such as distributing
coupons, managing supply storage,
supervising cooking, and serving the
freshly cooked meals.
The Gadā Kitchen recently installed
new appliances to enhance the
execution of their service, including
gas ovens, a steam cooker, and a
cold storage for vegetables and dairy
products.
Lunch and dinner are served at Gadā
Kitchen daily.
84
Sulabh Kitchen
Sulabh Kitchen is the first of Māyāpur’s
large kitchens, and has been serving
prasādam to the Māyāpur community
and visiting pilgrims for many years.
During previous floods, Sulabh Kitch-
en’s staff continued to cook, prepar-
ing prasādam on the roof of the Long
Building to take in boats to distribute
in the surrounding villages.
The Sulabh prasādam hall can
accommodate approximately 900
people in one sitting. Sulabh Kitchen
also features a VIP room, which can
accommodate 100. With a total staff
of 40, Sulabh Kitchen prepares and
serves an estimated 2,450 fifty plates
of prasādam per day, and a total of
89,580 plates per year. Daily, they
serve both breakfast and lunch.
Gītā Bhavan Kitchen
The Gītā Bhavan Kitchen serves an
average of 1500 plates of prasādam
per day, and the kitchen has the
capacity to serve up to 9000 plates a
day. There are 14 permanent kitchen
staff who cook lunch and dinner
every day.
 Prasadam Distribution

M a h ā
p r a s ā d a m
The Mahā-prasādam Depart-
ment is a favourite amongst both vis-
iting and resident devotees. Offering
a variety of sweets, packaged snacks,
and meals, the Mahā-prasādam De-
partment has five outlets at different
locations in the Śrī Māyāpur Can-
drodaya campus. On average, the
Mahā-prasādam Department sells
five thousand to six thousand units of
prasādam daily.

Over the last two years, the

Mahā-prasādam Department has add-
ed a new range of milk sweets and de-
signer cakes to their menu, as well as
12 different options for lunch. They
also offer an Ekādaśī menu. The de-
partment also recently completed the
construction of an additional kitchen
which will be used for the production
of packaged snacks that will eventu-
ally be marketed throughout India. In
2018, they sold approximately 790,000
plates of prasādam.

Govinda’s
Restaurant
Māyāpur’s Govinda’s Restau-
rant aims to create a congenial atmo-
sphere for devotees and guests to rel-
ish prasādam. In the past few years,
the restaurant has expanded its menu
to further cater to its international
customers, installed air conditioning
throughout the entire restaurant, ex-
tended its snack counter, and added
a permanent pizzeria. The restau-
rant serves an average of 5000 to
6000 guests a month, and sold a total
of approximately 220,000 plates of
prasādam in 2018.

85
Join us in our service to
SRILA PRABHUPADA
and his place of worship !

There is an unlimited amount of service that is done in ISKCON

Māyāpur, and an unlimited amount of service that can still be
done. Worship of the Lord is by nature ever-increasing!
It is by worshiping the Lord that we are inspired to perform
more worship.

Please join us in our service to Śrīla Prabhupāda and his

place of worship. Visit Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, glorify Śrīdhāma
Māyāpur, remember Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, and in whatever way
you are able, continue to spread the mission of Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu!

Śrīdhāma Māyāpur is the place of worship for all ISKCON

devotees – please join us!

86
 http://www.mayapur.com/
Mayapur.com is the official website of the Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir. Visit it for information, pictures,
articles, and further ways to connect with ISKCON Māyāpur. Like its Facebook page for regular updates on
ISKCON Māyāpur.

mayapurcommunication@gmail.com
The Māyāpur Internal Communication Department provides information to residents of ISKCON Māyāpur
and the worldwide ISKCON community on behalf of the management of ISKCON Māyāpur.

“This is the best among all the places in the universe. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has established
its center in Māyāpur, the birthsite of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to give men the great opportunity
to go there and perform a constant festival of saṅkīrtana-yajña, as recommended herein (yajñeśa-makhā
mahotsavāḥ) and to distribute prasāda to millions of hungry people hankering for spiritual emancipation.”

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.24, Purport)

We encourage all devotees to visit the Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir

and experience this most auspicious of holy dhāmas!

87