PREPARING OUR CONSIOUSNESS BEFORE VISITING THE DHAM

Importance of Holy Places
Holy places everywhere are meant for purifying the consciousness of the visitor. A place is made particularly holy by the presence of the Lord and His pure devotees.
For Gaudiya Vaisnavas the major places of pilgrimage are Vrindavana, Mayapur, and Jagannatha Puri. Vrindavana is the site of Lord Krishna's pastimes, while Mayapur and Puri are the sites of Lord Caitanya's pastimes.
A visit to a holy place doens't only mean taking a bath in a sacred river or visiting temples. According to Srila Prabhupada, if one visits a holy place, he should search out the devotees residing there, take lessons from them and try to apply such instructions in practical life. Krishna is always present with His devotees and by their actions any place can become a place of pilgrimage. For this reason, the places where Srila Prabhupada visited are also considered places of pilgrimage.
The combination of Radha and Krishna in one form is Mahaprabhu therefore only Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is truly the Mahaprabhu. So let us pray to Him because in Kali Yuga He is distributing entrance into the Vrindavan lila. Through His mercy we could all approach the exalted feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna through the congregational chanting of the Holy Names. Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu Ki Jai !!!
About Mayapur
Mayapur, 130 km north of Calcutta, is one of the most holy places in India, visited by over a million pilgrims annually. It is also the world headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
It's importance to Vaisnavas is that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born here in 1486 and many of his early pastimes were performed here.
Mayapur Highlights
Gaura Mandala Area
Gaura Mandala is over 200km in circumference, with the Ganges running through the centre. It takes the form of a hundred-petaled lotus with Navadvipa as the hub. Navadvipa consists of nine (nava) islands (dvipa), each of the nine islands resembling an eight-petaled lotus flower. Antardvipa, the centre of the flower, has a circumference of 15km.
The central point, situated within Navadvipa, is the Yogapitha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birthplace. Navadvipa is considered to be a spiritual manifestation, for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performed his transcendental activities in this holy place.
Each one of the nine islands of Nava-dvipa represents one of the nine processes of devotional service. The nine divisions are:
Antardvipa, Shri Mayapur (surrendering everything);
Simantadvipa, (hearing);
Godrumadvipa, (chanting);
Madhyadvipa, (remembering);
Koladvipa, Navadvipa city (serving the lotus feet);
Ritudvipa, (worshiping);
Jahnudvipa, (praying);
Modadruma-dvipa, (being a servant); and
Rudradvipa, (being a friend).
ISKCON Candradoya Mandir
This is ISKCON's international headquarters.
The largest temple to be built in India for 200 years is currently under construction here. When complete, the temple will be surrounded by its own city and will include a vedic planetarium.
At present, there is a temple with Radha Madhava Deities. These Deities are full size. Next to them are eight gopis, four on either side. The Deities of Narasimhadeva and the Panca-tattva, (Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Caitanya, Gadadhara Pandit, and Srivasa Pandit) can be seen here too.
Srila Prabhupada's Puspa Samadhi (memorial) is also here. Buried here, under a murti (statue) of Srila Prabhupada, are the flowers (puspa) that he wore when he passed away in 1977. There is also an auditorium, a garden, a diorama exhibit, and a small lake in front of the samadhi.

Other places to visit in Mayapur and Navadvipa-mandala
Ganga
Just off the campus, on the opposite side of the road, flows the merciful Ganga, eager to purify everyone and bestow the most rarely attained Krishna-prema. Here Ganga is most merciful than at any other place as Gauranga Mahaprabhu has performed wonderful pastimes in her sacred waters. Ganga Puja is an important event during the Gaura-purnima festival and on all important festivals, devotees go in a procession (jala-yatra) with Harinama Sankirtana to bring Ganga water to bathe the Deities.
Nimai Janmasthana or Sri Yogapitha
In 1893, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura established Sri Yoga-pitha as the actual birth site of Lord Chaitanya’s appearance. It is one kilometer from The main gate of Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir. Inside the temple, on the right side is a small shrine where a deity of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is worshipped.
Inside Yogapitha temple there are three altars:
Sri Radha Madhava and Lord Chaitanya
Sri Gaura-Narayana with Lakshmipriya, Vishnupriya and the Adhokshaja Vishnu Deity worshipped by Jagannatha Mishra
Sri Pancha-tattva and Sri Jagannatha
The neem tree where Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared is on the right side of the temple and a small mud hut with deities of Jagannatha Mishra and Mother Sachidevi holding young Nimai on her lap. Just behind the mud hut is a temple with two Shiva-lingas. A temple of Sri Gaura-Gadadhara and Sri Lakshmi Nrisimhadeva is on the back of the temple area. A Gaura-kunda, excavated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1920, is also within the complex.
Darsana times: 8:30amto 11:00am and 3.30pm to 8:00pm
Srivasa Angan
The birthplace of Harinama-sankirtana
This is the courtyard of Sri Srivasa Thakura and it is just 250 meters away from the Yogapitha. The temple has three shrines:
Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Lord Chaitanya
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during His maha-prakasa-lila when He revealed Himself to His intimate devotees as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. Lord Nityananda and Lord Chaitanya are leading all the devotees in the Kirtana that went to Chand Kazi’s palace to protest against his ban on the Harinama-sankirtana.
Since this is the place where a mridanga was broken by Chand Kazi’s men to stop the sankirtana, it is also known as Khol-bhanga danga.
Darsana times: 8.30am to 11am and 3.30pm to 8.30pm.
Advaita Bhavan
This temple is just 30 meters away from Srivasa Angan. Advaita Acharya lived in Santipur but kept this Bhavan for His Mayapur visits. Deities of Lord Chaitanya (standing) and Advaita Acarya (sitting and offering) are worshipped here.
Gadadhara Angan
It is ten meters to the right of Advaita Bhavan. Deities of Lord Chaitanya and Sri Gadadhara Pandita are worshipped here.
Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Matha
This is half a kilometer from Srivasa Angan. This temple and the matha were established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1918 and it was his headquarters for his preaching throughout India. He called this place Vraja-pattana, the place Vraja is manifest. By his spiritual potency, Syama-kunda, Radha-kunda and Giri Govardhana of Vrindavana are all manifest here. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s samadhi is also located inside the matha campus and his life sized murti is now worshipped. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had also established a temple presided by Sri Sri Gandharvika-Giridhari and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Surrounding Them, on the four sides, are the murtis of Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva, Sri Nimbarka and Sri Visnusvami. He had also established a samadhi for his spiritual master Srila Gaurakisora das Babaji Maharaja.
Nandana Acarya’s House
This is where Lord Nityananda and Lord Chaitanya met for the first time within Their manifest pastimes about five hundred years ago. Gauranga Mahaprabhu also hid here for one night, creating intense feelings of separation in His associates. Sri Sri Gaura-Nityananda Mandir is the main temple there. There are Deities of Gaura-Nitai, Radha Vinoda-vihari and Nrisimhadeva.