At Mayapur in the Nadia district of West Bengal, on the bank of the Ganga, stands the great temple complex that serves as the world headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Mayapur is revered as the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the fifteenth-century saint honoured by his followers as a combined avatar of Radha and Krishna, who spread the congregational chanting of the holy names across the land.
Developed as a spiritual township by Srila Prabhupada, Mayapur draws devotees and pilgrims from every continent, especially during the Gaura Purnima festival celebrating Chaitanya's appearance; here the vast Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is rising as one of the largest temples in the world. Mayapur is a global centre of Gaudiya Vaishnava devotion and the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra.
