Travel
information in Mayapur
Train
There is a crowded local train from Howrah train station to Navadvipa. From there you take a rickshaw to the boat crossing. You then cross the Ganges by boat and get another rickshaw on the other side for the last 2 km to the temple. Trains leave from Howrah station to go to Navadvipa.
You can also take a very crowded passenger train from Sealdah station to Krishnanagar (2½ hr). You get a ticket for this train at counter 17, which is to the left of the entrance. Sealdah is a taxi ride from Howrah train station from the ISKCON Temple.
From the Krishnanagar bus stand there are regular buses to Mayapur that take about 40 minutes. If you have a decent amount of luggage this is the advised way to go, as the bus stops directly of the ISKCON temple. You can also take a bus to Swarupa Ganj boat ghat (20 min), which is by Bhaktivinoda’s house on the other side of the Jalangi River. From there you get one of the regular boats across the river. Once you cross the river you get a rickshaw to the ISKCON Temple. You can also get a shared rickshaw or a tempo from the train station in Krishnanagar to Swarupa Ganj. The tempos are very crowded, and would prefer the bus.
Bus
There is a direct local bus to Mayapur that departs from the Esplanade bus stand on Chowringhee Rd at the north end of the Maidan. From the Esplanade bus stand you can also get one of the regular buses during the day to Krishnanagar and from there get another bus to Mayapur.
To get from Mayapur to Calcutta, there is a direct public bus to Calcutta that leaves from the ISKCON front gate. This is the easiest way to go to Calcutta, except for taking the ISKCON bus. You also take a bus from outside the temple to Krishnanagar and from there get another bus to Calcutta.
ISKCON Temple Bus
The Mayapur bus departs daily from the ISKCON Calcutta temple. The temple is located at 3C AIbert Road, about a quarter of a mile from the junction of Camac Road and Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Rd.The bus is a convenient cheap way to get to Mayapur from Calcutta.
The bus picks up passengers at Gariahat, then Prachi Cinema, Capital Electronics (Ultadanga), and Air-port Hotel. You can also be dropped at these places on the return trip. You should arrange your bus ticket the night before you want to go to Mayapur, as this bus is often fully booked in advance.
The ISKCON temple bus usually departs daily from Mayapur. It arrives in Calcutta. To reserve the bus to Calcutta in advance (a good idea) it is best to meet the bus when it arrives in Mayapur, or you have to look for the devotee who is in charge of the bus later, which may not be so easy. You can also arrange a seat the day before by talking to the devotee in charge of the bus, when the bus is about to depart. Usually the bus is not full for the return trip and you can just get a seat, but it is still best to reserve it in advance.
Taxi
A taxi from the Howrah train station to Mayapur. The airport is a half hour north of the train station. From other areas of Calcutta you may have to pay. It is suggested that you travel during the day if possible, as this area of Bengal is not very safe at night. To get to Mayapur from Calcutta by car you drive north on National Highway 34 via Barasat to Krishnanagar. About 10 km past Krishnanagar you make a very sharp left when you see the signboard to Sri Mayapur. The drive takes about four hours.
You should reserve the taxi a day in advance at the main desk in Room 111 of the long building.
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