information on Sri Mayapur Gaura Purnima Festival 1997

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

Here is general information on Sri Mayapur Gaura Purnima Festival 1997

Regarding Rooms, Charges Etc.

 

We hope this will help you.

 

Yours in service,

Radhasyamasundara das

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This document will cover the following points:

1 - Festival schedule

2 - Type of rooms available with short description of facilities included.

3 - Room or House Owners.

4 - Fees for the whole festival (17 days)

5 - Navadvip Mandala Parikrama.

6 - Prasadam.

7 - Transportation.

8 - Facilitations.

9 - Pre-booking and Reservations for Mayapur.

10 - Vrndavana Festival

11 - From the Mayapur Festival Management.

 

 

1 - Schedule

 

23 Feb. 1997 - G.B.C. Meeting starts.

7 March - ISKCON Managers Meeting.

9 March - Gaura Purnima Festival opening day.

10 March - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama starts.

16 March - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama ends.

20 March - Free Prasadam distribution at Santipur.

24 March - Gaura Purnima.

25 March - Jagannath Misra's Feast - End of the Mayapur section of the

festival.

28 March - Vrndavana Festival Starts.

6 April - Vrndavana festival ends.

 

2 - Rooms

 

There are a variety of rooms available during the Festival in Mayapur and

they differ quite a lot from each other. Herewith we categorize them and

provide you with a general description. We have grouped all the rooms

available into three different classes (worlds), in relation to their price

and to the different facilities given. For details regarding prices, please

refer to chapter 4.

 

First World

 

a) Cakra Building - Four persons (single room) or Eight persons (double

room) per room. One mattress, bed sheet and mosquito net is provided for

each person. Common bathrooms (c/b) outside the room. Gents and ladies in

separate rooms. Please note that some of the double rooms have a small

private attached bathroom but, as far as prices and allocation is concerned,

they will be considered in the same category as the other c/b rooms.

 

b) Gada Building c/b - Four persons per room. One mattress, bed sheet and

mosquito net is provided for each person. Common bathroom outside the room.

Men only.

 

c) ISKCON Youth Forum - Four persons per room. One mattress, bed sheet and

mosquito net is provided for each person. Common bathroom outside the room.

Men only. This building is situated near the Gurukula.

 

d) Private rooms - Private rooms with (or without) attached bathroom (a/b),

such as those in Conch, Lotus or Gada building, are mostly donated by some

devotee, ISKCON Temple or Member who have full right to occupy them upon

request. It is therefore quite unlikely that any such rooms could be made

available for any other devotees/guests. The assignment of any available

spare room of this kind is left to the discretion of the Festival Manager in

Mayapur.

 

Second World

 

a) Brahmacari Ashram - Eight persons per room. Common Bathrooms outside the

rooms. Men only. No bedding is provided.

 

b) Boundary Wall (North section) - Four persons per room. Common bathroom

outside the room. Ladies only. No bedding is provided.

 

c) Gada Building Dormitory - Men: twenty persons per room. Women: eight or

ten persons per room. Common bathroom (ladies and gents separated) outside

the room. No bedding is provided.

 

d) Nityananda Kutir - Bamboo cottages with thatched roof situated south of

Conch building. Four beds per room. One folding bed, mattress and mosquito

net is provided for each person. This cottages are available for men, women

and families. Please note that, although a room has place for four beds, a

family or a couple of grhasta may have the whole room for themselves, if

they wish so. Common bathrooms (gents and ladies separated) with hand pumps

and showers outside the room.

 

Third World

 

a) Gauranga Huts - Bamboo huts with thatched roof situated south of Conch

building. Ten persons per room. One folding bed, mattress and mosquito net

is provided for each person. Common bathroom with hand pumps outside the

room. Men only.

 

b) Gurukula Classrooms - These rooms vary in sizes (from four to sixteen

persons for each room). Men only. Common bathroom with hand pumps. No

bedding is provided.

 

c) Cakra bld. basement - These rooms vary in sizes (from four to sixteen

persons per room). Some room only men, some only women. Common bathroom

outside the room. No bedding is provided.

 

d) Gada bld. Big dormitory - Thirty persons in a big room. Ladies only.

Common bathroom outside the room. No bedding is provided.

 

3 - Room or House Owners

 

In order to enable us to properly receive them, Rooms donors are kindly

requested to inform us before time about their arrival and departure dates.

If they wish to send some friend or relative in their stead, they should

provide them with an authorization letter.

 

Room donors and House Owners are obviously not meant to pay any charge for

their accommodation. However they are required to pay a minimum Festival fee

of 30 US$ (for 17 days - not including Prasadam) per person to help cover

the general expenses to put up and run the festival. They are also requested

to ensure that any additional guests in their room/home are properly

registered at the main reception (Cakra 111).

 

Festival Prasadam could be made available for them upon request.

 

4 - Festival Fees

 

The prices herewith mentioned are for each person for 17 days, the whole

duration of the festival (from 9th March to 25th March included). Late

comers will pay proportionately the same prices (rounded up for excess) on a

daily basis. Those who will arrive earlier than the ninth March will have to

pay extra on a daily basis for their room and Prasadam.

 

The prices may undergo some very minor adjustment due to the instability of

the relations between foreign currencies.

 

The following fees include the charges for:

Accommodation

Prasadam

Festival Fee

The cost of Prasadam (34 US$) may be deducted from it upon request.

 

Children under the age of Twelve pay only 50% for every item they choose.

 

First World

a) Cakra building - 80 US$ per each person.

b) Gada bld. c/b - 80 US$ per each person.

c) ISKCON Youth Forum - 80 US$ per each person.

d) Private rooms - If available: 80 US$ per each person plus room charge on

a daily basis (from 200 to 900 rupees extra per day).

Second World

a) Brahmacari Ashram - 58 US$ per each person.

b) Boundary Wall - 58 US$ per each person.

c) Gada bld. Dormitory - 58 US$ per each person.

d) Nityananda Kutir - 58 US$ per each person.

Third World

a) Gauranga Huts - 48 US$ per each person.

b) Gurukula classrooms - 43 US$ per each person.

c) Cakra bld. basement - 43 US$ per each person.

d) Gada bld. Big dormitory - 43 US$ per each person.

Room or House Owners

a) Room or House owners pay 30 US$ per person (prasadam not included).

 

To recap, the prices (inclusive of Prasadam) are as follows:

First World - 80 $

Second World - 58 $

Third World - 43 $ (G.Huts cost 48 $, 10 rs/day extra for bedding )

 

5 - Parikrama

 

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama starts on 10th March and ends on 16th March

1997. It take place within the two weeks period of the Festival. The fee for

the entire Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is 40 US $ per person, and is

additional to the above mentioned Festival fee. If you are already

registered for the festival, then your Parikrama fee will be only 30 US$ per

person. There is no difference of prices between First, Second or Third

world. It includes accommodation in tents, Prasadam and the Parikrama

itself. Children pay 50%.

 

The Parikrama starts from ISKCON Mayapur at 6 AM. on 10th March and return

on the 16th at noon. During these seven days the devotees will walk around

the seven islands of Navadvipa Dham visiting several holy places daily. They

will reside and eat in camps organized and run by the Mayapur devotees,

without returning to the ISKCON compound until the Parikrama is over.

 

Everyone is advised therefore to bring whatever may be needed for a weeks

walking tour, i.e. sleeping bag, clothes, gamchas etc. At the same time we

suggest you to take only the minimum indispensable items, in order to not

overload the tour. A transportation trolley will be available to carry the

bulkiest and heaviest bags. Spare and extra luggage which you do not want to

carry with you, may be left in your room at the Sri Mayapur Candrodaya

Mandir (ISKCON Mayapur) or in the free luggage store room in Cakra bld.

rooms 101 and 110.

 

For those who wish to participate to the Parikrama for only few hours a day,

going there in the morning and coming back at noon, daily transportation

back and forth will be organized from the Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir.

 

More details will be made available in Mayapur through a Parikrama booklet

and at an Istha-ghosti held the day before the departure.

 

The schedule of the places the Parikrama camp each night is as follows:

10 March - Jagannath Mandir

11 March - Nrsimha Palli

12 March - Svarup Ganj

13 March - Navadvipa

14 March - Vidyanagar

15 March - Belpukur

16 March - Iskcon Mayapur

 

A particular feature of this 1997 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama will be that

another Parikrama party, formed by three thousand namahatta devotees from

Bengala, Orissa and Assam, will follow one day behind on the same route of

the first group.

 

6 - Prasadam

 

Whoever register for the Festival is entitled to have Prasadam at the Gada

bld Prasadam hall. Its cost has been already included in the prices

mentioned in chapter 4. It cannot be sold separately or on a daily basis.

 

It consists of two meals :

Breakfast - served at 9:00 AM. and

Lunch - Served at 2:30 PM. (susceptible to some time schedule adjustments).

 

This year the Dinner (milk and puffed rice) has not been included in the

Festival Prasadam. It may be separately purchased on a daily basis.

 

If some devotee feels he wishes to have only a meal a day (either breakfast

or lunch) or he prefers not to book at all for any meals, the Prasadam cost

will be deducted at the time of registration, upon request, from his

Festival registration fee.

 

Here are the prices for Festival Prasadam:

Full Prasadam - 70 rs. a day, i.e. 34 US$ for the whole Festival (17 days)

Breakfast - 30 rs. a day, i.e. 14,50 US$ for the whole Festival (17 days)

Lunch - 40 rs. a day, i.e. 19,50 US$ for the whole Festival (17 days)

 

Prasadam is the same for any First, Second and Third world registered

Devotees.

 

We will summarize now what Prasadam availability is there in the whole

ISKCON Mayapur:

 

Festival Prasadam

Available only against Festival registration.

Breakfast: One cereal (macaroni, upma, flat rice, puffed rice etc.), fruit

salad with yogurt, fresh fruits, chutney, bel juice, one savory (samosa,

bonda, kachory etc.), two or more sweets.

Lunch: Rice, chapatis, dal, several subjis, boiled subji, chutney, papad,

juice, 2 or 3 sweets.

Venue: Gada building ground floor Prasadam hall.

Breakfast - 9:00 AM.

Lunch - 2:30 PM. (susceptible to changes)

 

Bhakta Kitchen Prasadam

Mayapur Devotees Prasadam - Rice, (chapatis), dal, two or three subjis

(quite spicy)

Daily coupons may be purchased at the Main-gate counter

Price :10 rs. for each meal.

Venue : Big Kitchen (Prasadam hall behind Samadhi Mandir).

Breakfast - 9:00 AM.

Lunch - 4:30 PM.

 

Sulabha Bhojanalaya

Pilgrims subsidized Prasadam - Rice, dal and two sabjis (very spicy)

Daily coupons may be purchased at the Main-gate counter.

Price: 10 rs. for each meal.

Venue: Big Kitchen (Prasadam hall behind Samadhi Mandir).

Lunch - from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 PM.

On crowded days this service may be extended until evening.

 

Govinda Restaurant

Lunch may be made available if booked before 11:00 AM.. Snacks available at

all times.

Lunch price: 35 rs.

Lunch: 1:30 PM.

Snacks: from 7:30 AM. until 9:00 PM.

 

Dinner

Previously part of the Festival Prasadam - Milk and puffed rice.

Daily Coupons available at the Main-gate counter. Price: 10 rs.

Venue: at the pandal between the Restaurant and the Cakra building.

Time: sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 PM.

 

Mahaprasadam

Sweets: at the Mahaprasadam shops from 7:30 AM. until 9:00 PM.

Rajabhoga: Radhamadhava, Jagannath, Pancatattva or Sri Nrsimhadeva plates may

be available upon booking at the Donation Desk in the temple room or with the

Head-pujari. However, be aware that the plates are booked early.

 

Others

During the Festival several stall and Prasadam shops may open in the temple

courtyard and in the Mini market area. Also a pizza restaurant will be

probably there on the southern side of the Samadhi parikram-path.

 

7 - Transportations

 

Arriving in Calcutta, you may reach Mayapur by:

1. Train - Howrah station to Navadvipa, or Shielda station to Krsnanagar.

From the airport, the nearest train station is Dumdum station.

2. State Bus - at 6:00 AM. from Dharmatala to ISKCON Mayapur (24 rs.)

3. Taxi - From airport 750/850 rs. From Howrah 850/950 rs.

4. Private Bus - to be previously arranged with ISKCON Calcutta (Sattvik

Das).

 

At your departure from Mayapur, the travel facilities are these:

1. State bus - at 6:00 AM., 11:00 AM. and 3:00 PM. from ISKCON Mayapur to

Calcutta.

2. Taxi or private car - bookable at ISKCON Mayapur.

3. Train - from Krsnanagar or from Navadvip.

4. Private bus - to be booked at the reception desk between the 19th

and the 22nd March.

To Airport, Calcutta temple or Howrah station. Price: 100 rs.

per seat. Departure schedule will be fixed according to the requests made.

 

Transportation between Calcutta and Delhi (on the way to Vrndavana) should

be arranged before coming to Mayapur, if possible. However, if one fail to

do so, some devotee during the Festival in Mayapur will be assigned the

service of purchasing and reconfirming plain and train tickets for the

visiting devotees. In this regard, see also chapter 8.

 

Transportation from Delhi to Vrndavana:

Several trains are available from Delhi to Mathura. Taxis are also

available. Private buses can be taken by previous arrangement with Ganapati

dasa. See address in chapter 10. There should also be a Vrindavana Booking

desk at ISKCON Mayapur from the 18th to 22nd March.

 

8 - Facilitations

 

During your stay at ISKCON Mayapur during the festival, these facilities

will be available:

 

Plain/train ticket confirmation

Several devotees will be assigned the service of reconfirming your airplane

tickets and to purchase new plain or train tickets for your travel. To cover

his expenses, you will be charged 20 rs. for each ticket reconfirmation and

50 rs. for a new ticket.

 

Free luggage store-room

A permanent luggage store room is available free of cost in room N. 101 of

the Cakra bld. (the very first room on the first floor of long bld. on the

side of the Ganga). An additional temporary free luggage store room will be

arranged for the Parikrama participants in room 110 of Cakra bld. (near the

main reception in room 111). We remind you that all the luggage stored in

this second room should be collected before the 18th March. Any eventual

uncollected luggage will be transferred to room 101.

 

Safety lockers

In the above mentioned room 101, twentyfour locker boxes are available free

of cost for whoever needs them. You have to provide your own lock for it.

 

Lost and found

At the reception desk in room 111, a "lost and found service" is provided.

For anything you did loose or you did find, please approach the

receptionist.

 

Reception riksa service

To carry your luggage free of cost, a free riksa (cycle trolley) service is

run by the reception team for any registered devotee. Please contact the

reception desk for it.

 

Mail & fax facilities

Mail service is available at room 207 of chakra building.

Fax service room 205 Chakra.

 

Phone booth

An STD and ISD phone service booth is available from 6:00 AM. to 10:00 PM.

in room 119 in Cakra building. A bill will be issued after each phone call

and you may pay it by cash.

 

9 - Festival Reservation

 

To reserve you room for the festival, please provide the following information:

1. Names (or at least number) of all the persons you want to book for,

specifying if men or women and if they have any grouping preference.

2. Child or adult.

3. Room you would like to be allocated in.

4. Arrival and Departure dates.

5. Group leader (if any).

6. Prasadam: Full, only breakfast, only lunch or nothing at all.

7. Names of those wishing to participate to the Parikrama.

8. Any other personal request.

Please note that points 6 and 7 do not necessarily need to be mentioned in

your booking form. You may reserve for Prasadam and Parikrama later, at your

arrival in Mayapur.

 

However, no booking can be accepted if points 1,2,3,4 are not specified.

 

Mail your reservation request to the addres provided below.

Enclose with it a Bank Draft (in any currency) of at least 20% the total

bill, payable to "ISKCON - Gaura Purnima Festival Fund". Payment in cash is

also accepted, but needs to be personally handed in by someone. No cash by

mail. Send your reservation form along with draft by courier and/or

registered mail to:

 

Radhasyamasundara Das - Festival Department

ISKCON - Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir

741 313 Nadia District - W. Bengal - India

or

Radhasyamasundara Das - Festival Department

c/o ISKCON

31 Flight Lt. Tapan Chowdhury Ave. (formally Lake Ave.)

Calcutta 700 027 - India.

 

We remind you that rooms are allocated on a first come first served basis,

therefore the sooner your booking reaches Mayapur, the better.

 

Your booking should reach Mayapur by the 1st of February 1997. Although we

will naturally try to accomadate everyone according to their choice, late

bookers should not hold us responsible for any inconvenience.

 

Any cancellation done after the 1sth February, will undergo a 20%

cancellation fee. Please note that cancellations and changes to your booking

may be done by e-mail or by fax, as postal service could take too long to

reach.

 

For further informations, questions and for double check your booking, you

are invited to use e-mail (and phone) as well. Here are the addresses:

 

internet: radhasyamasundara.jps (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

comm: radhasyamasundara jps

phone: - +91 3472 45239/240, internal exchange No. 202 or 209

fax: - +91 3472 45237

 

10 - Vrndavana

 

Although we tried to get the information for the Vrindavana part of the

Festival we were not able to confirm any details. Please contact Mahamana

dasa or Ganapati dasa in Vrindavana.

 

Ganapati Das - Guest House manager and/or Mahamana Das - Temple president.

ISKCON - Sri Krsna Balaram Mandir

Raman reti - Vrndavana

Mathura District - Uttar Pradesh - INDIA.

phone: +91 565 442478/591/592

The temple has also an e-mail account.

 

11 - From the Mayapur Festival Management

 

In order to smooth the registration process at your arrival in Mayapur, it

is advisable to have a single person, the "group leader", approaching the

registration desk. The full group can be registered together. The group

leader should have clear in his mind before hand what all the people in his

group are wishing to do.

 

On departure, you are kindly requested to lock the door of your room and to

return the keys at the same place from where you took them.

 

We also remind everyone that whatever goods that may be found in the rooms,

belong to someone. The Mayapur Festival Management is held responsible for

all these items. If anything is found missing or damaged, the M.F.M. will

have to pay for it. Therefore we humbly request everyone to take a nice

Krsna conscious care of everything. If this is done, it will be easier to

keep the prices as low as possible and to avoid collecting "deposit

charges".

 

We look forward to having your association and we hope you will

transcendentally enjoy your stay at Sri Mayapur Dham in association with

hundreds of devotees from all over the world. Hare Krsna.