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******* SRI MAYAPUR GAURA PURNIMA FESTIVAL 1999 *******

Information regarding prices, dates, facilities etc.

 

 

This document will cover the following points :

1 - Festival schedule

2 - Rooms and Prices .

3 - Room Owners.

4 - Prasadam.

5 - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.

6 - Transportation.

7 - Facilities.

8 - Pre-booking and Reservations for Mayapur.

9 - Cancellations and refunds

10 - From the Mayapur Festival Management

 

 

 

***** 1-SCHEDULE *****

 

15 Feb. - Gaura Purnima Festival starts

16 Feb. - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama starts.

22 Feb. - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama ends.

23 Feb. - Seminars start

26 Feb. - Ekadasi

27 Feb. - Madhavendra dvadasi : free Prasadam distribution at Santipur

01 March - Seminars end

02 March - Gaura Purnima.

03 March - Jagannath Misra 's feast - last day of the G.P. Festival 1999

 

 

 

***** 2- TYPE OF ROOMS AVAILABLE AND PRICES *****

 

There are three cathegories of rooms available : A, B, and C (previously

called: "First, Second and Third World"), to which correspond three

cathegories of Festival Fees. The figures below indicate the prices for the

whole duration of the festival (17 days). Daily rates are calculated

proportionately. Children under the age of twelve pay half.

 

· Class A - 90 $ ( 51 $ without Prasadam ) per person for 17 days

· Class B - 70 $ ( 31 $ without Prasadam ) per person for 17 days

· Class C - 60 $ ( 21 $ without Prasadam ) per person for 17 days

 

 

Again, with more details :

 

*** Class A ***

90 $ per person

 

Cakra bld. (Long building) - Rooms for 4 or 8 persons - One mattress,

bedsheet and mosquito net provided for each person. Non-private

bathroom. Man and ladies separate rooms (not for families).

 

Iskcon Youth Forum (near Gurukula) - Rooms for 4 persons. One mattress,

bedsheet and mosquito net provided for each person. Non-private

bathroom. Families also allowed (on second floor only).

 

Gada bld. Roy block (above the Prasadam hall) - Rooms for 4 persons.

One mattress, bedsheet and mosquito net provided for each person.

Non-private bathroom. Man and ladies separate rooms (not for families).

 

Sankirtana bld. (between temple and brahm. asrama) - Rooms for 5 to 8

persons - One mattress, bedsheet and mosquito net provided for each

person. Non-private bathroom. Only men.

 

Conch, Lotus, B.D. Accademy and Gada a/b - Only for room owners and VIPs.

The room cost (if need be) will be paid additionally to the class A fee.

 

*** Class B ***

70 $ per person

 

Nityananda Kutir - Half concrete, half bamboo cottages, just on the side of

the Conch bld. Four beds, mattresses, bedsheets and mosquito nets per

room. Common bathrooms. For men, women and families. A full cottage may

be reserved for less than four persons, upon request.

 

Caitanya Mission - Two bed rooms in a Gaudiya math temple at a walkable

distance from ISKCON (two or three hundred meters). Some room with

private bath, some without. For men, women and families. Full bedding

provided. Room charge to be paid additionally to Class B fee (70 $, incl.

Prasadam).

 

 

*** Class C ***

60 $ per person

 

Gauranga Huts - Bamboo houses between Conch building and Expo. Ten persons

per room. Only men. A folding bed with mattress and mosquito net provided

for each person. Common bath with hand pumps.

 

Prabhupada Huts - Bamboo houses siding the road to Gurukula (300 mt from the

temple courtyard). Four persons per room. A mattress, straw-mat and

mosquito net provided for each person. Common bathrooms with showers.

Men and ladies separate areas.

 

Basements - Different size of room on the basement of Cakra or other

buildings. No bedding provided. Common bathroom. Men and ladies.

 

Dormitory - in Gada building. 20 or 10 persons per room. No bedding

provided. Men and ladies separated. Common Bathrooms.

 

Boundary Wall - Small rooms for four persons each situated on the boundary

wall which reaches the Cakra bld. starting from the Main gate.

Common bath. For women or families. No beeding provided.

 

Gurukulas - Different size rooms. Common Bath with hand pumps. No bedding

provided. Men and ladies separated (It will be made available only in the

emergency of a shortage of space)

 

(end or rooms description)

 

Please note that Rooms and Prasadam booked before and after the Festival

(15/2 to 03/3 inclusive) are charged additionally, on a daily basis.

 

 

 

***** 3 - HOUSES AND ROOMS OWNERS *****

 

Room and house owners, or any devotee not requiring accomodation, are

requested to pay a basic fee to help us to put up the festival. Festival

Prasadam may be made available for them upon request.

 

Class A - Only Festival Fee : 30 $ per person (Prasadam not included).

Class B - Only Festival Fee : 15 $ per person (Prasadam not included).

Class C - Only Festival Fee : 10 $ per person (Prasadam not included).

 

Room Owners are requested to inform us in advance of their expected arrival,

in order to give us enough time to make sure we have their room ready for

them.

 

 

 

***** 4 - PRASADAM *****

 

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

bld Prasadam hall. Its cost (39 $) has been already included in the prices

mentioned in chapter 2. It cannot be sold separately or on a daily basis.

It consists of two meals : breakfast (at 9:00 AM) and lunch (at 2:30 PM).

 

However, if some devotee feels he wishes to have only one meal a day (either

breakfast or lunch) or he prefers not to take any meal at all, the cost of

the unwanted Prasadam will be deducted at the time of registration, upon

request, from his Festival registration fee (i.e.: from 90, 70 or 60 $).

 

Here are the prices for Festival Prasadam:

· Full Prasadam - 39 $ for the whole Festival (17 days)

· only Breakfast - 17 $ for the whole Festival (17 days)

· only Lunch - 22 $ for the whole Festival (17 days)

 

Prasadam is the same for all categories, A, B and C .

 

Although the majority of devotees prefer to have Festival Prasadam, we would

like to give you here a general description of all the different types of

Prasadam that will be available at ISKCON Mayapur :

 

* FESTIVAL PRASADAM *

Available only against Festival registration .

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

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

(samosa, bonda, kachory etc.), one sweet.

Lunch : Plain rice, fried rice, chapatis, dal, several subjis (sukta, sag,

chachari, posta, laphra, tarkari, chana subji, etc.), boiled subji,

chutney, papad, yogurt or misty dai, juice, one or two sweets.

Venue : Gada building ground floor Prasadam hall.

Breakfast - 9:00 AM.

Lunch - 2:30 PM.

 

* BHAKTA KITCHEN PRASADAM *

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

chapatis) .

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

Prasadam-hall gate.

Price : 12 rs. for each meal .

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

Breakfast - 9:00 AM.

Lunch - 4:00 PM.

 

* SULABHA BHOJANALAYA *

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

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

Prasadam-hall gate.

Price : 12 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.

 

* 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. However, be aware that the plates are booked early.

 

* OTHERS *

During the Festival, also several others stalls and Prasadam shops may open

in the temple courtyard, in the Mini-market area and around the compound.

You just have to walk by and have your share.

 

 

 

***** 5 - PARIKRAMA *****

 

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama starts on the 16th of February and ends on the

22nd of February 1998. It takes place within the two weeks period of the

Festival. The fee for the entire Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is 35 US $

per person, and it is additional to the above mentioned Festival fees.

There is no difference of prices between Class A, B or C.

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

Children below twelve pay half.

 

The Parikrama starts from ISKCON Mayapur at 6 AM. on 16 February and returns

on the 22nd at noon. On 22nd the lunch will be served at the big Prasadam

hall behind Samadhi.

 

During these seven days the devotees will walk together, 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 week

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

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

to 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 locked in your room at the Sri Mayapur

Candrodaya Mandir (ISKCON Mayapur) or may be left in the free luggage store

room which will be made temporarily available - for the duration of the

Parikrama - in the Cakra bld. by the devotees of the reception .

 

For those wishing to join the Parikrama only for a few hours a day - going

there in the morning and coming back at noon - daily bus or boat

transportation back and forth may be organized from the Mayapur Candrodaya

Mandir by the Parikrama organizers. Tickets may be bought at departure or at

the reception desk.

 

More details will be made available in Mayapur through an Istha-ghosti held

the day before the departure.

 

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

16 February - Jagannath Mandir

17 February - Nrsimha Palli

18 February - Svarup Ganj

19 February - Navadvipa town

20 February - Vidyanagar

21 February - Belpukur

22 February - Iskcon Mayapur

 

As during the 1997 and 1998 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama, there will be

another Parikrama party, formed by three thousand namahatta devotees from

Bengala, Orissa and Assam, which will simultaneously take place, following

one day behind the first group on the same route.

 

 

 

***** 6 - Transportation *****

 

* Calcutta to Mayapur :

1. Train - Howrah station to Navadvipa, or Sealdah station to

Krsnanagar. From the airport, the nearest train station is

Dumdum station (on the Krsnanagar line).

2. State Bus - at 6:00 AM. from Dharmatala to ISKCON Mayapur (25 rs.)

3. Taxi - From airport 850/950 rs. , from Howrah st. 850/1000 rs.

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

Das) or with Radhasyamasundara Das at Mayapur.

 

* Mayapur to Calcutta :

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

2. Taxi or private car - bookable at ISKCON Mayapur (see chapter 8).

3. Train - from Krsnanagar or from Navadvip

4. End of the Festival busses - to be booked at the reception desk not

later than four days before departure, going to : Airport, ISKCON

Calcutta or Howrah station.

Price: 100/120 rs. for a single seat or around 3000 Rs. for a

full bus. All bookings done at the reception desk.

Departure schedule will be fixed according your requirements.

 

* Calcutta to Delhi :

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

be arranged before coming to Mayapur. However, if one fails to do so, a

devotee during the Festival in Mayapur will be assigned the service

of purchasing and reconfirming plane and train tickets for the visiting

devotees . In this regard, see also chapter 7.

 

 

 

***** 7 - FACILITIES *****

 

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

will be made available :

 

*** Plane/train ticket confirmation ***

Several devotees will be assigned the service of reconfirming your airplane

tickets and to purchase new plane or train tickets for your travels.

However, due to the rush which is usually there, we always advise you to

have your return ticket arranged before hand.

 

*** Free luggage store-room ***

A permanent luggage store room will be made available free of cost in the

Cakra bld . An additional temporary free luggage store room will be arranged

for the Parikrama participants in Cakra bld . We remind you that all the

luggage stored in this second room should be collected before the 23d of

February. After this, uncollected luggage will be transferred to the

permanent "free luggage store-room".

 

*** Safety lockers ***

In the above mentioned "free luggage store room" several 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 loose or find, please approach the receptionist.

However, any goods lost during the Parikrama should be claimed from the

Parikrama organizers.

 

*** Reception free riksa service ***

A free riksa luggage transport service is run by the reception desk team for

any registered devotee to help him carry his luggage to his room.

 

*** Mail & fax facilities ***

Mail service is available at room 211 of Cakra building.

Fax service : room 205 Chakra (+91.3472.45238).

For timings you should contact the above offices.

 

*** 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 to be paid by cash will be issued

after each phone call .

 

*** Mini-market shops ***

To reserve your shop stall at the mini-market, please contact Bhakti

Purusottama Svami.

His phone and fax number is : +91.3472.45234

and his e-mail address : bhakti.purusottama.swami (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

 

*** Taxi bookings ***

You may reserve your taxi at the inquiry office situated on the ground floor

of Lotus bld.

 

 

 

***** 8 - FESTIVAL RESERVATION *****

 

When reserving your room for the festival, please provide us 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 (if child, please mention the age).

3. In which type of room you would like to be allocated .

4. Arrival and Departure dates.

5. Group leader ( if any ).

6. Prasadam: Full (breakfast and lunch) , only breakfast, only lunch, or

nothing at all.

7. Names (or number) of those wishing to participate in the Parikrama.

8. Any other personal request.

 

Please note that points 5, 6, 7 and 8 do not necessarily need to be

mentioned in your booking form. However, no booking can be accepted if

points 1, 2, 3 and 4 are not specified.

 

Mail your reservation request to the address provided below and enclose with

it a Bank Draft (in any currency) of at least 20% the total bill, payable to

"ISKCON - Gaura Purnima Festival Fund". Our bank do not accept drafts for

less than 30 $. Payment in cash is also accepted, but needs to be personally

handed in by someone. Cash is not safe by mail .

 

Please note that to make a booking confirmed, the above mentioned 20% down

payment need to reach us. We will inform you by e-mail upon receiving it.

 

Send it to :

 

Radhasyamasundara Das - Mayapur Festival Department

c/o ISKCON Mayapur

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

Calcutta 700 027 - W.B. - India.

 

IMPORTANT - We request devotees to personally send their bookings Drafts by

speed post or courier (do not have the bank send it for you), as regular

mail or bank transfers sometimes may take from three to six months to reach.

 

You may also simultaneously send us notice of your booking by e-mail or

phone (details below). We would like to remind you that rooms are allocated

on a first come first served basis, therefore the sooner your booking

reaches us, the better.

 

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

com: radhasyamasundara jps

phone: - +91 . 3472 . 45353

fax: - +91 . 3472 . 45238

 

!!!!!!! NO BOOKING IS ACCEPTED AFTER THE 15th of JANUARY 1999 !!!!!!!

 

Although we will naturally try to accomodate everyone according to their

choice, late bookers should not hold us responsible for any inconvenience.

 

Please note that cancellations and changes to your bookings may be done by

e-mail, phone or fax, as postal service could take too long .

 

For further information, questions and for double checking your bookings,

you are invited to write or call us at any time at the above given

addresses.

 

 

 

***** 9 - Cancellations and Refunds *****

 

* Before the 15th of January *

you may cancel your reservations by contacting us by e-mail or phone

(radhasyamasundara.jps (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se and +91.3472.45353)

completely free of cost or fines.

 

* After the 15th of January *

in order to cancel your reservation and eventually get a refund, you will

have to contact the reception desk in Mayapur.

However, you should please take note that :

 

Room and festival fee cancellations :

1- upto 24 hrs before the reservation date : 80% refund .

2- if you arrive later than the prefixed date, no refund is available for

the days gone.

3- if you leave early there is no refund.

 

Prasadam cancellations :

1- is fully refundable if cancelled at least one day in advance .

2- is not refundable at all if cancelled later than that .

 

Parikrama cancellations :

1- is fully refundable if cancelled at least one day in advance.

2- is not refundable at all if cancelled after the Parikrama has already

started.

 

 

 

***** 10 - 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", approach the

registration desk. The full group can be registered together by one person

only. The group leader should have clear in his mind before hand what the

persons of his group are wishing to do.

 

At the time of your 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 items are provided in the room belong

to someone. Nothing is "just there" or has no propietor. 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 be Krsna conscious and nicely take

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 like to thank all the devotees who attended the Mayapur festival in the

past for their kindness in tolerating the many shortcoming in organizing and

managing the festival. With your blessing and your cooperation we may be

able to improuve our standard more and more. We look forward to have 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.