Nabadwip

Nabadwip (Bengali: নবদ্বীপ Nabadbīp) is a pilgrimage site in the Nadia district of West Bengal and the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a Vaishnava saint.

Understand

Nabadwip (NAW-bohd-dihp) is a holy tourism and pilgrim place in West Bengal. It is the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Many scholars, Sadhakas and Tantriks were born here. Nabadwip was referred to as the "Oxford of Bengal". Most of the popular festivals of Nabadwip are Shakta Rash, Dol Yatra, Rath Yatra, Gaura Purnima, Durga puja etc.

Prior to Gour, Nabadwip was the capital of Sena dynasty during the reigns of Ballala Sena and Lakshmana Sena. They ruled Bengal from here in the period from 1159 to 1206. During the medieval period, in 1202, Nabadwip was attacked by Bakhtiyar Khilji. In the period of Muslim rule, temples and Subarnabihar appear to have been destroyed and many Buddhist monks and Sanskrit scholars were killed. Latter in the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Nabadwip got his own glory. Many scholars, Pandits and tantriks were born in the Chaitanya and after that period and Nabadwip became a great center of learning and intellectual powers.

Name

The word Nabadwip derives from Bengali word Naba (new) and Dwip (island), meaning New-Island.

Climate

Nabadwip
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       1     26 12       2     29 15       3     34 20       4     37 24       107     37 25       243     35 26       377     33 25       321     33 25       280     33 25       129     33 23       1     31 18       1     27 13 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Tropical savanna climate(Aw/As), source:w:Nabadwip#Climate. See Nabadwip's 10 day forecast.
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0     79 54       0.1     84 59       0.1     93 68       0.2     99 75       4.2     99 77       9.6     95 79       15     91 77       13     91 77       11     91 77       5.1     91 73       0     88 64       0     81 55 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Being a part of lower deltaic Bengal, the climate condition of Nabadwip is generally Tropical savanna climate (Aw/As) with precipitation varying considerably by the month. The average highs are between 26 °C (79 °F) and 37 °C (99 °F). The average lows are between 12 °C (54 °F) and 26 °C (79 °F). Nabadwip has 125 rainy days per year and records 1,469 mm (57.8 in) of rainfalls annually. With an average relative humidity of 52%, March is the least humid month

The weather is quite pleasant, the summers and winters are moderate. The level of moisture increases during summers.

Seasons

• The dry season is from mid-November to mid-January, when the rain falls for 4 days and typically aggregates up to 1mm (0") of rain.
• The rainy season is from mid-June to mid-September. July is the month with the most rainfall. Rain falls for 23 days and accumulates 377 mm (14.8") of precipitation.
• July and August are most humid months with an average relative humidity of 83% whereas March is the least humid month with an average relative humidity of 52%.
• December has the shortest days of the year with an average of 10.7 h of daylight and June has the longest days with an average of 13.6 h of daylight. But July is the least sunshine with an average of 3h of sunshine.

Get in

By train

• 1 Nabadwip Dham railway station. The main railway station of Nabadwip, on the Bandel–Katwa–Azimganj section of the Eastern Railway. If you are catching a train at Howrah, a clean and less-crowded train to catch is Intercity express, which leaves Howrah at about 3:15PM. It reaches Nabadwip Dham by about 5:15PM. There are trains leaving Howrah and which pass through Nabadwip Dham, practically every hour and a half, but they are sometimes quite crowded. It takes about 3 hours to reach Nabadwip Dham from Howrah.  
• 2 Bishnupriya railway station.  

By bus

There are good bus services in Nabadwip. Nabadwip is connected with Krishnanagar, Shantipur, Phulia, Ranaghat, Chakdaha, Bardhaman, Tarapith Via Katwa, Durgapur, Asansol, Siliguri, Dinhata Via Berhampur, Malda, Cooch Behar, Bolpur, Purulia, Bankura, Suri, Gangarampur.

• 1 Gouranga Setu (to cross Ganges). 
• 2 Nabadwip Bus Stand. 

By ferry

• 3 Nabadwip Boral Ghat (Nabadwip Ferry Ghat). 

Get around

Moving in and around Nabadwip is cheap. Cycle-rickshaws, Electric rickshaws are easily available in almost every part of the city. Both the Cycle-rickshaws and Electric-rickshaws can be hired to move around within the radius of 1-2 km.

See

Maa Bhabatarini Mata

• 1 Poramatala (Poramatala Temple Complex). Poramatala is one of the sacred religious centers in Nabadwip. A colossal banyan tree covers this place like an umbrella. The idol of goddess Porama is located in the cavity of the banyan tree. 
  • 2 Maa Porama Temple (Centered temple). This is the centered temple in Poramatala. Goddess Porama is actually the deity of Maa Kali (some scholars also refer to Maa Saraswati).  
  • 3 Bhabatarini Mata Temple (Left side). Bhabatarini Mata Temple is located on the left side of Maa Porama Mandir. The architecture of the temple is Char-Chala on a Bengali Dalan type architecture with Pankha style artistry. The Presiding deity of the temple is Maa Bhabatarini Kali Mata with a unique style. It was established in 1825 by Raja Girish Chandra. In 1667, Raja Raghab established a big Ganesh idol. Almost 100 years after his death, when Ganges eroded in the flood, the idol of Ganesha was also affected. Then the king Dordonda Pratap Krishnachandra rescued the idol from there. But when the idol was moved, many people touched it and scholars advised him to keep the idol under the ground for 12 years. After 12 years, in the time of Raja Girish Chandra while lifting the idol from the ground, the trunk of Ganesha broke. Then, by the order of the king, an unknown artist made a statue of Girishchandra Maharaj's adored goddess Anandamayi from the idol of Ganesha and named the goddess Bhavatarini Mata.  
  • 4 Bhabataran Shiv Temple (Right side). Bhabataran Shiv temple is situated on the right side of Maa Porama temple. This temple is a rare octagonal peak temple in architecture. This was also established by Raja Raghab for the first time. But with the erosion of the Ganges in 1760 AD, the idol along with this temple was submerged in the Ganges. About 65 years later, in 1825, King Girish Chandra restored the idol of Shiva at Poramatala.  

World tallest Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Statue

• 5 Birthplace of Mahaprabhu. 
  • Mahaprabhu Birthplace Temple. It is the birth place of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, located in the north side of Nabadwip. It is a Naba-Ratna type temple architecture. There is also a hut made of straw in the temple, where an idol of Sachi Mata is placed and Sachi Mata holds Nimai (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) in her lap. And in the Naba-Ratna temple, Gour-Nitai placed in the middle, Jagannath Mishra and Sachi Mata in the left side, Radha-Krishna in the right side. 
  • 60ft. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Narahari Dham Asram). In the Narahari Dham Asram, a beautiful 60 ft tall Chaitanya Mahaprabhu statue situated. It is the highest Mahaprabhu statue in the world. There is a museum which beautifully describes the life of Mahaprabhu and also the life of Krishna. Pancha tattva (Five aspects of God), 64 Mahanta, Scholars of Nabadwip, birth of Krishna, lifting the Govardana hill by Krishna, Krishna's eternal bed, Raslila of Kriahna, Astasakhi and many more details of their life beautifully exhibit here. 

Old Mahaprabhu Temple

• 6 Mahaprabhu Para Temple Complex. 
  • Dhameswar Mahaprabhu Temple. Sri Dhameswar Mahaprabhu Temple is very special for the deity of Lord Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. The wooden deity of the temple was made in 1534 AD. The beautiful deity of the temple is made of Neem wood. It is the original deity of Mahaprabhu that Visnupriya, wife of Lord Mahaprabhu worshiped. 
  • Nityananda Milan Mandir. Nityananda Milan Mandir, popularly known as Nitai-er bari (Bengali: নিতাইয়ের বাড়ি), is famous temple of Nitai, the companion of Mahaprabhu. 

• 7 Manipur Rajbari (Anu Mahaprabhu Mandir). Anu Mahaprabhu is a unique idol made of jackfruit wood. Although each wooden idol of Nabadwip is made of neem wood, it is specifically made of jackfruit tree. In 1798 Manipur Raja Bhagya Chandra settled for going pilgrimage with intention mainly for installation of deity Lord Mahaprabhu in Nabadwip. The Manipuri style is clearly found in the face of the idol of lord Mahaprabhu.  

• 8 Sribas Angan Temple Complex. 
  • Sri Sri Sribas Angan. In Sribas Angan there are 37 wooden idols of Chaitanya companion alone with Pancha Tattba. In the middle, there is a beautiful wooden idol of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with Lakshmipriya and Bishnupriya. 
  • Jagai Madhai Uddhar Temple. It is a famous temple highlighting the incident of Jagai and Madhai. It represented the fact of Jagai-Madhai, the two brothers of Brahmin family who turned into disrespectful individuals due to bad association. By the grace of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, these two souls were revived from their sinful life. There are 29 beautiful wooden idols alone with the idol of Jagai-Madhai, Gour-Nitai. Those idols are mainly made of Neem wood. 
  • Sonar Gouranga Temple. Sonar Gouranga temple is a famous temple in Nabadwip, situated besides Sribas Angan and lies opposite Sri Samaj Bari Ashram. The temple is famous for the Golden idol of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the great social reformer and saint of Nabadwip. 
  • Samaj Bari Ashram. 

• 9 Dwadash Shiva Temple. Dwadas Shiva temple old shiv temple of Nabadwip built in 1835. The architecture of this temple is 8-Chala peak temple. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Shiva. The temple contains a beautiful art work of floral designs. A large number of pilgrims come here, especially during Mahashibratri. 

• 10 Buroshib Temple, Buroshibtala More. Buroshib Temple is a Naba-Ranta temple in architecture. The Buro Shib is almost 350-400 years old. 

• 11 Birth Place Of Vishnupriya, Malancha Para Rd. 
• 12 Purbasthali Oxbow Lake (Chupi Char). Famous for thousands of migratory birds coming here from far-off places, including Siberia, in winters. People from far-off places come here for birding. (updated Nov 2022)

Eat

Sweet shops

Nabadwip-er Lal Doi is one of the most famous types of confectionery in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent, originating in present-day West Bengal, India. Nabadwip is also famous for Misti Doi.

• 1 Ramkrishna Mistanna Bhandar, Boral Ghat Rd, Tegharipara, ☏ +91 3472 240730. 
• 2 Lakhmi Narayan Mistanna Bhandar (Panchu's sweet shop). 
• 3 Bimala Mistanna Bhandar, Radhabazar, Nabadwip Main Rd, ☏ +91 70014 73266. Famous for Misti Doi, Singara, Kochuri and all the sweets and confectionery. 

Restaurants

• 4 Chakum Chukum, Poramatala. 
• 5 Khana Khazana Restaurant, Netaji Subhas Rd., ☏ +91 70473 06737, hello@lokenathtower.in. 
• 6 Sree Luxmi Boarding, Poramatala Rd, ☏ +91 96356 54569. 
• 7 Ruchi Multi Cuisine Restaurant, Station Rd, Annapurna Tala. 

Buy

• 1 Brass Idols, Bow Bazaar Road. 

• 2 Nabadwip Boro Bazar. This is the main market of Nabadwip. Almost everything is available here. 

Do

• 1 Nabadwip Stadium. Matches, exhibitions and varied events. 

• 2 Ananda Kanan. Take a walk. 

Sleep

• 1 Sree Luxmi Boarding, Poramatala Rd, ☏ +91 96356 54569. 
• 2 Hotel Blue Heaven and Restaurant, Dandapanitala, Nabadwip Main Rd. 
• 3 Sujata Guest House, Station road, near Nabadwip Dham Vidyapith School, ☏ +91 94741 35087. 
• 4 Hotel City Pride, Station Rd, Annapurna Tala, ☏ +91 91532 94859. 

Go next

• Krishnanagar - residence of Raja Krishnachandra, a great patron of art and culture in Bengal medieval period. It is the headquarters of Nadia district in West Bengal on the bank of the Jalangi river.
• Bethuadahari Wildlife Sanctuary – large population of spotted deer (chital), jackal, Bengal fox, porcupine, and common langur can be seen here. Bird species include parakeets, Indian cuckoos, barbets and other smaller birds also seen here.
• Mayapur — the headquarters of ISKCON at the opposite bank of the Bhagirathi River.
• Palashi — famous for historical Battle of Plassey between Nawab Siraj-ud Daula and British East India Company.
• Murshidabad - historical and cultural location, former capital of Sube Bangla.