Kolkata Mayapur Tarapith Yatra
A 5-day Bengal yatra from Kolkata: Kalighat, Belur Math, ISKCON Mayapur and the Tara Maa Temple at Tarapith
5 days, from Kolkata, from ₹17,999 per person
The Kolkata, Mayapur and Tarapith Yatra is a five-day journey through the spiritual centres of West Bengal. It begins in Kolkata with Kalighat, Dakshineswar and Belur Math, and then goes north to Mayapur, the headquarters of ISKCON and the birthplace region of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and on to Tarapith, the great Shakti shrine of Tara Maa. It ends in Kolkata with the Birla Mandir and the Parasnath Jain Temple.
You stay four nights in Standard rooms: in Kolkata, Mayapur, Tarapith and Kolkata again, with breakfast included. Arrival is flexible, with the pickup at any time up to about 2 pm. The drives are long, about 4.5 hours from Kolkata to Mayapur, about 4 hours from Mayapur to Tarapith, and about 5.5 hours back to Kolkata, so the hotels at Mayapur and Tarapith are simple Standard rooms in small towns.
Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. Tarapith and Kalighat are crowded, and touts and priests may approach visitors, so agree on a price first or politely decline. Timings change, and we confirm them locally. The best months are October to March.
Spiritual significance
- Kalighat and Tarapith are both Shakti shrines, and Tarapith is known for its tantric tradition.
- Mayapur is the headquarters of ISKCON and a holy land of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
- Belur Math and Dakshineswar tell the story of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.
- The Birla Mandir and the Parasnath Jain Temple give a calm, different end to the journey.
Itinerary
Day 1: Kolkata
Pickup at the Kolkata airport or railway station at any time up to about 2 pm, hotel check-in and rest. In the evening, the Kalighat Kali Temple.
Day 2: Mayapur
Belur Math and the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in the morning, then a drive of about 4.5 hours to Mayapur, the headquarters of ISKCON. A free evening on the campus.
Day 3: Tarapith
The ISKCON temple complex at Mayapur in the morning, then a drive of about 4 hours to Tarapith, and the evening darshan at the Tara Maa Temple.
Day 4: Kolkata
A quieter morning darshan at Tarapith, then the drive of about 5.5 hours (estimate) back to Kolkata, with lunch on the way.
Day 5: Kolkata
After breakfast and check-out, the Birla Mandir and the Parasnath Jain Temple, then the drop at the airport or railway station at midday.
Inclusions
- Pickup at Kolkata airport or railway station on Day 1 (any time from 12 noon to 2 pm), and drop on Day 5
- 4 nights stay in Standard rooms: Kolkata, Mayapur, Tarapith and Kolkata
- Breakfast on Day 2 to Day 5
- Vehicle for all transfers and sightseeing as per the itinerary
- Sightseeing at the seven places listed in the itinerary
Exclusions
- Train and flight tickets: the price covers the land part only
- Lunches and dinners
- Special darshan tickets, puja fees, offerings, donations and museum or camera fees
- Personal expenses, tips and laundry
- Medical expenses and travel insurance
- Anything not mentioned under inclusions