Gada Bhavan — Hotel in Mayapur

I wanted to actually review Gada Bhavan, one of the guest houses of the ISKCON Temple, situated within the campus. we got four-bedded room, fairly clean, bathroom also clean. Np geyser, hot water available from tap which we had to fetch.

The guest house is ten minutes walk from the temple, clean and beautiful. Lovely gardens with prettiest of flowers around. For meals, you can get coupons, simple food served while you have to sit on the ground. Many shops around the guest house, selling prasad to bag to skirts to agarbattis make the place all the more interesting. Location wise, I think this guest house is best.

The temple itself is awesome. Attending the Arati is a mesmerising experience.

We had our lunch from Gada Bhavan by buying tickets @ Rs.70/- per head by sitting in floor of large dining room & dinner @ Rs.150 from a restaurant/- ( sitting in floor @ Rs.50/- per head at night ) in Gada bhavan having buffet facility with provision of dining table. Kids below 6 yrs has separate rate. You have to buy requisite coupon beforehand from the reception of Gada Bhavan . A snack & juice counter will be there, where we had our breakfast. Food quality is very good. Food facility is also there in Gita Bhavan.

Inside Iskon , we have hired a toto & roamed the entire campus by paying Rs.200/- . A huge temple is found to be under construction , scheduled to be opened around the year 2022

In the evening We have seen and enjoyed the sandhy arati . Next day , we checked out at 9 am & hired a toto & roamed the Mayapur . Then after having lunch at Gada Bhavan, we returned back to Kolkata by Car. It was 3.50 hrs drive .

The Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir is under construction and scheduled to be completed in 2022. I am sharing my experience of the road trip which I took during the first week of Nov 2017. Coincidentally this occasion is fell on Rash Purnima. I started my journey from my home near Ruby Hospital @ 7:00 AM. Took the road till airport 2.5 no gate and did a left turn towards Kalyani Expressway near Birati. The road was good and due to the early morning there was less traffic. Crossed Barrakpur and went towards Kalyani. Then took the right turn towards Haringhata to meet the NH 12 in Barajaguli. The road till Haringhata is good but it started to deteriorated in NH 12. The potholes are appearing frequently and the road getting narrower. Also this is a single way so overtaking the larger vehicles is a bit risky. Also there are small bikes / toto which are plying over the road so driving is not...

Feedback for Gada Bhawan (31-Mar to 02-Apr): 3 out of 5 star 2 star less because of rude staff behaviour at Gada Bhawan prasadam hall entrance. Prasadam quality during lunch hour was below average and the sitting area was unhygienic, not being cleaned after every batch. Did not give 1 star because at last from reception Palash made a good effort to accept their fault, apologized and arranged a dinner coupon as compensation. Rest everything was great at Gada Bhawan - The campus, spacious rooms, clean bathrooms, filter water filling facility, close proximity to the main temple etc. Initially after check-in on 31st March during lunch time after those staff's rude behaviour we were thinking to cancel our 2 days trip and return home. Even if we bought 9 coupons and they said we had handed over only 7. Even if we explained my old father-in-law handed over Rs 720 (9 x 80) at reception while buying lunch coupons, we were forced to buy 2 more coupons (2 x Rs 80) again. Post lunch I wanted to see the CCTV footage of the coupon counter to ensure 9 tickets were bought using Rs 720, which they tried to avoid by all means, later came to know the CCTV was not active at the coupon counter!! Anyways if Palash was not there managing the whole situation at last, we would have cancelled the rest of our trip. He talked to the concerned authority and arranged 3 free dinner coupons (3 x rs 50). He should be appreciated and rewarded by Iskcon management. At the same time Iskcon management should talk to those 2 staff members on how to behave with other human beings with respect. Else, I see no point in being Bhakt if that does not bring mutual respect for each other. I also got similar feedback from other guests on the rude behaviours from Gada...

My recent visit to Gada Bhavan and experience (17th August, 2023) was not very palatable. There I encountered a person who virtually insulted me and his name was Palash Das (this man was neither a Vaishnav nor even a sober person to deal with the devotees) working in the reception. While I was sitting on the sofa in reception lounge which was lonely and waiting for dinner (Prasadam) at 20.00 in the evening (for your information, the time for evening Prasadam is at 20.30) the fellow came and asked me whether I have booking of room, I told yes, he said go and rest in your room, don't sit here longer-time. I was shocked, and never experienced such an audacious person before, even after visiting Mayapur countless times. While I complained to another Vaishnav loitering over there, he told that these people are newly migrated from Bangladesh and working here, don't know how he got job here, maligns the reputations of Shree Dham Mayapur. During the day of my checkout on 19th August, 2023 while I went to give back the key, the same person asked me if I had any discomfort during staying here. I told that both the toilet shower and hand-shower (Room no. 503) were clogged and supply insufficient water. He told, you could have complain us so that we could repair them immediately. Surprisingly, the rascal had no sense that a room should be allotted to the guests only when that is perfectly habitable and its their job to check properly before the entry of the new guests. Such a non-Vaishnav vulgar must not be allowed to work in such a holy place. Then I felt that Kaliyug is now prevailing in Mayapur and not very optimistic about the future of this Holy Temple. In a nut-shell, vulgar and rascals are now dominating everywhere in...