Nabadwip is the birthplace and abode of the founder of Vaishnav religion and great social reformer – Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Nabadwip in Nadia District, West Bengal is a historic town situated on the banks of Bhagirathi River.
A twenty Kilometers journey from Krishna Nagar, the town of Nabadwip was the capital of Lakshman Sena. A great ruler belonging to the Sena Dynasty, King Lakshman Sena ruled during the twelfth century. Nabadwip was also under the Muslim rule as it was captured by Muhammed Bakhtiyar Khilji. The town was an important center of education, religion and culture in the yesteryear.
HOW TO REACH
By Air:-
There is no direct air route to Nabadwip. The nearest airport to the city is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata, which is about 114 km away. From Kollkata, there is a direct bus service to the place.
By Rail:-
The railhead of the city is known as Nabadwip Ghat station. Many local and express trains pass through the station. After you reach the Nabadwip Ghat station, you will have to cross over to Nabadwip by boat.
By Road:-
There is direct road connectivity to Nabadwip from Kolkata. Direct buses, private cabs and reserved taxis are available from the city. Special buses from Kolkata also take tourists directly to the Mayapur ISCKON in Nabadwip.
WHAT TO SEE
Sonar Gouranga Temple:-
Sonar Gouranga temple is one of the most famous temples in Nawadwip. It is situated besides Sribas Angan and lies opposite to Sri Samajbari Asram. The temple is famous for the Golden Shrine of great social reformer and saint, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His footwear has been kept here, in a glass case. It is said that Pratap Chandra Goswami, a follower of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, constructed this temple. It is now a seat of Gauria Vaishnav.
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math:-
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is a holy temple founded by the followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This temple was established in 1941, by Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj, a disciple of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The headquarters of this temple was established in Nawadwip and after that, many branches of this temple have been opened in other parts of India as well as abroad.
Dwadas Shib Mandir:-
Dwadas Shib Mandir is another popular temple in Nawadwip. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Shiva. This temple was built in 1835. It is basically famous for its exquisite floral designs. It also attracts a large number of pilgrims, especially during Mahashivratri.
Food:-
Bengal is famous for fish preparations and sweet-meat but some of the vegetarian dishes are also a speciality. In olden times, widows were prohibited from taking anything other than vegetarian food (predominantly they still are but now rules are being broken) and they were principal chefs in large homes. They developed the vegetarian dishes extensively.
In a big city such as Kolkata one will get food as per choice of people from all over the country. Then one gets Chinese, Thai and continental. In most of the other towns it is Bengali cooking, plus Punjabi or North Indian preparations and some South Indian outlets. Mughlai dishes are popular.