On the banks of India’s great Ganges, where this holy body of water is joined by the Jalangi River, there is a unique village called Mayapur. Just west of the border with Bangladesh, bells ring with a sweet chime and birds welcome the rising sun with their melodic coos. Mystic sounds are released from conch shells in this special place surrounded by lush rice paddies. The Maha Mantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna – reverberates throughout the streets as devotees chant

 Devotees flock to this Indian village to express their devotion and see for themselves where a great soul, considered an avatar by many and a saint by others, appeared on earth nearly 600 years ago.

It was in Mayapur that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is worshiped as an incarnation of Sri Krishna by the followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, appeared in 1486. At that time Chaitanya, the social customs in place prevented many people from joining in on many spiritual activities, which he saw as deviations from Vedic teachings. Chaitanya freely welcomed people of all castes to experience the highest state of pure love for God. Thousands upon thousands of pilgrims still visit his birthplace annually. Chaitanya, a great bhakti yogi – one who follows the path of devotion – spent much of his time in the highly elevated state of ecstatic love and spread this rapturous love for the Divine. It was Chaitanya who popularized the singing of the Maha Mantra as part of his teachings. This great mantra is still widely chanted today.

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Prabhuji’s Gifts has named one of its sweetly appealing stick incense fragrances after this gentle and enchanting village. Mayapur Stick Incense, a popular scent from our devotion line, is made from nag champa, a highly secretive blend of sandalwood, the sweet champa flower, tree resins, and natural herbs and spices. Click here to envelope yourself in this alluring fragrance and opportunity for devotion.