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Travel Between Vrindavan and Mayapur

Air The closest airport to Vrindavana is in Delhi. There are seven flights a day between Delhi and Calcutta that cost around $165, depending on what airlines you take.

Train If you travel from Vrindavana to Mayapur, you can get a train ticket from the travel agent who comes regularly to the ISKCON Guest House. A good place to get the train if you are going from Vrindavana to Mayapur is in Tundla. Tundla is about a half hour drive east of Agra, or about a two-hour drive from Vrindavana. If you depart from Tundla you cut off about four hours traveling time on the train instead of departing from Delhi. You also pay a lower price for the train ticket because you are traveling less distance. The price of the train ticket is calculated according to how many kilometres you travel. The Kalka Mail and the Poorva Express depart from Tundla. The train that departs from Mathura, the Toofan Express, is a very slow train, and is not recommended. It is usually safe to take a taxi at night from Tundla to Vrindavana, but it is not so safe to take a taxi at night in Bengal.

The fastest train from Delhi to Calcutta is the Rajdhani Exp #2302 or #2306 (5.15 pm, 18½ hr). The Rajdhani Exp leaves Calcutta at 4.30 pm via Gaya (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat) and via Patna at 1.45 pm (Thu, Sun). The Rajdhani has three classes you can travel by: First class air-con, two tier A/C (second-class A/C), and three tiers A/C. It is expensive, but quick and comfortable.
The Kalka Mail #2312 departs from Aligarh at 9.35 am and Tundla at 10.50 am (Rs 750 by taxi). The train takes about 20 hours to go from Tundla to Burdwan (also called Barddhaman). Burdwan is about two hours northwest of Calcutta. From Burdwan it will cost from Rs 900 to 1100 by taxi to get to Mayapur. You could also get a local bus from Burdwan to Navadwipa and then take a boat and rickshaw to Mayapur, which is an uncomfortable way to go, especially if you have much baggage. In Burdwan both the taxi stand and the bus station are a short walk outside and to the left from the train station. Burdwan is a laid-back station, especially compared to Howrah in Calcutta. Also it is usually cheaper to take a taxi from Burdwan than from Calcutta to Mayapur.

If you take the Kalka Mail from Calcutta (7.15 pm) or Burdwan, you get down at Tundla, which is about an hour before Agra. You can board the Kalka Mail at either Calcutta or Burdwan (Barddhaman). It is about Rs 850 or Rs 950 by taxi from Mayapur to Burdwan. The stop before Tundla is Firozabad, which is just five minutes before. The Kalka Mail takes 25 hours to go from Calcutta to Delhi. From Calcutta to Tundla takes 22 hours and from Burdwan to Tundla 20 hours. The train arrives in Tundla at 4 pm and Aligarh at 5.15 pm. From Tundla a taxi to Vrindavana costs Rs 800.

The Poorva Express #2304 or # 2382 departs from Delhi at 4.30 pm, Aligarh at 6.15 pm, and Tundla at 8 pm. It arrives in Burdwan (Barddhaman) at 2.36 pm and Calcutta at 4.15 pm. It is about the same as the Kalka Mail, but it departs Tundla in the evening rather than in the morning. The Poorva Express departs Howrah in Calcutta at 9.15 am and Burdwan (Barddhaman) at 10.30 am. It arrives in Tundla at 4.30 am and Delhi at 8.05 am.

The Toofan Express, which departs from Howrah in Calcutta (1.45 pm) goes via Agra. It takes 29 hours to reach Mathura (6 pm). This is the slowest and cheapest way to go. The Toofan Express departs from Mathura at 11 am and arrives in Burdwan (Barddhaman) at 3.20 pm and Calcutta at 6.15 pm. Being a local train, this train stops frequently and can get extremely crowded.

Road It is too far to take a bus between Vrindavana and Mayapur. Your only options are to go by air or train.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides