The Praudha Maya Temple is located inside a huge banyan tree, in the Papodamatala market. The branches and aerial roots of the tree tightly braid the walls of the temple, therefore, to get inside, you have to wade through the "natural" maze. Two Deities are installed in the temple - Praudha Maya and Vriddha Shiva. The deity of Praudha Maya is quite difficult to discern because of the small size of the altar, due to the fact that it is sometimes completely hidden under the red flower petals that are worshiped here. Vriddha-Shiva - the huge Shiva-lingam in the hall, more like a tower or a well - the keeper of Navadvipa-dhama. Once, he (like Praudha Maya) was located on Antardvip, in Mayapur, between the ISKCON temple and the Yoga pith, but during the next flood, his temple was flooded and destroyed, and the Deities were brought here and installed inside the banyan tree.

Many devotees avoid entering the temple of Proudhdha-maya, because worship here is performed according to the tantric ritual, which includes including the sacrifice of animals. The time when the sacrifice is performed is easily determined by the stream of blood flowing into the drainage. It’s better not to go here at such a time.

Praudha Maya

In Vrindavan, Yogamaya, the internal energy of the Lord, takes the form of Paurnamasi. Under her influence, the close associates of Krishna forget that He is God and consider Him their friend, child or lover. In Navadvipa, the same role is played by Praudha Maya. Her other mission is to “reveal” the holy dham to the sincere devotees of the Lord and hide it from the eyes of atheists. Under its influence, conditioned souls, whose vision is defiled by a false ego, see only the material “shell” of the dhama - dirt, poverty, narrow streets, stray dogs. But those who receive the grace of Praudha-maya get the opportunity to look at the authentic abode of Gauranga, which is described by the acaryas: “The place of youthful pastimes of Lord Gaura, Sri Mayapur, where the earth is soft, where many gems sparkle brightly, beautiful birds chirp and wonderful animals roam where trees and creepers with many flowers grow magnificent - my life and soul ... All glory to the forests of Coladvipa! They stand on the banks of the Ganges, and even the highest of the demigods worship them. There are many birds, trees, vines, groves, lakes, plains, hills and streams in these forests ”(Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Navadvipa-sataka, 6, 9).

Translated from dhama.dayalnitay.ru