Rudradvip

8th Process -Sakhyam (Serving as a Friend)

Nidaya Ghata

This is where Lord Caitanya crossed the River Ganga on His way to Katwa to take sannyasa. He took sannyasa at the end of January in 1510, just before His 25th birthday. His sannyasa name was Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.Nidaya means “without mercy”. The residents of Navadvipa accused the Lord of being without mercy for leaving them.

Sankarpura

When Sankaracarya was busy conquering people in all directions, he came here in order to conquer Navadvipa. Internally he was a great Vaishnava but externally he was an advaita-vadi (follower of monism), the servant of maya. Sankaracarya was the partial expansion of Lord Rudra, who is very powerful, and was expert in spreading Bauddha philosophy in a hidden way.

Thus Sankaracarya, being a great devotee at heart and understanding the navadvipa-tattva through his dream, left for other countries. This Rudradvipa is a place for all the Rudras (various forms of Lord Siva), who gather to sing the glories of Lord Gauranga. Sri Nila-lohita, the chief of the Rudras, dances here with great jubilation every day and the demigods happily shower flowers from the sky in appreciation.

Sri Madan Gopal Temple

This deity of Sri Madana Gopala was established and worshiped by Nilambara Cakravarti Thakura, the father of Srimati Sacidevi. Nilambara Cakravarti is said to have moved from Srihatta (Sylhet) to this village sometime between 1475 and 1490. He came here with his wife and his daughter, Saci-devi. This village used to be right next to the Ganga, but is now about 6 km away.