Darsana times: 6.00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 3.00-8.00 p.m.
Directions: Take the small path on the right side of the Vidyanagara Gaudiya Matha. Proceed through a local mud-hut village and then turn left at the T-junction. A short distance down this path is a temple where Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya’s house used to be located.
Presiding deities: Sri Sri Radha-Syamasundara and Gauranga Mahaprabhu
Darsana times: 6.00 a.m-12.00 and 4.00-8.00 p.m.
Directions: Take the Navadvipa-Krishnanagar Highway No. 8 under Narasimhapalli (Godrumadvipa). Cross the Gauranga Bridge and turn right when you reach the T-junction. This is the Navadvipa-Katwa Road. Proceed for approximately six kilometers. You will pass some concrete houses on the left. Shortly after that, you will come to a village shopping area. Make a left turn where you see a subji market (usually open until around noontime) and then, after a short distance, take the first right. On this road you will cross a bridge which goes over the remains of the Ganga River who used to flow here in Lord Caitanya’s time. Take the first local road on the right side. This local road becomes smaller and goes into a village. Turn right and go through this village until you see a sparse brick building (a small school) in an open area on the left side. This temple is down the path opposite the school.
Presiding deities: Bhakt i siddhant a Sarasvati Thakura established this small temple. The beautiful lifesized neem Gaura- Nitai deities here were worshiped by Vidya-vac a spat i, the brother of S a r v a b h a u m a Bhattacarya.
Points of interest: It is said that the group of trees (on the left side before the temple) do not belong to any known species, and that they manifested from some pens Nimai planted in the ground.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura states in his Navadvipa-bhava-taranga: “At this place is the school of Vidyavacaspati, the popular son of Visarada. Who did not know him? Being the unalloyed servant of the Lord, by the power of his pure devotion he attracted his own Prabhu once while taking bath in the Ganga. When will I stand still on this bank of the Ganga by the door of Vidyavacaspati’s school and view the opulence of the spiritual kingdom? After a few moments, will the Lord who is the king among sannyasis, suddenly appear in the palace before my very eyes? Seeing the golden effulgence of the Lord in the form of a sannyasi, I will fall to the ground in great anxiety. I will feel just as the gopis did upon seeing Krishna in Dvaraka dressed like a royal prince; thus they cried while remembering His sweet and simple cowherd pastimes on the bank of the Yamuna. I long to take the moonlike Gauracandra back to Mayapur where He is dressed like a young boy and His divine limbs are radiant, decorated with ornaments, where His hair is long and curly and His dhoti folded thrice, where He performs pastimes with His devotees in His own garden named Isodyana. Of course, this sannyasi is my Lord and I am just His servant. These different appearances that the Lord assumes are but some of His unlimited pastimes. Still, my heart longs to take the Lord back to the temple of Srivasa Pandita on the bank of Prithu-kunda!” This is where Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya took birth around 1460 and where he lived in his early life. This place is on the western boundary of Navadvipa- dhama. Vidyanagara is the original source of the Vedas and is the main center of learning for the universe. Lord Brahma taught the demigods and sages at this place. Nearby stand eleven trees which, according to experts, do not belong to any known species.
There is one tree which is said to have been created by Lord Caitanya when he planted a pen in the ground. Lord Caitanya would come here and defeat all the disciples of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. There is now a Gaudiya Matha temple here, established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja. This Gaudiya Matha marks the birthplace of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and his brother Vidya-vacaspati. The kalam trees or ‘pen trees’ mark the place where Vidya-vacaspati opened his school. When Lord Caitanya was going to Vrindavana for the first time, He stopped in Vidyanagara for five days at the house of Vidya-vacaspati. While Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was staying at Vidya-vacaspati’s house, many hundreds of thousands of people came to see Him and chanted the holy name of Hari. It was so crowded that people could not even find a place to walk; therefore they made room by clearing out the jungles near the village. Many people also came by boat to see the Lord, in fact so many came that it was difficult for the boatmen to get them across the river. Due to this great crowd, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu secretly went to Kuliya-nagara.
Raghunatha Shiromani : Raghunatha was a disciple of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. He used to live and study in Vindyanagar. He was a great learner of the logic. Once he decided to write purports to the book “Tattva Chntamani” of a great logic Gangeshopadhya. This logic was the person who opened a school of “nava- nya” – “new logic”. He also thought Sarvabhauma.
Raghunatha’s book “Didhiti” was going to bring to him much glory. He worked very hard on that book and he was coming to the end of writing but before that the next thing happened to him: Once Raghunatha was over crossing the river Ganges along with Lord Gauranga. “Please, hear Me Raghunatha,” told the Lord. “Just few days back I wrote a book in logic. Would you like to look to that?” Lord explained about His book but face of Raghunatha paled hearing that. Nimai Pandit’s book used to tell about the same topics which he used in his book and also Lord’s book used to explain subjects even deeper. Seeing Raghunatha’s sad face Lord asked: “You became sad? Why? I though you will like My book.”
With sad voice Raghunatha answered:“I worked very hard on that subject which is now discussing You. And my work is already coming to the end. But I see that my hard work is going to waste. Because Your book is far better than mine…
Lord Chaitania smiled, took His book and through it to the water: “Let your work be glorified through out the world!”
From Ritudvipa, Isana Thakura proceeded towards Vidyanagara. With great ecstasy in his heart, Isana Thakura spoke very sweet words to Srinivasa, Narottama and Ramacandra, “Just behold this Vidyanagara. How beautiful it looks! I will now tell you why this place is known as Vidyanagara. One day in the assembly of the demigods, Brihaspati became very concerned. Seeing Brihaspati in this condition, the demigods inquired about the reason for it. Brihaspati replied in great ecstasy, ‘In this Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear in the city of Nadia in the house of Jagannatha Misra. Lord Gauracandra, the son of Jagannatha Misra, manifests different pastimes in different incarnations. He was very expert in the art of weaponry during His incarnation as Lord Ramacandra. He was the chief in grazing cows when He appeared as Sri Krishnacandra. In this incarnation as Sri Gauracandra He will be the most learned. Others cannot understand what great joy His pastimes will manifest. The Lord will fulfil all His desires. He will enjoy like never before. I cannot control myself any longer. I must go to Navadvipa immediately and worship the Lord there upon His appearance.’ Saying these words, Brihaspati started his journey, meditating upon the srividya pastimes of the Lord every day. Brihaspati came here to Nadia because the Lord would manifest His educational pastimes here. In this regard Vrindavana dasa Thakura has mentioned in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, ‘For this pastime the most worshipable Brihaspati, along with his disciples, appeared in Navadvipa.’ Isana Thakura continued, “O, Srinivasa! Brihaspati worships Sri Gaurasundara in this Vidyanagara. The Lord revealed to Brihaspati that He would soon descend to Navadvipa along with His associates and He ordered Brihaspati to appear there as well, to preach various branches of knowledge. Brihaspati was very pleased to hear this and began to study with such dedication that it cannot be described. Brihaspati started to preach about education (vidya) for the pleasure of the Lord. Therefore this place is known as Vidyanagara. One will achieve all kinds of perfection by visiting Vidyanagara. In this Vidyanagara Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu along with His associates would visit the devotees from house to house with great pleasure.” In Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya Lord Nityananda has explained to Sri Jiva: “Navadvipa-dhama exists eternally. Even at the time of pralaya (annihilation), this dhama remains untouched and pure in the form of an eight-petalled lotus. At that time, all the incarnations and hundreds of fortunate living entities stay in one portion of this lotus. Vidyanagara is located in Ritudvipa, where the Lord in His transcendental form of Matsya resides at the time of annihilation, holding all the Vedas. This place is named Vidyanagara because all knowledge (vidya) stays here, taking shelter of the Vedas.”Just by hearing the word Vidyanagara one becomes free from all ignorance!