Sri Jahnudvipa

The seventh island embodies the devotional mellow of vandana or offering prayers to the Lord. Jahnudvipa is spread around the present village of Jannagar, which in the local language is Jahnudvipa. This place is non-different from Bhadravan in Braja. The Ganges used to flow by this place. Lord Caitanya would perform kirtana with His associates at this place.

Jahnu Muni’s Asrama (Jana Nagara)
During Satya-yuga, King Sagar performed a horse sacrifice (Ashvamedha yajna) to prove his supremacy. Lord Indra, the leader of the demigods, became fearful over the results of the yajna, so he decided to steal the horse. He left the horse at the ashram of Kapiladeva, who was in deep meditation. King Sagar’s 60,000 sons born of Queen Sumati and his son Asamanjas, born of Queen Kesoni, were then sent to find the horse. When the 60,000 sons found the horse at Kapiladeva’s ashram, they thought he stole the horse. When they prepared to attack the meditating rishi (sage), Kapiladeva was disturbed. He opened one eye and burned the 60,000 sons to ashes.

Asamanjas was not burned and returned to tell the story to King Sagar, who then sent his grandson Anushuman to get the horse back. Kapiladeva returned the horse and told the king that his sons were burnt because they disturbed his meditation. He said his sons could be saved if the goddess Ganga descended to earth and bathed them in her waters.

King Sagar’s great great grandson, Bhagiratha, eventually pleased mother Ganga and asked her to come down to the earth. Mother Ganga told Bhagiratha that the force of the Ganges falling from heaven would be too great for the earth to handle, and that she needed someone to buffer the fall. After being worshipped by Bhagiratha, Lord Siva agreed to accept the powerful force of the descending river on his head.

King Bhagiratha then preceded the holy river with his chariot and ripped open a gorge to allow the Ganges to flow. The river followed the king to the ocean, Ganga Sagar at the Bay of Bengal, where Lord Kapiladeva resides. The Ganges River then bathed the remains of the 60,000 sons and returned them to their eternal positions.

On the way, the Ganges (Bhagirathi) passed Sri Jahnudvipa, where the sage Jahnu was performing austerities to receive the darsana of Lord Caitanya. Jahnu Muni was sitting here chanting his Gayatri mantra, when his acamana cup was washed away by the Bhagirathi River (the Ganges). He thus became furious and opened his mouth and drank all the water of the Bhagirathi like it was a few drops. King Bhagiratha wondered where the Ganges had gone. He searched every where and finally he concluded that Jahnu Muni had swallowed the waters of the Ganges. The king worshiped the muni for several days and then Jahnu Muni released the water of the Ganges from his body through his ear. Because of this event the Ganges is known as Jahnavi, the daughter of Jahnu. The Ganges at this time divided into many streams and thus formed the nine islands of Navadvipa.

Lord Gauranga being pleased with Jahnu Muni appeared before him. Jahnu Muni then begged the Lord for the blessing that he could reside in Navadvipa Dham birth after birth. Lord Caitanya blessed him that in the future Jahnu Muni would be able to see his sankirtana-lila.

How To Get There There is a big banyan tree at this place. This place is about 3 km northwest of the town of Navadvipa.

Bhisma Tila
Bhismadeva, the son of King Santanu, was born from his mother Ganga Devi at this place. He then studied with Brihaspati in the heavenly planets. Ganga Devi then returned him to earth in the care of his father. At this time Bhisma came to see his maternal grandfather Jahnu Muni. Bhismadeva constructed a hut near Jahnu Muni’s residence. He would hear Srimad Bhagavatam from Jahnu Muni and he also was told that Lord Caitanya would appear in Navadvipa Dham. Jahnu Muni also instructed him on religious principles, political science, the Supreme Lord and devotional service.

While Bhisma was lying on his deathbed of arrows at Kuruksetra, he spoke about the appearance of Lord Gauranga. At this place Bhisma learned the highest knowledge, which he later spoke to Maharaja Yudhisthira on the battlefield of Kuruksetra suvarna varno hemango varangas candanangadi, sannyasa krichamah santo nistha santi parayanah. Bhismadeva performed austerities and got the darshan of Lord Caitanya. The Lord informed Bhisma that he would attain this place in the future and that he would teach King Yudhisthira the highest knowledge at the time of death.

How To Get There This place is near Jannagar.

Rasapur
This is a village on the outskirts of Vidyanagar where Nimai studied in the ashram of Ganga Das, who was nondifferent from Sandipani Muni. Once Nimai planted His wooden pens in the ground and they grew into trees. Even today several unusual trees can by seen here. Botanists who studied them concluded that similar trees do not exist anywhere else.

Nearby is a temple with Vasudeva Datta’s Deities. In the courtyard of the temple is a bakula tree under which Lord Caitanya used to take rest. When the Lord saw that the tree was dying, He embraced it. The Madana Gopala Deity here was worshipped by Vasudeva Datta. Vasudeva’s Datta original temple is close to this place. In the temple at Vasudeva Datta’s birthplace are the Deities of Radha-Krishna, Gaura Nitai and Jagannatha.

How To Get There This place can be visited by rickshaw at the same time as Jahnu Muni’s asrama. It is about a half hour bike rickshaw ride from the city of Navadvipa.

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