Sripat of Sri Ganga Narayana Chakravarti (Bodo Govinda bari) , Gambhila (Jiaganj), Murshidabad
Sri Ganga Narayana Chakravarti is considered to be the foremost of Narottama Das Thakura’s disciples. He appeared at a place called Jiaganj, which is situated a few stops from the Murshidabad station. Jiaganj was previously known as Gambhila and is renowned all over the world, as the sacred place where Narottama das Thakura subsequently merged into the Ganges and disappeared from this world. Sri Ganga Narayana was a very rich and famous person. He was a renowned scholar. He used to impart education unto hundreds of students daily. The great stalwart Sri Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakura was also one of his dedicated students.
‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ has presented the life and pastimes of Narottama das Thakura in another of our articles entitled – ‘Kheturi, Rajshahi (Bangladesh) – Sripat of Sri Narottama das Thakura’. In this article, however, we are going to focus on Ganga Narayana Chakravarti and the Sripat of Gambhila. Before surrendering himself unto Narottama das Thakura, Ganga Narayana was a puffed up scholar who used to look down upon Narottama. The reason being that Narottama, although belonging to a lower caste, initiated people who sometimes were even Brahmanas. Not only Ganga Narayana, but several people of that time, who failed to gauge the exalted position of Narottama das, indulged in his criticism.
