Bharadvaja-tila is situated north-west of Ganga-nagara. When Srinivasa Acarya performed parikrama of Navadvipa-dhama, Bharadvaja-tila was a prosperous town situated on a hill (tila). The corrupted form of the name Bharadvaja-tila is Bharuidanga. While visiting different holy places, Bharadvaja Rishi came here from Prayaga and worshipped Sri Gaurahari at Cakrahrida or Cakadaha, on the Ganga’s bank.

Bharadvaja Rishi was a disciple of the original poet Valmiki and he was very powerful. During His exile to the forest, Sri Ramacandra came to his asrama together with Sitaji and Lakshmana. Bharadvaja Rishi was omniscient, and knew where the coming incarnation of Sriman Mahaprabhu would perform His pastimes; therefore he came to Navadvipa-dhama.

Lord Nityananda said, “One time Sri Vishnu Svami went traveling as a Digvijayi, conquering all directions. When he reached Rudradvipa, he stayed there for the night along with his disciples, who were dancing, chanting the holy name, ‘Hari Hari!’ Sri Vishnu Svami was reading the sruti and smriti scriptures. Sri Nila-lohita (Lord Siva) was pleased to see this display of bhakti and decided to grant him his darsana. When Sri Rudradeva arrived in the assembly of Vaishnavas, Vishnu Svami was surprised to see him and he respectfully offered prayers with folded hands. Lord Rudra mercifully said, ‘All you Vaisnavas are dear to me, I am very pleased to see all of you discussing bhakti. You may ask from me any boon, out of my mercy I will fulfil your desire. I can give anything to Vaisnavas.’ 

Vishnu Svami offered prostrated obeisances and in great ecstasy he asked, ‘Oh my Lord! Please give us the boon that all of us may achieve perfection in the bhakti-sampradaya.’ With great pleasure Lord Rudra granted the wish of Vishnu Svami and accepted his sampradaya as his own. Since then the Vishnu Svami-sampradaya has been famous as the Sri Rudra-sampradaya. By the mercy of Rudradeva, Sri Vishnu Svami resides at this place, worshiping Sri Gauracandra in order to achieve pure love or prema. Once Sri Gauranga appeared in his dream and said, ‘You have received the blessings of My devotee, Rudradeva. You are blessed to receive the wealth of bhakti in Navadvipa. Now you should go and preach the philosophy of suddhadvaita. During My manifested pastime you will appear as Sri Vallabha Bhatta and after having My darsana in Sri-kshetra you will attain perfection in your sampradaya by going to Mahavana.’” Lord Nityananda continued, saying, “O, Jiva! Sri Vallabha is now in Gokula. If you go there you can receive his darsana.” 

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. 

Directions: Proceed down the road beside the Sridhama Mayapur Post Office. Take the first road on the right. Proceed four to five kilometers walking or by cycle (vehicles cannot go) until you come to a T-junction where you need to walk up a steep embankment. Turn left here and then cross the bridge on your right. Continue walking on the main path for approximately another two kilometers. It is the second village. There is nothing to mark this place but this is the general area. 

In Rudradvipa there is a village called Sankarapura, the glories of which Lord Nityananda describes as follows, “From here you can see Sri Sankarapura on the bank of the Ganga. 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. Lord Rudra was performing these activities by the order of the Lord and when he came to Nadia, Sri Gauracandra appeared to him in a dream. Being merciful upon Sankaracarya, the Lord spoke to him sweetly, ‘My dear servant, by My order alone, you are preaching mayavada philosophy very diligently, but this Navadvipa-dhama is very dear to Me and mayavada has no place here. Here Vriddha Siva, along with Praudha Maya, preaches about the speculated Agama Puranas. They cheat those people who are inimical to My devotees. Everyone becomes My devotee here. There is no opportunity to preach this wicked philosophy in My dhama. You had better go somewhere else and not trouble the inhabitants of Navadvipa.’