Gaura-daha is situated in Gadigacha which is in Godrumadvipa.
Srila Jagadananda Pandita has described one pastime of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu in Gadigacha in his book Prema-vivarta: “One day Saci-mata with great affection gave me the remnants of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. When I ate that prasada I experienced the taste of nectar and was very happy to honor gauranga-prasada. Can I ever get that sumptuous prasada again?
That day I proceeded towards the bank of the Ganga along with Sri Gaura- Nityananda and Their associates. When we reached Gadigacha village the devotees started harinamasankirtana. Govinda was playing mridanga and Vasudeva Ghosha was chanting the holy name. Gadadhara Pandita and Vakresvara Pandita were both dancing. Only the sound vibration of hari-nama was heard and the ulu-dhvani was coming from all directions. Everyone was mad with gaura-prema. I do not know how to sing or dance but still I was dancing raising my hands. In fact Sri Gauranga was making me dance, entering into my body. I have no idea of svara or tala (tune or rhythm) but I was dancing and chanting. When we reached Gadigacha village and entered into the cowherd people’s village (Gopapalli), Gauracandra said, ‘Oh, devotes of Sri Krishna! Please listen.
Today we will walk on the shore of this lake and sleep under the trees. Under this banyan tree there are many cows having fun. Today we will have pastimes with the gopas (cowherd people.)’ Many gopas came and offered us milk, yogurt and butter.
After eating all these milk products we became free from our fatigue due to walking so far. There Nrisimhananda, Pradyumna and Purushottama Acarya joined us in sankirtana. By hearing the sound of the mridanga everyone left their houses and came to witness the nama-sankirtana. The sound of hari-nama resounded in the sky. In that village there was a cowherd man by the name of Bhima Gopa, who was a very sober person.
Only the sound vibration of hari-nama was heard and the ulu-dhvani was coming from all directions. Everyone was mad with gaura-prema. I do not know how to sing or dance but still I was dancing raising my hands. In fact Sri Gauranga was making me dance, entering into my body.
He came forward and said, ‘Please listen to my appeal. My blessed mother Syama Goalini is the daughter of Sadhu Goala from Ganganagara. She serves Saci Ai always considering her a mother. In that relationship you are my uncle. My dear uncle! Please come to my house with Yoursankirtana group. There You may perform sankirtana with great happiness. My mother will feed you all milk and yogurt, as much as she has in our house, and massage Your feet.’ When everyone insisted on going there, due to the unalloyed love of the gopa, Lord Gaurahari went to his house.
Syama Goalini made uludhvani and arranged for everyone to sit in her cowshed. Syama asked, ‘Pandita dada (dear brother pandita)! How is mother doing?’ Lord Gauranga shook His body saying, ‘Fine, fine.’ Syama served yogurt and milk products on banana leaves and Nimai along with all the devotees sat down to eat. After finishing the prasada, Nimai went back to the shore of the lake. Everyone was chanting the glories of Lord Hari very softly. At one point, Ramadasa Gopa came and appealed, ‘Our cows do not drink the water of this lake. There is a very fearful crocodile living inside. The cows make the sound hamba without taking water.’ By hearing this Gauracandra started chanting sri-nama-sankirtana loudly and the crocodile was so attracted by the kirtana that he came out of the lake and touched the lotus feet of Sri Gauranga. Immediately the crocodile transformed into a deva-sisu (child of a demigod). The deva-sisu offered prayers while crying and told the story of his suffering. He said, ‘Oh, my Lord! I am roaming here in the form of a crocodile due to the curse of Durvasa Muni. By seeing me everyone becomes frightened.
Once, Durvasa Muni was sleeping in Kamyavana. Due to my naughty nature I cut off his locks. The sage became very angry with me and cursed me saying, ‘You will get the form of a crocodile and for four yugas you will remain like this due to the result of your karma.’ Hearing this curse I wept and pleaded with the muni asking him how I could be free from this curse. Being merciful upon me, he called me and said, ‘O deva-sisu! When Sri Nanda-nandana will appear as Saci-prana-dhana in Navadvipa, you will be freed from this curse by hearing His kirtana. Thereafter you will go back to heaven by accepting a celestial body.’ Then the deva-sisu offered prayers saying, ‘All glories to Saci-suta, the deliverer of fallen souls. You are the shelter of poor and fallen people who have no other shelter. The people of all fourteen planetary systems are announcing Your great deeds. You have delivered a fallen person like me. This Navadvipa-dhama is the cream of all dhamas. Here Kali-patita-pavana (deliverer of fallen souls of Kali-yuga) has appeared. You will deliver the living entities of Kali-yuga by giving them hari-nama. O Mahaprabhu, You have come to me. I offer my humble obeisances unto You. I have been here in this form of a crocodile for four yugas. Now You have delivered me as Patita-pavana Hari. The name of Hari from Your mouth is very sweet. You have delivered many animate and inanimate living entities. Please allow me to go back to heaven to meet with my father and mother and stay there happily.’ Saying this thedeva-sisu offered his obeisances and left the place.
Again the tumultuous sound of kirtana started and continued until midday. Then all the devotees along with Mahaprabhu went back to Mayapur. Whoever hears this pastime of Mahaprabhu will be free from brahma-sapa, the curse of a brahmana. From that day that lake was known as Gaura-daha (daha means lake) and it became just like Kaliya-daha. Whoever takes darsana of this lake and touches it’s water will be free from all sinful reactions and receive devotion unto Sri Krishna.” (Prema – vivarta)
