Shri Gadadhara dasa Thakura previously lived at Navadwip. When the Lord went to live at Nilachala Shri Dasa Gadadhara also went there to be with Him. Later on Mahaprabhu sent him back with Nityananda Prabhu to preach in Bengal. He first stayed at Eriyadahagram, which is situated on the banks of the Ganges. Then he spent some time in Navadwipa, taking care of Sachi Mata and Vishnupriya, but after their disappearance he came to live at Katwa, where Mahaprabhu had accepted sannyasa from Keshava Bharati.
He was a very confidential associate of Sri Sri Gaura-Nityananda. In Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika it is stated that he is an incarnation of the effulgence of Shrimati Radharani’s body, as well as an expansion of Purnananda gopi. Though he was one of the associates of Nityananda Prabhu, the majority of whom were cowherd boys and thus situated in the mellow of friendship, he was always absorbed in the mood of a gopi.