Person in News: Srimanta Sankaradeva
Context:
ü The Union Home minister recently inaugurated the redeveloped Batadrava Than in Nagaon, Assam.
ü It is the birthplace of Srimanta Sankaradeva.
ü The project is described as a cultural resurrection aiming to restore the site as a living symbol of Assamese identity and spirituality.
About Srimanta Sankaradeva:
ü Srimanta Sankaradeva was a 15th-16th century polymath
He was a saint-scholar, playwright, social-religious reformer, and a colossal figure in the cultural history of Assam.
ü The religion and bhakti tradition propagated by Sankaradeva is known as the eka-sarana-nama-dharma.
It is also known as the Mahapurushiya dharma.
ü The cardinal principle of the eka-sarana-nama-dharma lay in the worship of a single deity, Visnu, primarily in his incarnation as Krishna.
ü Teachings and the religious tenets propagated by him were primarily based on Bhagavata-purāņa.
ü To propagate his neo-vaishnavism, he developed certain practices and institutions like Namghars and Satras which formed centres for congregational prayers and emphasised the maintenance of internal and external purity.
ü His teachings emphasized equality, breaking caste barriers to create an inclusive social order.
● Literary & Artistic Contributions:
ü Kirtana-ghosa is a major devotional text composed by him.
ü Borgeets are a collection of devotional songs set to specific ragas and talas.
ü Ankiya Naat is a form of one-act play that he introduced to spread religious messages.
ü Sattriya Dance is a classical dance form that evolved from his plays and is now one of India's 8 classical dances.
ü Vrindavani Vastra is a famous tapestry woven under his supervision depicting scenes from Krishna’s life.
ü He also established Sattras (monasteries) and Namghars (prayer halls), which became centers for spiritual practice, art, and community gathering.
ü Batadrava Than is the first Than (sacred center) established by Sankaradeva,
This is the foundational site of his movement.