Batadrava Than – Nagaon, Assam

GS Paper I Geography

Context:

A senior congress leader was prevented from visiting Assam’s Batadrava Than during his political campaign.

Batadrava Than, or Bordowa Than, is one of the most sacred sites for Assamese Vaishnavites.

Location: It is located in Nagaon District at the birthplace of revered Vaishnavite reformer-saint Srimanta Sankardeva (1449-1568).
- His philosophy was Ek Saran Naam Dharma.
Significance: People believe it to be the “Dwitiya Vaikuntha”, the second heaven on earth.
- A huge pond “Akashiganga” and another pond “Santijan” too are the places of attraction of the devotees.

The Ek Saran Naam Dharma:

It focussed on worship in the form of bhakti (devotion) to Lord Krishna, through singing and congregational listening of His name and deeds.

Origin: These Sattras/Thans were established as centers of religious, social and cultural reforms in the 16th century.
- The Neo-Vaishnavite reformist movement that Sankardeva started is behind the monastic institutions called Thans/Sattras.
Present relevance: Today, the Sattras promulgate Sankardeva’s unique “worship through art” approach with music (borgeet), dance (sattriya) and theater (bhauna).
Features: Each Sattra has a naamghar (worship hall) as its nucleus and is headed by an influential “Sattradhikar”.

Also Read: Ayodhya Ram Mandir

News Source: Indian Express

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