Batadrava Than

About Batadrava Than

• Location: It is located in Nagaon district of Assam,
• It is also known as the Bordowa Than, is one of the most sacred sites for Assamese Vaishnavites.
• It is a temple complex at the birthplace of revered Vaishnavite reformer-saint Srimanta Sankardeva.
• Sankardeva founded the first-ever Kirtan Ghar at Bordowa in 1494 AD to practise and preach the neo Vaishnavite faith during the fifteenth century in Assam, and propagated the Ek Saran Naam Dharma.”
• Features
  • It is enclosed by a brick wall and has two entrances.
  • The Kirtan Ghar, a capacious prayer house, was initially built by Sankardev using temporary materials.
  • Connected to the Kirtan Ghar is the Manikut, a place dedicated to housing sacred texts, scriptures, and manuscripts.
  • The campus encompasses diverse structures such as Natghar (Drama hall), Alohighar (Guest room), Sabhaghar (Assembly hall), Rabhaghar (Music room), Hatipukhuri, Aakashi Ganga, Doul mandir (festive temple), and others.
  • Additionally, a mini museum is present, showcasing historical articles and artifacts.
• A very big festival "Doul Mohotsava" (Holi) is a yearly attraction for the devotees in Bordowa.

Key facts about Shankardeva and his philisophy

• Sankardeva espoused a society based on equality and fraternity, free from caste differences, orthodox Brahmanical rituals and sacrifices.
• The Ek Saran Naam Dharma focussed on worship in the form of bhakti (devotion) to Lord Krishna, through singing and congregational listening of His name and deeds.
• His teaching focused on prayer and chanting (naam) instead of idol worship.
• His dharma was based on the four components of deva (god), naam (prayers), bhakats (devotees), and guru (teacher).
• The Neo-Vaishnavite reformist movement that Sankardeva started is behind the monastic institutions called Thans/Sattras that dot Assam.
• As the saint travelled across Assam, spreading his teachings, these Sattras/Thans were established as centres of religious, social and cultural reforms in the 16th century.
• Today, the Sattras promulgate Sankardeva’s unique “worship through art” approach with music (borgeet), dance (xattriya) and theatre (bhauna).

Q1) What is Vaishnavism?

It is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism that is distinguished from other schools by its acknowledgement of Vishnu as the supreme divinity. The beliefs and practices of Vaishnavism are based largely upon Vedic and Puranic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu Purana, and Bhagavata Purana.

Source: Rahul Gandhi prevented from visiting Batadrava Than: Significance of this Assam shrine