Assam government to set up ‘Naamghars’ after Srimanta Sankardeva.

Why in news?

• Recently, Assam government decided to set up ‘Naamghars’ (Vaishnavite Monasteries) across the places where 15th-century saint and social reformer Srimanta Sankardeva spent at least one night during his journey from Batradava (Assam) to Cooch Behar (West Bengal).

About Srimanta Sankardeva

• Srimanta Sankardev was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath, a saint-scholar, playwright, musician, poet, dancer, actor and artist social-religious reformer.
• He was a figure of importance in cultural and religious history of Assam.
• He is widely credited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of theatrical performance (Ankia Naat, Bhaona), music (Borgeet), literary language (Brajavali) and dance (Sattriya). He was a multi-faceted spiritual guru of 15th and 16th centuries.
• He was a great soul who infused nationalistic fervour among Assamese people.
• Sankardev inspired the Bhakti movement in Assam just like Guru Nanak, Namdev, Ramananda, Kabir, Basava and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.