Srimanta Sankaradeva: Vaishnava Saint of Assam

About the Book

Sankaradeva’s 16th century ‘figured silk’ tapestries, known as Vrindavani Vastra, today adorn museums of the world including those at London, Paris and Los Angeles. However, Srimanta Sankaradeva, the Vashnava Saint of Assam, is revered most as a religious reformer. A contemporary of Kabir, Nanak and Chaitanya, Sankaradeva is one of the religious leaders of great endowment who blazed across the Indian horizon in the 15th century bearing the message of bhakti to the people. Sankaradeva (1469-1568) was a man of creativity, and above all, he was a man of religion. His literary and artistic activities are not ends in themselves; they are consciously oriented towards the sharing of his creed. His work – be it a hymn, a verse for chanting, dramas for the stage, dance forms, or even a drum for accompaniment – was only to draw his audience to the word of God. That he performed each task with consummate excellence is a measure of his greatness. His key literary texts are a part of every Assamese household and his dance forms are today a part of classical canon of Indian dance traditions. It remains a pity that despite his great achievements, Sankaradeva is relatively unknown outside his native state of Assam. This book attempts to give an overview of the life and works of the multi-faceted genius encompassing art, literature, music, dance and drama.

About the Author

An electrical engineer by training, Bimal Phukan did his PhD from the University of Manchester, U.K. and worked for the Assam State Electricity Board and Electricity Directorate for the Govt. of Bahrain in the Middle East before returning to Assam and pursuing his business interests. He is a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers both in Assamese and English. Srimanta Sankaradeva: Vaishnava Saint of Assam is his first book and originally published in 2010. His other book publications include Dukhan Duarar Ghar (House with two doors), a collection of his articles in Assamese published in 2014, Between two worlds: The Assamese Sikhs (2016), and This endless journey (2016). Author photo: © Dominik Huber / dominikphoto.com