Assam govt to renovate Vaishnavite seat of learning in Bengal: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the state government will take up renovation of Sri Sri Madhupur Satra, a seat of Vaishnavite learning, in Cooch Behar district of neighbouring West Bengal.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the state government will take up renovation of Sri Sri Madhupur Satra, a seat of Vaishnavite learning, in Cooch Behar district of neighbouring West Bengal. A plan of Rs 30 crore for the project has been prepared to develop the 16th-century Satra, he added. “The teachings of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev have guided the people of Assam for centuries. In West Bengal’s Sri Sri Madhupur Satra, we are undertaking several measures to honour their legacies for the generations to come,” Sarma posted on X. Vasihnavite saints Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev had spent their last days at the Madhupur Satra.

Srimanta Sankardeva is an Assamese saint-scholar, social-religious reformer, poet, playwright and a towering figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam from the 15th-16th century. Sri Sri Madhavdev is considered his key disciple. “We are ready to walk the extra mile to preserve the legacy of our great social reformers,” he added. The Madhupur Satra was built in the 16th century in Cooch Behar in the northern part of West Bengal and is a treasure trove of historical documents and manuscripts. The CM said the renovation plan includes construction of a guest house, ‘bhog ghar’, museum, auditorium, etc. “A plan of Rs 30 cr has been prepared in this regard,” Sarma added.