49.Exploring Traditional Knowledge via Srimanta Sankardeva's Sattra Institutions Connecting the Past and Present

Srimanta Sankardeva (1449 CE-1568 CE) founded the “Eka Sarana Nama Dharma” movement in 16th-century Assam, which is a religion centered around a single God (Vishnu or Krishna). The movement's main goal was to spread a new branch of Vaishnava ideology that was devoted to social reform and the outlawing of customs like animal sacrifice, goddess worship, and caste- or religion-based prejudice. At that time, Sankardeva envisioned a new institutional system for the advancement of human welfare, which his principal disciple Madhavdeva gave shape to. This became recognized as Sattra, a religious and socio-cultural establishment resembling a monastery. After Sankardeva's death, his disciples created several Sattras. Despite the fact that all Sattras stem from the broad lineage of Sankardeva's thought, there is still some theological division among the many sects, and there are differences in the ritualistic practices of each Sattra. The main objective in writing this paper is to go over the beginnings and later developments of Sattra as an organization. The research paper explores the significance of customs and the process of traditionalization within the framework of Sattra culture.