Gadya Xahitya Diwas marked, Dr Suresh Kumar Arya honoured in Tezpur

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TEZPUR: The 387th Tirobhav Tithi of Vaikuntha Nath Bhagavat Bhattacharya (Bhattadev), widely regarded as the father of Assamese prose literature and a devoted disciple of Mahapurush Srimanta Damodar Dev, the pioneer of Satra culture in Assam, was observed on Sunday with due solemnity at the historic Haleshwar Devalaya in Tezpur in Sonitpur district. The occasion was marked by the observance of Gadya Xahitya Diwas.

The programme organized by the Sonitpur District Committee of Mahapurush Srimat Devdamodar Sangha began with floral tributes to Bhattadev in the presence of several eminent personalities. On the occasion, noted litterateur of Tezpur, retired professor of Tezpur College and former President of the Tezpur Xahitya Xabha, Dr Suresh Kumar Arya, was honoured with the prestigious Gadya Xahitya Xevi Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Assamese prose literature.

The programme was presided over by Arun Kumar Sarma, Sanghadhipati of the Sonitpur District Committee of the Sangha, while Dr Jugal Krishna Deka conducted the proceedings. During the event, several members and well-wishers of the Sangha who made notable contributions in different fields in 2025 were also felicitated with letters of appreciation.

Held with the cooperation of the Haleshwar Devalaya Unnayan Xadhani Xabha, the programme opened with a welcome address by Jiten Borthakur, President of the Xabha and also President of the Tezpur District Sports Association. Senior journalist Pankaj Baruah, writer Debabrata Sarma, district award-winning teacher Bhupen Bordoloi, Dr Jahnabi Madhukalya who earned a PhD for her research on Tezpur’s heritage Ban Theatre, and Dr Chayanika Lahkar, were among those specially felicitated.

Children’s writer Dilip Kumar Baruah presented a brief life sketch of the awardee, following which Dr Suresh Kumar Arya was formally honoured with a gamosa, ceremonial cloth, a set of books, a memento and a citation, along with the Gadya Xahitya Xevi Award.

In his speech, Dr Arya observed that Assamese prose literature attained its present richness owing to the vision and generosity of Bhattadeva, whose contributions also played a pioneering role in advocating social justice and women’s rights in Assam.

Former general secretary of the Axam Xahitya Xabha, Yadab Chandra Sarma, spoke on the philosophy and literary legacy of Mahapurush Srimanta Damodar Dev and Bhattadev, while senior theatre personality Bhupen Sarma, General Secretary of Ban Theatre and Vice-Sanghadhipati of the Sonitpur District Committee of the Sangha, highlighted Bhattadev’s enduring influence on Assamese prose.

The programme was attended by several prominent figures including Bankim Sarma, President of Ban Theatre, Ramesh Chandra Kalita, former President of Tezpur Xahitya Xabha, retired teacher and dramatist Dijendra Nath Sharma, and many others, who shared their reflections on the occasion.

During the programme, a Convenor Committee of the Haleshwar Branch of Mahapurush Srimat Devdamodar Sangha was constituted, with Jiten Borthakur and Pramod Nath as advisors, Padum Nath as Convenor, Debeshwar Sarma as Co-Convenor, Arup Goswami as Member Secretary, and Prabal Bora as Assistant Convenor.

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