JAMUGURIHAT: Bordol village preserves Sankari tradition despite poverty

A CORRESPONDENT

JAMUGURIHAT: Bordol, an ex-tea tribe dominated village in the southern part of Sootea, stands out as a remarkable example of the preservation and practice of Sankari culture and tradition over the years. Despite more than 90% of the population living below the poverty line, the villagers have established a Namghar through their collective efforts.

On the auspicious occasion of Dol Purnima on Tuesday, Binay Saikia, a businessman and social worker from the Sootea area, inaugurated a newly constructed entrance gate (Bat Choar) to the Namghar amid religious rituals and traditional ceremonies. Earlier, Saikia had also donated a Manikut to the Namghar.

It is noteworthy that the nearby Kurmi Gaon, adjoining Bordol, was trained in the Sankari culture by the late Tirthanath Goswami, Satradhikar of Naharkhat Satra, during the 1970s. Villagers were encouraged to follow the Neo-Vaishnavite way of life, establishing a Manikut inside their Namghar, performing regular prayers and Nam-Kirtan, and observing the tithis of Srimanta Sankardev and Madhabdev. His successor, Prabin Goswami, continued training the ex-tea tribe residents to uphold and carry forward the Sankari tradition.

The permanent Namghar in Bordol was built on land donated by Bhaskar Hazarika in memory of his father, Baparam Hazarika, with financial support from Biswanath MLA Pramod Borthakur five years ago. Additionally, Kurmi Gaon has been allocated a permanent Khola (a venue for bhaona performances) at the historic Baresohoriya Bhaona site.

The inauguration of the Bat Choar was attended by Taranath Mahanta, Secretary General of the Assam Satra Mahasabha, as the chief guest. Mahanta lauded the initiative taken by the ex-tea tribe villagers and the support provided by the local Assamese community in helping them integrate and preserve their cultural heritage. The programme was also attended by Dilip Barua and Presab Kalita, President and Secretary of Sonitpur District Vaidik Samaj, respectively, along with Ananda Handique and Uttam Kumar Nath. The proceedings were conducted by Prabin Goswami.

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