BARPETA Oct 14 � A convention of the Sakha Satras of Barpeta Satra will be held at Barpeta with a four-day long programme from October 22 to 25 next. This was informed by the reception committee of the event.
Talking to reporters, Nabajit Das, Deka Satriya of Barpeta Satra and the vice president of the reception committee and Aswini Kumar Das, secretary of Barpeta Satra management committee and the reception committee also in the Satra campus informed that there are more than two hundred sakha satras of the old institution in Assam and the neighbouring State of West Bengal. But it is a matter of grave concern that some of the branches have become extinct and some have lost contact with the main satra in course of time. To revive them and inculcate among them the spirit of Satriya culture is the main motto of organising the convention of the sakha satras.
They informed that the four day convention would begin at 3 pm on October 22 with the registration of the delegates. Entrance the delegates camp will be opened at 4-30 followed by a general meeting of the reception committee at 6-30 on that day.
The inaugural function of the conference is scheduled at 9 am on October 23. After a ceremonial welcome of the Bhakats, a procession with the Bhagawata will be held from 10-30 am. The first session of the delegates is scheduled at 3 pm where problems of the Sakha Satras and ways and means to solve them will be discussed.
On October 24 materials used in prayers will be brought to the satra with full satriya tradition and an exhibition on these items will be inaugurated at 9 am. The second session of the delegates is scheduled to be held at 10 am on that day. Rules of day to day prayer, erection of the altar, tradition of saying and asking for news of the satra and the rituals to be observed in the sakha satras will be discussed in this session.
The third and the fourth session of the delegates will be held on October 24. Several issues including the formation of a common platform of the sakha satras will be discussed here.
An open meeting will be held on October 25 on the last day of the convention where the souvenir to be published on the occasion will also be published. Ankia Bhaona will be performed that evening.
Barpeta known as the Satranagari of Assam is regarded as the second Baikunthapuri. All the great Vaishnavite saints travelled to Barpeta and established Satra institutions in and around Barpeta. The tradition of establishing sakha satras was introduced by the first satradhikar of Barpeta satra, Mathura Das Burha Ata and it is still prevalent. Though the aim of establishment of the branches was to spread the message of Mahapurusha Sri Sri Sankardeva and Sri Sri Madhabdeva, a number of sakha satras have not followed the tradition as prescribed by their roots. Some even lost their identity. Hence organisation of a conference aiming at broad based interaction has been viewed seriously by the people here.
