UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday inaugurated the Rs 227-crore redeveloped Batadrava Than, the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in Assam’s Nagaon district. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, and State Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora, were present during the inauguration of the project. The Home Minister was accorded a traditional ‘satriya’ welcome by the ‘gayan-bayan’ (singers and drummers).

 

He also went around the main central building where the ‘Guru Asana’ (seat of the revered saint) is placed. The decision to redevelop the site, named ‘Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva Abhirbhav Kshetra’, was first proposed in the 2021-22 State budget. The project has been designed not only to make the historic site a major tourist attraction but also to reflect on the life, ideals and artistic heritage associated with Srimanta Sankardeva and the broader cultural traditions of the State.

 

Sarma said that the project honouring SrimantaSankardev’s legacy, strengthens“our commitment to preservingAssam’s satras, namghars andcultural heritage”. He said that the project will elevate Batadrava Than into anational and international destination for cultural and spiritual tourism, taking Sankardeva’slegacy to future generations. An eviction drive was carried out in December 2022 to clear encroachments from the satra land in Batadrava. The Chief Minister had earlier said that the State Government has taken all efforts to restore the sanctity and grandeur of the place.

 

“BatadravaThan, freed from encroachments, is nowa shining example of what steely resolve can do for the protection of our heritage,” the CM said. The foundation of the redevelopmentprojectwaslaid by Shah in December 2020. TheAssamGovernmenthad announced theredevelopment of the spiritual sitein thebudget proposal of the 2021-22 fiscal andhadinitially earmarked Rs 188 crore for the project, which has been implemented on 165 bighas of land in three phases.