Context: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought blessings at the Sri Sri Auniati Satra, a more than 350-year-old Vaishnavite monastery in Assam’s Majuli district. Sri Sri Auniati Satra was established in 1663 in Majuli. Lord Krishna is worshipped as Govinda with the original idol being brought from the Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri.
About Sattras
- Sattras are monastic institutions created as part of the 16th-century Neo-Vaishnavite reformist movement initiated by Vaishnavite saint-reformer Srimanta Sankaradeva.
- Sankardeva preached a monotheistic form of Hinduism (Ekasarana tradition) called Vaishnavism and established monasteries and hermitages known as Sattra on the islet.
- The first Sattra was founded in Majuli.
- Sattras are spread across the state, propagating Sankardeva’s unique “worship through art” approach with music (borgeet), dance (sattriya), and theater (bhauna).
- There are different types of Satras, such as Auniati, Kamalabari, Dakhinpat, Garamur, Samaguri, Bengenaati, and Natun Kamalabari.
- They consist of a large prayer hall (Naamghar) headed by an influential “Sattradhikar” facing a simple shrine, surrounded by dormitories and bathing tanks for monks.
- They also offer guest accommodation where devotees and visitors take part in the worship of Vishnu and Krishna and also watch traditional bhaona performances.
- Young bhakats are wonderful artisans and make masks, musical instruments, as well as hand-fans and door frames.
- Young bhakats may or may not be celibate, depending on the kind of Sattra they are inducted into.