Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 22 : With the aim of glorifying the classical status accorded to the Assamese language, the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Society here Tuesday formally handed over a collection of five ancient sanchipat manuscripts to the Rashtrapati Bhavan library for preservation and display, said an official statement.
In a solemn ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Secretary of Kalakshetra, Sudarshan Thakur, officially handed over the invaluable sanchipat manuscripts to the Secretary of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Dipti Umashankar, in the presence of senior officials from Assam Bhavan, New Delhi, and representatives from the Government of Assam and the Government of India.
It may be mentioned that under the guidance and patronage of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and on the instructions of Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Society coordinated with various satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) across Assam to collect these sanchipat manuscripts.
The Sanchipat manuscripts presented that will now add grandeur to the Rashtrapati Bhavan library include:
'Kirtan Ghoxa,' composed by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, contributed by the revered Satradhikar of Shri Shri Dakshinpat Satra, Majuli, Shri Shri Nanigopal Dev Goswami.
'Adi Dasham,' Srimanta Sankardev's poetic translation based on the tenth skandha of the Bhagavata Purana, was contributed by the revered Satradhikar of Shri Shri Narua Kuji Satra (Vaikunthapur Than), Morigaon, Shri Shri Nityananda Dev Goswami.
'Nam Ghoxa,' composed by Mahapurush Shri Shri Madhavdev, contributed by the revered Satradhikar of Shri Shri Uttar Kamalabari Satra, Majuli, Shri Shri Janardan Dev Goswami.
'Bhakti Ratnavali,' a Sanskrit work by the Vishnupuri monks, translated into Assamese by Mahapurush Shri Shri Madhavdev, contributed by the revered Satradhikar of Shri Shri Kamalabari Satra, Titabor, Shri Shri Bhavakanta Dev Goswami.
Moreover, a sanchipat manuscript of 'Geet Govinda,' originally composed in Sanskrit by Jayadeva and translated into Assamese by poet Kabiraj Chakravarti in the royal court of Swargadeo Rudra Singha, was donated by Shri Suren Phukan of Jorhat to the archives of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra and has also been presented to Rashtrapati Bhavan library for its preservation and display.
The Secretary of Kalakshetra expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the revered satradhikars and other individuals involved in the preservation and exhibition of these classical Assamese manuscripts.
"It is hoped that through this significant step, the rich heritage of the Assamese language will gain a new momentum," Thakur quipped.