About Srimanta Sankardev Chair
The Srimanta Sankardev Chair has been instituted under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Panjab University, Chandigarh, and the Government of Assam to commemorate the life, works, and teachings of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardev, the great saint, poet, dramatist, reformer, and architect of the Neo-Vaishnavite Movement in Assam.
The Chair is interdisciplinary and encourages faculty, researchers, and students across various disciplines to undertake research, study, and dissemination of knowledge related to Srimanta Sankardev, his spiritual philosophy, literary contributions, artistic innovations, and the larger Bhakti Movement in India. Faculty from different departments, Centres, and affiliated colleges of the University are invited to participate in seminars, colloquia, workshops, and lectures organized by the Chair. The Chair also aims to collaborate with national and international institutions and organizations devoted to Indian Knowledge Systems, Bhakti traditions, and cultural studies. The chair also has several research fellows working under it on a myriad of research topics pertinent to Srimanta Sankardeva.
MISSION STATEMENT
- Encourage study and research outside Assam on the Bhakti Movement in Assam with particular reference to the life, teaching, and works of Sankardev and his followers.
- Study the contemporary Indian situation and locate Sankardev and his movement in the Indian Context.
- Create human resources (students and researchers) outside Assam who will continue to undertake study and research on the History, Literature, and Culture of Assam, especially during the historical context of the Bhakti Movement.
- To facilitate doctoral and post-doctoral research on the Bhakti Movement, its history, different facts and aspects, literature, culture, and institutions.
- To organize seminars and lectures/colloquia in various parts of the country (to be specified) and abroad on the subjects specified for the Chair and undertake time-bound Research projects on the topics within the scope of the Chair.
- Research and cross-cultural linkages with various contemporary Bhakti Movement Saints.
- Digitization of scripture/literature related to Srimanta Sankardev and spreading his message through social media and technology.
THRUST AREAS
- To acquaint students and researchers with the life, teachings, and creative works of Srimanta Sankardev, Madhavdev, and other Vaishnavite reformers.
- To study and contextualize the Bhakti Movement of Assam within the broader Indian Bhakti traditions.
- To highlight the significance of Ankiya Naat, Borgeet, Sattriya Dance, Namghar institutions, and other cultural expressions in the shaping of Assamese identity.
- To encourage comparative study of Bhakti Saints such as Kabir, Guru Nanak, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Meera Bai, and Ramanuja with Sankardev.
