The 49th Annual Convention of Srimanta Sankardev Sangha, the largest religious, social, and cultural gathering in Northeast India, has commenced today. This convention has been organized in the Vaishnav Pandit Sonaram Chutia Samannay Kshetra of Mohanbandha Eralatali field in Jorhat district. Apart from various districts of Assam, lakhs of Bhakats (devotees) have arrived from various corners of the country and abroad for this convention, which will run from 6 February to 9 February.
Complete arrangements for a temporary Namghar, auditorium, kitchen, bhojanalay, representative camp etc. have been made for this convention in Eralatali field of Jorhat. The convention venue resonates with Krishna vandana, where thousands of young volunteers of the Seva Vahini of Srimanta Shankardev Sangha are providing their services.
On Wednesday evening, Srimanta Shankardev Sangha’s Padadhikar Bhabendra Nath Deka reached the convention venue. He told the media, “The only aim and objective of Shankardev Sangha is – we should move forward with the idealogy of one caste, one line, one path, one deity and one service. If all castes and tribes do not remain united, the Assamese society will be in trouble. Therefore, we have to protect our caste, land, culture, language, literature. We have to move forward unitedly with the ideas of spirituality and humanism and by adopting the ideals of Gurujana.”
Various activities are being organized as per the scheduled program since Thursday morning. In this four-day convention, religious meetings, representative meeting, Seva Vahini meetings, discussion on literature, Cultural Programme, Bhaona etc. will be organized every day. Nam-Prasang will be performed every day in the temporary Namghar of the convention venue.
In the open session of the Sahitya Shakha Samiti on the second day of the convention, Assam Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya will be the chief guest and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will attend as a special guest of honor.
On the third day, the flag-hoisting ceremony of Srimanta Shankardev Sangha will be organized. After this, Bhagwat Yatra and cultural procession will be taken out from Vaishnav Pandit Sonaram Chutia Samannay Kshetra to the National Highway of Jorhat. Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sharma will attend the open session of this day as the chief guest. This convention will conclude on 9 February.
Established in 1930 at Palashani in Nagaon district, Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha was founded to promote and propagate the philosophy, ideals, and Ek-Sarana Naam Dharma of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev. The organization was initiated through the efforts of freedom fighters like Haldhar Bhuyan, Ramakanta Muktiyar Ata, and several Vaishnavite devotees. The Sangha continues its relentless efforts to establish Srimanta Sankardev’s legacy on the global stage.
Every year the annual convention of Srimanta Shankardev Sangha is organized in various districts of Assam, in which more than 30 lakh devotees participate.
A big organization named “Sewa Vahini” is working under the Sangha to make the youth aware of spiritual and social consciousness. Apart from this, Srimanta Sankardev Sangha has established “Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev University” in Nagaon. A campus of the university is also located in Guwahati. Higher education is provided here in various departments of arts, science, commerce and vocational education.