An excellent Web site called www.atributetosankaradeva.org has been launched recently to offer the world a glimpse of the xanatana dharma (eternal faith) that the Assamese prophet Sankaradeva espoused almost 600 years ago. The Web site is very tastefully created and is content-rich. The “sitemap” page one gets to by clicking on the link provided on the top navigation bars provides a table of contents for the site.
The site has a treasure trove of information about Saint Sankaradeva and the religion he started in Assam. Among the main topics discussed on the Web site include Saint Sankardeva’s biography; details on Madhavdeva—Sankardeva’s main disciple; fundamental aspects of the xanatana faith, related literature, the musical creations of the Great Saint and his disciples, the Assamese style of religious painting started by Sankaradeva and continued by his disciples, the institutions of xattra that the Saint started to spread his religion and create the social fabric of Assam for all time, and a lot more. Such information is impossible to find on the Internet anywhere else, in such detail and written with such erudition.
The section on the fundamental aspects of Sankardeva’s religion is very illuminating. This section discusses the gist of eka xarana dharma that entails absolute devotion to one Supreme Being. The Web site also presents the four entities that constitute the world of eka xaranism: the guru or the teacher, the deity or the Supreme Being, nama or chanting of the name of the Supreme Being, and the devotee. There are many other details that a serious follower of Sankardeva may know, but is not easily accessible to the outside world.
All over the world, when the Assamese meet for various occasions, nam praxangas are performed and praxad distributed, it will be good to discuss some elements of the xanatana dharma. To brush up on our knowledge of the religion we practice, it is recommended that one goes to this Web site and reads it carefully.
Jugal Kalita
Colorado Springs, Colorado
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e-linkages to all kinds of
e-linkages to all kinds of articles on Xatriya Sanskriti those published in the POSOOWA may be kept with the www.atributetosankardeva.org. E.g. write-ups on Brindavani Bastra published in the Sept'08 issue, xatriya workshop in Paris in the last issue etc should need an e-linkage with web site.