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Towards
the end of the 19th century the sadar town of Gauhati was
fast developing into a business center and a number of people began
migrating to the town from nearby places, especially Barpeta. Many came,
acquired jobs and settled down in Kamarpatty, which soon also came to be
known as Barpetiapara.
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Residents
of Barpetiapara, who were mostly followers of Srimanta Sankardev, soon
decided to set up a namghar. A vacant plot of land was acquired in
the Kamarpatty area and the Barpeta Sakha Satra was established. From the
diary of Prasanna Narayan Choudhury, the former serestadar of
Guwahati we learn that one Juggoram Ukil took the lead in establishing the namghar
that was consecrated by Vikram Dev Shastri of the Barpeta Satra. Gradually
Sankardev followers who had migrated from Sualkuchi, Hajo and Ramdia also
joined the Satra.The
Barpeta Sakha Satra was built and rebuilt at least four
times during the 20th century.
The
present structure was built in 1995-96, and its main gate designed after the
original namghar in Bapeta. The Satra played a historical role in
propagating Sankardev Sanskriti Samaj in the sea town of Puri, a place
Sankardev had visited 500 years ago.
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Apart
from daily discourses every year the Satra organizes paal naam,
Janmsthami and the tithes of Sankardev and Madhavdev and Mathura das
Bura Ata. And every Thursday women assemble here to perform ainaam
and refresh the soul.
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