NEO Vaishnavism in Assam: Contributions of Sri Damodardev

Author(s): Dr. Bharati Bhattacharjya

Abstract:

The Neo Vaishnavism movement in Assam was led by four prominent leaders-Sankardev, Madhavdev, Haridev and Damodar Dev. However, there are two different waves of the movement in Assam. Firstly, 'Ek Sharan naam dharma ' propagated by Sankardev and Madhavdev. Secondly, 'Sanatan Vaishnav dharma' by Haridev and Damodar Dev. The 'Sanatan Vaishnav dharma' initiated by Damodardev differs from the Ek sharan Dharma introduced by Sankardev, although Damodardev was a disciple of Polymath Sankardev. Damodardev was a religious leader, a polymath, and a social reformer. This article is an attempt to study his significant contribution in the Assamese society of 14-15th century. His Neo Vaishnavism was a crucial phenomenon in this aspect through which he reformed the Assamese society from its prevailing evils. In this article, an attempt will also be made to discuss the ways in which he propagated Neo Vaishnavism in Assam. We will also delve into the ways his movement offered an alternative and simple form of worshipping Lord Krishna, so that people from all sections of the society could relate to it. Further we will look into how it contributed towards making people learn the Assamese art and culture. All these aspects will be studied using various secondary sources.

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