Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya

Imaginary portrait of Srimanta Sankardev by Bishnu Prasad Rabha

Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449-1568) worked in diverse fields like religion, literature, music, dance, drama, architecture, and social reconstruction. He translated most of the Bhâgavata Mahapurana into the Assamese language and was the first playwright in any Indian language other than Sanskrit. He wrote more than twenty six scriptures mostly in the Assamese language besides the Brajawali form and one in Sanskrit. He composed lyrics/songs including the Borgeets.

All these justified the name of Sarvagunakara by his disciple Madhabadeva. He was a humanist and welcomed everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, or sex into his order. He was a pioneer in adult education and mass communication, and called upon the society to educate women and the downtrodden people.

Srimanta Sankaradeva initiated a new form of painting with his drama-festival Chihna-Yâtrâ held in 1468 A.D. where he drew the imaginary pictures of heaven to be used as backdrops. He encouraged illustration of his manuscripts with pictorial depiction of stories from the Bhâgavata. The Nâmghar founded by him has become a multi-dimensional institution and symbol of Assamese society. He visited many places of the Indian sub-continent and his impact was clearly felt in those regions, be it Yâtrâ of Bengal, scroll painting of Odisha, plays of Mithila, etc.

Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha was set up in 1930 in order to carry forward the reforms initiated by the saint. It is the largest NGO in North East India and it has been working relentlessly among the masses for inculcating the values preached by Srimanta Sankaradeva. It runs several schools in the state.

The Sangha envisaged to establish a university and authorised its Srimanta Sankaradeva Education and Socio-Economic Development Trust, Nagaon to sponsor its establishment of the university. The Sangha submitted a proposal to the government of Assam for the establishment of the university under the Assam Private Universities Act, 2007. The Assam Legislative Assembly passed ‘The Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya Act, 2013’. The Act of the Assam Legislative Assembly (Assam Act No. XIX of 2013) received the assent of the Governor of Assam vide : No. LGL.59/2013/16 and notified it in the Assam Gazette No. 351 dated 14 August 2013.

The Mahâpurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyâlaya was formally founded on 10 June 2014. It is located at Nagaon, the place blessed with the dust of the saint's feet for more than half a century, since he lived half of his life at Bardowa, Nagaon.

The university comprises the following departments:[2]

In Nagaon campus

• Department of Assamese
• Department of Computer Application
• Department of Economics
• Department of Education
• Department of English
• Department of Philosophy
• Department of Sociology
• Department of Sankaradeva Studies

In Guwahati campus

• Department of English
• Department of Juridical Studies
• Department of Performing Arts
• Department of Social Work
• Department of Yogic Science & Naturopathy

• Official website