UPSC Articles
Financial grants distributed to Namghars
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Culture & GS-II – Policies and Interventions
In news
- The Union Home Minister distributed financial grants to 8,000 Namghars under the Assam Darshan programme.
Important value additions
- Namghars are traditional Vaisnavite monasteries of Assam.
- Namghars (literally meaning Prayer House) are places for congregational worship associated with the entire Assamese community and the Ekasarana sect of Hinduism, in particular, that is native to Assam.
- Besides forming the primary structure used for worship, they also function as meeting houses and theatres for dramatic performances (bhaona).
- The Namghar, also called the kirtanghar, is also the central structure in the Sattras (monasteries of the Ekasarana religion) where the other buildings are positioned around it.
- Namghars were introduced in Assam by the Vaishnavite saints Damodaradeva, Madhavadeva and Sankaradeva for Assamese people where they can culture and practice naam (devotional songs) and Bhakti of God (devotion).
