Karapat: the Entrance Gate of Satras in Majuli, Assam N. Shakmacha Singh, Shrikant Gupta and D.D. Senapati T his article tries to explore the meaning, importance, and socio-cultural relevance of Karapat, an entrance gate of Satras- the Vaishnava Monastries in Assam, especially those which are located in the heart of Majuli Island; the largest riverine island of the world. Mājuli was one of the nerve centers of the Neo-Vaisnavite Movement during its heydays. It was at Mājuli (then known as Dhuwāhāt, Āhom territory) that Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva met his foremost disciple and apostolic successor, Madhavadeva for the very first time, in the 16 th century. This event referred to as Manikānchan Sanyog is the single most epoch-making event in the history of the Neo-Vaisnavite Movement. After this meeting, the Neo-Vaisnavite Movement gained momentum and the medieval Caritas (the hagiographies) are full of references to Mājuli. It is said that Sankara...
Mirrors the Traditional Past