GOVINDA KALASKHETRA

 Sattriya Dance is a major classical dance form in Assam, India. The Great Saint Shrimanta Sankardeva created this dance form, It is popularly known as 'Sattriya Nritlya'. The dance form was introduced in 15th century AD by Sankardeva to propagate Vaishnavism. It derives its name from the vaishnavism monasteries known as Sattras, where it was preserved and spread. It was recognised as a major classical dance form of India in 2000 by  "Sangeet Natak Akademi". It is in the form of dance-drama performances which tell us different stories about people, especially legends and mythologies of lord krishna-centered vaishavi monosteries of Assam.

 The name 'Borgeet is popularly ascribed to a special set of devotional songs composed during the late 15th and early 16th A.D.by Shrimanta Shankardeva and his disciple Shri Shri Madhabdeva, The two chief exponents of vaishnavism in Assam. In India bhakti movement started on the basis of devotion with the main objective of spreading the vaishnav religion and strengthening the tradition of worshipping different incarnations of lord Vishnu.  The first Borgeet was composed by Srimanta Sankardeva during his first pilgrimage at Badrikashram in c1488, which is contemporaneous to the birth of Dhrupad in the court of Man Singh Tomar (1486-1518) of Gwalior.

 The khol is a terracotta two-sided drum used in northern and eastern India for accompaniment with Devotional Music (Bhakti).  The khol is considered an integral part of the Ek Saran Naam Dharma culture and is used in bhaona (plays), gayan-bayan', prasanga-kirtan and borgeet.  Assamese polymath Shrimanta Sankardeva is known to have adapted and evolved the tradition of gayan-bayan by using musical instruments like the khol and taal. According to Assamese Neo-Vaishnavites, playing the khol is regarded as a holy activity and it is also considered to be one of the most important traditional percussion instruments.