Sankaradeva’s 16th century ‘figured silk’ tapestries, known as Vrindavani Vastra, today adorn museums of the world including those at London, Paris and Los Angeles. However, Srimanta Sankaradeva, the Vashnava Saint of Assam, is revered most as a religious reformer. A contemporary of Kabir, Nanak and Chaitanya, Sankaradeva is one of the religious leaders of great endowment who blazed across the Indian horizon in the 15th century bearing the message of bhakti to the people.
Sankaradeva (1469-1568) was a man of creativity, and above all, he was a man of religion. His literary and artistic activities are not ends in themselves; they are consciously oriented towards the sharing of his creed. His work – be it a hymn, a verse for chanting, dramas for the stage, dance forms, or even a drum for accompaniment – was only to draw his audience to the word of God. That he performed each task with consummate excellence is a measure of his greatness. His key literary texts are a part of every Assamese household and his dance forms are today a part of classical canon of Indian dance traditions.
It remains a pity that despite his great achievements, Sankaradeva is relatively unknown outside his native state of Assam. This book attempts to give an overview of the life and works of the multi-faceted genius encompassing art, literature, music, dance and drama.