Redevelopment Of Assamese Saint Sankaradeva's Birthplace Nears Completion, CM Himanta Shares Glimpses

On Tuesday (1 July), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared glimpses of the government’s ambitious beautification project of the 15th-16th-century revered saint Srimanta Sankardeva’s birthplace, Batadrava Than, which is nearing its completion.

The project was inaugurated by Union Minister Amit Shah, ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections.

The Rs 188 crore redevelopment and beautification project covers 54.5 acres of the religious site.

In 2022, an eviction drive was carried out to clear encroachments from nearly 1,000 bighas of land, approximately 1.35 square kilometres, surrounding Batadrava Than.

Devananda Deva Goswami, the satradhikar (religious and administrative head) of Batadrava Than, had said that encroachments began around 1986–87 on approximately 136 bighas (45 acres) of land that was earlier used for cultivation.

He added that although the land belonging to the Than was free of encroachment, nearly 900 bighas of adjacent government land in the periphery had been heavily encroached upon.

The Assam government has formulated phased plans for the systematic development of all historical sites linked to Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardev.

Recently, Sarma inaugurated an infrastructure development project worth Rs 11.14 crore at Sankardev Than, Patbaushi Satra, and the Adi Dham of Dev Damodar Dev Guru in Barpeta, aimed at preserving Assam’s Vaishnavite heritage.

The Batadrava redevelopment project, launched as part of the Centre’s broader ‘Assam Darshan’ initiative, seeks to transform the site into a tourist destination while safeguarding its historical and cultural legacy.

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