Badala Padma Ata

Badala Padma Ata (1546-1678) was a Vaisnavite Preacher and a saint who propagated his teaching during 16th and 17th centuries. He was one of the principle founder of Nika Samathi along with Mathuradasa Ata and Keshav Ata, and established 24 Satras in Upper Assam including the famous Kamalabari Satra.[1] He first met Madhavdev at Bhela Satra and became a very devout disciple of him.

Padma Ata
Personal
Born1546
Sokrahi, Narayanpur, Assam
Died1678 (aged 132 years)
Kamalabari, Majuli
ReligionEkasarana Dharma
NationalityAssamese
Parents
  • Titachomdar (father)
  • Satya (mother)
Other namesBadala
OccupationEkasarana Preceptor
Senior posting
Disciple ofMadhavdev
Disciples
  • Sri Rama

Biography

Earlier in his life, Padma Ata joined the Ahom Army as a shields man (baruwati). After he saw the sorrow and plight of the people after war, he was so deeply affected by this that he abandoned all worldly attachments.[2] He became a devout disciple of Madhavdev, he was also one of his youngest chief disciples, after receiving directions from his Guru he moved to Eastern Assam erstwhile Ahom kingdom and began propagating his teachings and to cover the people of the area as it was not been covered by the Sankardev. Badala passed through different places, far distances and preached among the people at various stopovers of his journey. Ultimately he settled at Majuli and established the Kamalabari Satra, a Satra still known and famous for its display of art and culture. Just before he died he appointed one of his disciples Sri Rama as his successor in the Satra as the head.[3] His Satra was established in an orange garden (Komola Ban) of Purusuttom Barua an Ahom officer. Thus it got its name.[4]

Khel-Nao boat of Badala Ata

His founded the Nika Samathi sect, Nika means means pure and virtuous this samthi probably formed properly after the other ones as the situation of declination and mayhem might be observed by the disciples in above three samhatis therefore the name Nika was given to this samhati which shows the pure and absolute form of the Madhavdev sect. It is also known as Nitya Samathi. This sect came to existence much later than the other three sects.[5][6]

He died in 1678, aged 132.[7]

Names

Padma (as he was beautiful like a rose), Govinda (as per horoscope), Rupdhar (name given by mother), Laba-r- nati (meaning Laba’s grandson), Gosain (name given by Ahom King), Hari-r -pu (name given by Kesava Ata), Kamalakanta (another name given by mother) , Amukai (addressed so by Saint Madhavadeva), Ujaniya Bapughar (name given by Mathuradasa Ata), Badula Ata (meaning, on behalf of Saint Madhavadeva)[8]

See also

Notes
  1. Staff REPORTER (2010-09-15). "473rd birth anniversary of Badala Padma Ata". assamtribune.com. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  2. (Sarma 2013:46)
  3. (Vaidya Kumar:110)
  4. "MAJULI CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REGION". majulilandscape.gov.in. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  5. (Vaidya Kumar:96)
  6. (Gogoi 1994:476)
  7. (Gogoi 1994:476)
  8. (Sarma 2013:48)

References
  • Vaidya Kumar, Ranjan, Art Approaches Of Majuli_An Analytical Study of Illustrated Manuscripts Mask Making and Wood Carvings, Assam University
  • Gogoi, Nityananda (1994), Historical Geography of Medieval Assam, EBH Publishers (India), ISBN 9789383252701
  • Sarma, Mousami (2013), A study on uttar kamalabari sattra of majuli, assam, Gauhati University{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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