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 Upper Assam is an administrative division of the state of Assam comprising the undivided Lakhimpur and Sivasagar (previously, Sibsagar) districts, of the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra valley. The other divisions are: Lower Assam, North Assa ...

including the famous Kamalabari Satra. He first met

Madhavdev (1489–1596) is an important preceptor of the Ekasarana Dharma known for his loyalty to his guru, Srimanta Sankardev as well as his artistic brilliance. Initially a shakta worshipper, he was converted to Ekasarana Dharma by Sankardev and b ...

at Bhela Satra and became a very devout disciple of him.

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. He became a devout disciple of

, 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 Srimanta Sankardev (, ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of importance in the cultural and religious history of ...

. Badala passed through different places, far distances and preached among the people at various stopovers of his journey. Ultimately he settled at

Majuli Majuli (also spelled Majoli) is the largest river island in Assam, a state in northeastern India. It is bordered by the Brahmaputra River to the South and East, the Subansiri River to the West, and an anabranch of the Brahmaputra River. The is ...

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. His Satra was established in an orange garden (Komola Ban) of Purusuttom Barua an Ahom officer. Thus it got its name. 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

sect. It is also known as Nitya Samathi. This sect came to existence much later than the other three sects. He died in 1678, aged 132.

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)

Notes

References

* * * {{refend Dramatists and playwrights from Assam Writers from Assam Indian male poets Musicians from Assam Indian Hindu saints Ekasarana Dharma 1546 births 1678 deaths Hindu revivalists Scholars from Assam

Biography

Names

See also

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References