Sattras
Sattras or Thans are monastic institutions consisting of a worship hall called namghar and headed by a ‘Sattradhikar’. These were created as part of Srimanta Sankaradeva’s neo-Vaishnavite reformist movement in the 16th century. As the saint-reformer travelled Assam to propagate his teachings, these Sattras were established as centres of religious, cultural and social reform. Bhakats (monks) were inducted into these centres. Today, there are some 900 Sattras in Assam.
