The 'Ekasarana Dharma', a Vaishnava devotional faith centred on the worship of Krishna, was founded in Assam by:

The "Ekasarana Dharma" ("religion of taking shelter in one"), a Vaishnava devotional faith centred on the worship of Krishna (Vishnu), was founded in Assam by Srimanta Sankardeva (1449-1568) in the 15th-16th century.

About Sankardeva:

• He was born in 1449 at Bordowa, in the Nagaon district of Assam.
• He was a saint, poet, playwright, musician, dancer and social reformer.
• He travelled across India on pilgrimage, and was influenced by the Bhakti movement.
• He returned to Assam and preached his new faith.

His teachings - Ekasarana Dharma:

• Devotion (bhakti) to one God, Krishna (Vishnu), alone; hence the name "ekasarana" (surrender to one).
• Rejection of idol worship (in its strict form) and of elaborate rituals and sacrifices.
• The chanting of God's name (naam-kirtan) and listening to the praises of God (shravan-kirtan).
• The equality of all devotees, regardless of caste.

NCERT on Sankardeva:

• NCERT notes that in the late 15th century, Sankaradeva emerged as one of the leading proponents of Vaishnavism in Assam.
• His teachings, often known as the "Bhagavati dharma" because they were based on the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana, focused on absolute surrender to the supreme deity, in this case Vishnu.
• He emphasised the need for naam kirtan, recitation of the names of the lord in sacred congregations of pious devotees.
• He also encouraged the establishment of satras or monasteries for the transmission of spiritual knowledge, and namghars or prayer halls.
• Many of these institutions and practices continue to flourish in the region.
• His major compositions include the "Kirtana-ghosha".

His cultural contributions:

• "Borgeet": devotional songs.
• "Ankiya Naat" and "Bhaona": one-act plays.
• "Sattriya" dance: developed in the satras; it is now one of the classical dances of India.
• He wrote in Assamese and Brajavali.

His successor:

Madhavdeva, his chief disciple, continued his work.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Chaitanya Mahaprabhu worked in Bengal and Odisha.
• ✗Madhavdeva was Sankardeva's disciple.
• ✗Ramananda preached in north India.