India, Dec. 30 -- Batadrava! This single word evokes a profound spiritual and emotional bond for Assam and the Assamese people. This sacred land is the birthplace of the great saint, reformer and cultural visionary Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva - the architect of our national consciousness. Among all poets of ancient Assam, it was he who first connected Assam to the broader civilisational landscape of India. In this context, Birinchi Kumar Barua had observed:

'The conception of India as our mother country was conceived by Sankardeva five centuries ago. He wanted the people to feel proud of being born in his holy country of Bharatvarsha, as India provides an immense opportunity for development of men's moral and spiritual potentialities....