Barpeta Sattra Manuscript and Mural Art of Assam

Barpeta Sattra in Barpeta district of Assam is one of the great Vaishnavite monasteries (sattras) founded during the Bhakti movement under Sankardeva in the 16th century. The sattra tradition encompasses manuscript illustration (on sanchi — bark of the aquilaria tree), mural painting on sattra walls, and the making of satriya dance costumes and masks. Barpeta Sattra manuscripts depict scenes from the Bhagavata Purana in a distinctive Assamese visual style with elongated figures in flat mineral pigments — red, yellow, green, and black. The tradition of painting on sanchi bark is unique to Assam. Contemporary artisans trained at the sattra produce reproductions for cultural institutions and collectors. The Assam government has promoted sattra visual arts under handloom and cultural heritage programmes.