Guwahati: Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, at a ceremony held at Janata Bhawan, formally granted one-time financial assistance of ₹10,000 each to 6,124 Namghoriyas and 2,148 purohits (priests) of the State as part of the Government of Assam’s promise of financial support to the covid-hit population of the State. Owing to the vast number of beneficiaries of the initiative, ten purohits and ten Namghoriyas were symbolically handed over the cheques of ₹10,000 each at Janata Bhawan. The remaining beneficiaries were provided with the amount through bank transfer to their respective accounts.
At the event, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Government had taken this initiative. They were owing to the difficulties the purohits and the namghoriyas had to face during the Covid peak when temples and monasteries were shut down to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus among the State’s population.
The Chief Minister said the neo-Vaishnavite monasteries and temples don’t merely play spiritual and religious roles in the day-to-day lives of the people of Assam but also have cultural significance. Citing the Ojapali performance during Durga Puja, the Chief Minister said there was a thin line of differentiation between religious rituals and cultural observances in Assam. He added that Assamese culture and identity are incomplete without “Naam Kirtan”, though theoretically, it can be a religious ritual.
The Chief Minister added that on January 1, 2023, the Government, in a function to be held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Auditorium, would formally accept the responsibility of preserving the residence of Pratima Pandey Baruah as a heritage structure from her family members.
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