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Paper short abstract

This abstract will seek to study miraculous deeds in the context of the space of Ākāshigangā, the story associated with it which has been narrated in the caritas (hagiographies) and by the community over the years, and the making of Śaṅkaradeva.

Paper long abstract

How do we navigate through layers of mysticism, hagiographies and stories narrated amidst a community, and arrive at a historical understanding of a natural water body? How do we traverse through the labyrinth of these acts of miracles and read these stories as a historical source? This abstract will seek to study these questions in the context of the space of Ākāshigangā, the story associated with it which has been narrated in the caritas (hagiographies) and by the community over the years, and making of Śaṅkaradeva.

The Batadravā or the Bordowā thān is located in the Nagaon district of Assam, and holds special significance for the Neo-Vaiṣṇava community. The Ākashigangā lake is found adjacent to the holy place. The story mentioned in the caritas was also narrated to me by the satrādhikār (head of the satra). The space is thus an intersection of stories and knowledge which has been narrated over a period of time. This paper would foreground this narrative, and contextualise it in the broader contours of hagiographies, sacred spaces and knowledge production. It will be divided into two broad sections. The first section will explore Śaṅkaradeva and the act of bringing down Ākāshigangā as narrated in the hagiographies and by the community. The subsequent section will seek to answer the questions which had been posed in the beginning of this abstract, as well as how these miraculous stories can be used as a conduit to enhance our understanding of the spaces around us in the present times.