Satriya Dance or Satriya Nritya of Assam

Satriya, one among the eight Classical dance forms in India has its origin from the north eastern state of India, Assam. Satriya Nritya was introduced by Srimanta Sankardev, an Assaamese Vaishavite saint to propagate their religion. Sankardeva created Satriya Nritya as an accompaniment to the Ankiya Naat (a form of Assamese one-act plays devised by him), which were usually performed in the sattras (Assam's monasteries).

This classical dance form has its origin in the island of Majuli (the largest riverine island in world and largest freshwater island in Asia), situated in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputra River in Assam. This dance form has three parts - Guru vandana, Ramdani and Geet abhinaya. Guru vandana and Ramdani is performed without any music remain immune to the modern-day invasions. The geet abhinaya is based on the childhood tales of Lord Krishna.

An annual Satriya Dance festival is organized in Guwahati during winter (November- February). Satriya represents the culture and tradition of not just the inhabitants of Majuli but the entire region of Assam.