Jatin Goswami

Sattriya is the classical dance of Assam, born in its Vaishnava monasteries. Jatin Goswami has done more than most to bring it to stages across India. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Bhushan in the field of art, from Assam ^[1]. He had received the Padma Shri in 2008 ^[2].

Learning from the masters

Goswami was born on 2 August 1933 and first learned Sattriya culture from his father, himself a noted artist ^[2]. He trained under Maniram Dutta Muktiar and Roseswar Saikia Barbayan of the Kamalabari Sattra, and learned Assamese folk song, dance and Ankia Nat theatre under Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha ^[2].

Taking Sattriya to the stage

He was the first to present Ankia Nat on the modern stage, and the first to form a touring group for Sattriya dance and Ankia Nat ^[2]. With the Pragjyoti Kala Parishad, which he founded, he visited sattras and namghars across Assam to gather knowledge of their dances and dramas ^[2]. He later founded the Sattriya Akademi in Guwahati, and has composed many new Sattriya works ^[2].

He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004, Madhya Pradesh’s Kalidas Samman in 2017 and the Akademi’s highest honour, its fellowship, in 2019 ^[2].