The Prayer Hall of Assam What Is A Namghar? Namghor literally means The House of Names. It is a simple structure where the Vaishnavite Hindus of Assam recite the name of God. Namghors were introduced in Assam by the Vaishnavite saint Sankara Deva (1449-1569). He was the first of the religious reformers of Assam in the Middle Ages. The General Organization of A Namghor Namghors, primarily have two major spaces, the Monikut (the sanctuary) and the assembly space. The direction of the principal axis of the Namghor is always in the East-West direction. The Xinhaaxon or the altar is placed at the East facing West. Devotees sit facing the Xinhaaxon towards East. The Monikut shelters the Xinhaaxon. The devotees pray in the assembly space of the Naamghor. The Namghor's architecture reflects its usage pattern, Assam's climatic conditions, and the indigenous building materials. There are Namghors in most Hindu villages in Assam. In some areas such as Nagaon district, there is at least on...
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