Bargit — Srimanta Sankardev (মই এতিয়া যাবলৈ নাপাৱ)

Bargit (literally 'excellent song' — বৰগীত) is the sacred musical form created by Srimanta Sankardev (1449–1568 CE), the towering saint-scholar-playwright-composer of Assam who single-handedly transformed the spiritual landscape of Northeast India. Sankardev founded the Eka-Sharana Naam-Dharma movement — a monotheistic Vaishnavite tradition that teaches devotion to a single God (Vishnu/Krishna) without idol worship, caste discrimination, or priestly intermediaries. The Naamghar (prayer house) he established became the center of Assamese village life, replacing both temples and hierarchical ritual with communal singing, Naam-Kirtan, and Borgeet performances. Bargit compositions are not ordinary devotional songs — they are carefully crafted in classical ragas from Hindustani and Carnatic traditions (including Raga Bhairavi, Bhatiyali, and Kedara) and use Brajavali (a literary dialect combining Sanskrit, Assamese, Maithili, and Braj Bhasha). Each Bargit has a specific meter, raga, and spiritual theme. Sankardev composed 240 Bargit in his lifetime; his disciple Madhavdev added more. The Bargit tradition has UNESCO recognition as intangible cultural heritage of Assam.