The Asam Sahitya Sabha, the state’s most venerable literary and cultural institution, celebrated its 108th Foundation Day on December 27, 2025  in Dibrugarh, with literary events and felicitation of writers and cultural contributors.

Historical Roots and Evolution 

• • It is the oldest literary and cultural organisation of Assam, established in 1917 in Sivasagar. 
  • The Sabha was formed through the merger of two Kolkata-based pioneering bodies: the Asamiya Bhasa Unnati Sadhini Sabha and the Assamese Literary Society.
  • The inaugural conference of the Sabha took place on December 26th, 1917. It was earlier organised under the name “Sodou Axom Sahitya Sanmilani.” 
  • It was registered as “Axom sahitya Sabha” in May of 1924, and the formal name changed from its initial title in 1944.
  • Padmanath Gohain Baruah served as the first President, while Sarat Chandra Goswami was the first Secretary.

• Nalinibala Devi was the first woman president (1954) of Sabha.

• The Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan in Jorhat serves as the permanent headquarters. 
  • This heritage building was donated by philanthropist Radhakanta Handique in memory of his son.
• The sabha has 9 regional offices across Assam, 7 branches outside Assam in and 3 branches abroad.

Modern Leadership and Recognitions 

• Recently, Basanta Kumar Goswami was elected as the new President of the Asom Sahitya Sabha, succeeding Dr. Surjya Hazarika. 
• The Sabha continues to be a “living regulator” of the Assamese language, recently pushing for a distinct digital identity for the Assamese script in Unicode standards.

Key Achievements & Symbols:

• In 1931, the Sabha conferred the title “Rasaraj” (King of Humor/Sentiments) upon the doyen of Assamese literature, Lakshminath Bezbarua.
• The iconic logo, symbolizing the unity of Assamese culture, was designed by Jugal Das in 1960.
• The Asam Sahitya Sabha Patrika, first published in 1927, remains a crucial research journal for regional history and linguistics.
• The official song of the Asom Sahitya Sabha “Siro Senehi Mur Bhasha Jononi” was penned by Mitradev Mahanta.
• This anthem was formally adopted as the organization’s official song in 2014 and is performed at the commencement of every session to invoke a sense of unity.

Key facts for prelims

• Founded: 1917

• Nature: Literary–cultural organisation
• Headquarters: Jorhat

Exam Hook: Prelims Question

Q. With reference to the Asam Sahitya Sabha, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It originated from the merger of Kolkata-based bodies like the Asamiya Bhasa Unnati Sadhini Sabha.
2. The title of “Rasaraj” was conferred upon Lakshminath Bezbarua by this organization in 1931.
3. The organization’s headquarters is located at the Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan in Jorhat.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

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