MAJULI - a picturesque watery idyll !!

Blog post Contributor: Ms Nikita Dherange

Flanked by the swirling waters of the mighty (male river) Brahmaputra, Majuli - country's first island district- looks peaceful and serene. But life here is unpredictable, as with every monsoon the roaring Brahmaputra takes great bites out of the island, swallowing many homes. The (once) 1,200 sq km riverine island ,it is barely 400 sq km now and surveys predict that it will disappear in another 20 years.

It's not just the homes that are at risk- Majuli is also well known for being the seat of Neo-Vaishnavite culture. Since the 15th century,the followers of Saint Srimanta Shankaradeva, who venerate God Vishnu, have been building monasteries/ Satras, here.

Majuli's rich ethnic and ecological diversity along with its cultural traditions make it a strong contender for inclusion in the 'Cultural Landscape' category of the UNESCO World Heritage list.

This blog aimed at sharing some of the beautiful pictures clicked on Majuli Island.

There we 21 students from Pune (Jnana Prabodhini) had gone to Arunachal Pradesh for conducting orientation programm and providing gidance to local students about Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission examination and UPSC. On our return journey, we were fortunate to visit Majuli Island and also meet our very own IPS officer (read this in typical “over proud” Maharashtrian tone!).

Mode of transport- the Majuli way!

Mustard fields and the rickety bridge- Native Ingenuity

Verrier Elwin calls these bridges as 'marvels of untutored engineering skills'

At the SP office, met Vaibhav Nimbalkar Sir. Enriching experience!!

With the Majuli’s District Collector, Pallav Gopal Jha Sir.

Entrance of Auniati Satra. The slightly elevated land of Majuli, where this Satra was established, was full of AUNI paan (a kind of betel creeper plant). ATI means elevated place. There from the name AUNIATI Satra came into being.

Auniati Satra, established in 1663 by the Ahom King Jayaddhaja Singha, it accomodates more than 400 bachelor monks

The idol of Lord Krishna called Govinda in the Manikuta , originally brought from Jagannath Kshetra,Puri (Odisha). The Satradhikar of Auniati Satra who resides near the temple premises.

Monks at the Satra 

The Samaguri Satra has practised the tradition of mask-making since the mid-17th century. It makes headgear for the RAASLEELA festival and for BHAONA, a style of vibrant street theatre from Assam

The island is home to a mix of communities- the Mishing tribe, the Deoris, the Sonowal Kacharis, the Ahoms, etc This is a Mishing tribe hutment.

Cottages on Stilts -Majuli homes are made from bamboo and placed at a height of about 2 feet from the ground in order to prevent water from seeping in during the monsoon flood.

Adios Amigos!!