Majuli is an island which is long at lender and its located between two parallel rivers one is being the Brahmaputra river and the other is Burhiding river. Initially the place was served as the capital for the Sutiya Kingdom but in between 1661 and 1696 years subsequent series of earthquake caused a huge flood which converted the whole region.
The Majuli Island which is located on the Brahmaputra river and unfortunately, the island is getting smaller by each day due to the erosion caused by the Brahmaputra river the island originally had covered in area as biggest 1500 square kilometer but unfortunately now it only holes and area of 352 square kilometer however the iron still holes place for around 160000 native. The Island is resident to various ethnic groups such as Deori, Sutiya, Ahom, Kalita, Brahmin, Sonowal Kacharis, Koch, Ahom, Brahmin, Mising and Sut.
The Majuli is a beautiful island which is home to many native and communities, who continue to live on the Majuli life in a very conservative manner, the beauty of Assam can be noticed through the natural scenery of the island which is untouched by modern industrialization.
The Majuli island is in a particular astonishing geographical area which amazes tourist as the island becomes a agriculture hub during the monsoon season as the rivers rise which take up a part of the island with it, while leaving behind fertile land making it in ideal location for growth of crops.
About Majuli life and Island
How to reach Majuli Island
Since, Majuli Island is not connected by any means of roads which means you cannot travel there by car or bike but you can definite take a fairy which Travels on a regular basis from Nemati Ghat to Kamalabhari Ghat. The nearest town which is located to the island is called Jorhat with is very well connected to the main city of Guwahati.
It is always best to check the ferry timings as they can change the timings due to weather or festive season. It is also good to note that the last ferry from Nemati Ghat is 4:00 p.m. while the last ferry from Kamalabhari Ghat 3:00 p.m.
You are also allowed to take your private car or bike with the help of the ferry but the only problem is the long line. The travel between the two Ghats usually take around 1 hour and in case if you don’t bring any vehicle with you. You can rent out a Scooty on the island which might cost you around 200 rupees for a day.
What to do on the Island?
There are various things to do on the the Majuli Island which make it more lively which include bird watching, Mask making and working around to the greenery of the agricultural land on the island. Let us go through on some of the activities which you can do on the island which is a part of everyday Majuli life:
Mask making
one of the most popular activities in the Majuli Island is to make mask because of the Mask making culture. The Island has become one of the most popular destination and has put itself as a famous point on the world map. The maps which are made are focused on various mythological variations stories which are played out during the festive seasons of the Indian culture. Some of the prominent masks which are made are masks of God avatars such as Hanuman and Narasimha, the cultural events which play the story various God avatars to portray the victory of good over evil and morals which are necessary to be in put in the human nature and growth.
where is tourist who visit the island are very inspired by The Mask making culture of the island therefore they can also opt to learn study how the mass are made they are workshops which are available for them. Mr. Hemchandra Goswami is the man who is very renowned for making mask culture in this Island world famous and he holds these workshops which is located at Nathan Samaguri Satra.
Bird Watching
With a green and lush landscape, the Majuli Island is home to various my migratory birds species which allow you to enjoy the bird watching activity throughout the island. They are various types of birds species which are available for you to spot on this Island which range from Kingfishers, egrets, open bill, black stork and various migratory birds such as eagles, falcons, sand-piper, spot-billed and Dalmatian pelicans, Brahminy kite, darter.
The Majuli landscape is also home to various jungle cats, jackals fox and otters. As per a research book it was also found out that the Majuli Island is home to 98 species which makeup its fauna for its vibrant and luses forest. There are few hotspots in the Mujuli river Island known for its hotspots you can see about more than 30000 birds which assemble here every year.
Boat Crafting
The island is also very well known for its boat crafting experience since the island is cultural centered in terms of Assamese civilization it Guards traditional way of crafting and other significant cultural items safely. The people of Majuli make the boat using a local wood known as the Hollong tree to make the ideal boat. The resident of the Majuli Island have been using this technique through past generations, since this extra ordinary feat is done through only hand-making without any usage of machinery equipment.
Certain equipment which they use in the making the boat includes chisels, hacksaws, and blades. Currently, the residents have shifted to using other wood such as Ajar, Ou Tenga , and Uriam due to an increase of soil erosion caused by deforestation.
Enjoy the island’s festival
The Island holds one of the grand festival called Ali aye Ligang festival in the month of februrary, for 5 days starting from the second Sunday and ending with the first Wednesday of the Falgun month.T his festival is is a tribute by farmers to devote themselves and appease the Gods of agriculture. During this festive season they serve various local dishes which includes meat such as chicken, fish and pork along with the traditional rice beer which is known as Apong. In this Grand festival you can also witness a local traditional Mising dance called Gumrag Soman which is performed to worship the idol of mother son and father moon for a good season of harvest.
the people of the island also celebrate a 3 day long festival known as Raas Mahotsav it is a tribute with show cases the life of Krishna it involves all the people of the island and various people from other backgrounds come to the island to witness this extraordinary occasion and celebrating it.
Conclusion
Majuli Island has been an epitome for the Assamese Civilization for very long time and is recognized for its cultural and traditional values. The river Island is not only celebrated for its back taking green beauty but also for its cultural heritage with roots going all the way back to the 15th century. The Majuli Life is a testimony to a harmonious existence of man and nature. the flora and fauna of the island is an extra ordinary existence in the ecosystem of North East India.
Majuli Island continuous to stand as a place of invigorating natural ambience and the beacon of Cultural abundance in North Eastern India it place a tribute to Assamese culture and its untouched biodiversity. It is also a significant part of tranquility for lovers of nature and and those who wish to emers themselves in our rich cultural landscape.
