Majuli - The Cultural Capital of Assam

Majuli known as  the largest inhabited freshwater riverine island in the world. Literal meaning of Majuli or Madhyajuli is centre place or land locked between two rivers. It is believed that originally the area was a narrow piece of land called Majoli, in between two parallel rivers Brahmaputra and Burhidihing. Referral from the history books and reflected in folklore, there are mention of frequent earthquakes between 1661 - 1696 setting a stage for a catastrophic floods in 1750 AD which made river Brahmaputra flow into  the river Burhidihing  190 KM upstream and then confluence taking place downstream at Lakhu leading to formation of an island which is today's Majuli, It was  formation  of a fluvial land form or a Riverine delta, an unique geographical occurrence as a result of the dynamics of the vast river system. The island is a rich environmental hotspot harbouring a home to many a rare and endangered avifuana species including migratory birds.
There has been a confusion on actual area of the land in Majuli. The 1904  Survey of India records the area of the island as 734 Sq KM whereas the Revenue records of 1950 reflects 1245 Sq KM with the present area as 650 Sq KM. The erosion has bee progressively increasing from an average of 1.77 Sq KM per year from 1917 to 1972 to 6.42 Sq KM per year from 1996 to 2001 indicating  a gradual increase in the rate of erosion despite the consorted efforts of the Government. Fortunately the silting has assisted in reclaiming some amount of land.The ethnic groups of Mising, Kachari, Sonawal and Dewri constitute the majority of the one lac sixty seven thousand population. The four zilla parishads, twenty Gaon Panchayats form the India' s newest District. of Majuli. Fishing, agriculture and farming is the main stay of the people of Majuli. The lack of industries is a boon to Mother Nature providing us our dire need, lungs full of oxygen. The hubs of Majuli are Garamur, Bongaon Tinali and Kamalabari.
But all is not well for this God gifted river islet. The mighty Brahmaputra has vented all it's fury on this wonderful  place and year after year extensive soil erosion of the banks of Majuli has been taking place to an extent where the extinction of the island in due course will not be a surprise to many of us.
The question is why does such extensive erosion takes place at the river islet Majuli. A river natural tendency is to scour its bed during high floods and to deposit silt during low water periods  It is when the velocity of the stream reduces and the water level ebbs that the bank erosion occurs because the hydraulic gradient aids such erosion  leading the water  to develop silt hunger. The island of Majuli consist of fine grained sand and lacks cohesion and hence the erosion occur easily.The only way to negate the erosion  is to change the soil properties that is to make it more cohesive. Studies have been carried out all world over and procedures like high pressure cement grouting deep into the ground below the water level under pressure through a perforated steel pipes have been tried to combat erosion. This will require engineering expertise ,an enormous amount of funds and above all, a check and balance of utilisation of these resources and not the least the environmental impact of carrying out such massive work . But again untimely action will lead to extinction of the cultural capital of Assam.

Majuli island fascinated Srimanta Sankaradeva, a 16th century social reformer who happen to be the frontrunner   the movement of the medieval age of Neo Vaishnavite and preached  a monotheist form of Hinduism called Vaishnavism. In the context monasteries and hermitages known as Satras were established at the islet. The legacy continues and till  today also Majuli is known as the seat of Assamese culture and a centre of Vaishnavite cultural with thirty two Satras located here, some established a number of centuries ago like Bengenaati  (1626) Garmur (1650)  Auniati ( 1653) Dakshinpat ( 1662) Uttar Kamalabari ( 1673). The different Satras perform and maintain the teachings of Srimanta Sankardeva to this date, keeping alive dying customs and preserving their hermitage. Saint Sankaradeva created a centre of vibrant culture of devotion to Hindu  deity Krishna. A notable element of this devotional cult was the re-enactment of scenes from the life of Krishna all over the State of Assam recorded not only through Music, Dance and Drama  but also through woven textile imagery.  This created a forum to convey religious messages to villagers through entertainment. A significant form is the Bhaona where the Sutradhars recites the religious slokas and songs. The Gayans are the singers, The Bayans play the musical instruments  Khol  and Tal and the Bharoyias are the actors who enact  the Ankiya Nats plays. Today Majuli is in the forefront in carrying forward the culture and traditions of the age old theatrical entertainment of The Bhaona.
Another distinguished tradition of Majuli  is the celebrations of the Rash Lila  festival which is a four day annual  festival held in November. The island transforms into the abode of The Lord Krishna and other divinely figures dramatising  the life of Krishna receiving footfalls of hordes of Indian and foreign tourists from all over the world.
To enact the Ankiya Nats, Srimanta Sankardeva prepared mask alias Mukhas to portray the facial expressions of different characters with a combination of movements and gestures appropriate to the character inhabiting the performer bringing  to life a mythical concomitant

The tradition of making Mukhas continued in different Satras and Majuli have worldwide acclaimed in making exquisite ones and today the most famous among them is the Samaguri Satra. We were fortunate to meet in person Shri Hem Chandra Gosawami the Satradhar of Samaguri Satra who enlightened us the history of Mukhas of Majuli.

There are different types of masks covering different parts of the  body  like the Mukh  Mukha the face, the Mur Mukha the head and neck, the Bar Mukha or Cho Mukha the head to waist, the Lutukori Mukha which moves certain portions such as limbs or the mouth. These Mukhas cover a gamut of characters like divine, mythical,demons and kings and various other  sub human characters with some with zoomorphic forms. 

An endoskeleton of the mask is woven into a hexagonal pattern with strips of bamboo. Over it with cow dung, pith, cotton, clay the mask is given the desired shape of the character and finally the painting with  natural or  synthetic colours completes the Mask. The tradition.of making Mukhas  is handed over from generation  to generation and a need is there to preserve the dying art which has survived for more than a century. Workshops are held regularly to teach the art of mask making but takers are in small number as it may not be financially viable. It was heartening to know that the body mask of five headed serpent Demon Kaliya and Crane Demon Bakasura has been displayed recently under the theme Krishna in the Garden of Assam in the British Museum in London.

The town of Jorhat is well connected by Air, Rail and Road.Public transport to reach a Majuli is a ferry boat which ply every two hours during daytime from the ghats of Nimati around twelve KM from Jorhat in Assam.  The ferry carries the people their goods and their cars and two wheelers all in one. The journey from Nimati  Ghat to Majuli being down steam of the Brahmaputra takes an hour while the journey back takes just over two hours. During monsoons the steamer has take a detour due the probability of ferry getting stuck in the sedimentation formed in the river and takes a  longer time. In fact we saw a boat laden with goods stuck in the middle of the Brahmaputra. During nights and emergencies private boats are available at all times but at a cost. However we observed  a speed boat donated by Numaligarh Refinery Ltd under CSR schemes to take care of medical exigencies.

There is no jetty at both the shores so getting up and down from the boat  is stepping upon wooden planks and balancing your way to the bank. The saying goes that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Indeed for Majuli has just been connected by road to Dhakuakhana and Lakhhimpur with the introduction of regular buses service. The road is in deplorable condition but at least it's a new beginning which will influence the economy and a gift to the tourism sector of the river islet. Our  visit to Majuli was during the month of September and the Brahmaputra was very wide all swollen with the water scouring the silt making the water brownish.

We were told that the best time to take the ferry ride  in the Brahmaputra is in winters when the river is calm, the water turquoise blue and the migratory birds around makes a very scenic surrounds. As we stepped out of the boat, we were driven towards  the town of Majuli. Surprisingly there was not much activity on the water front unlike other places where the concentration of population is the maximum. The hubs of Majuli is at a five KM distance from the water front As we approached Kamalabari the surrounds were like any other country side  small town with narrow roads roads built at a considerable height, winding their way under the shade of bamboo trees. The houses were made from bamboo with thatched roofs and placed on a two feet pedestal as a protection for the water seeping in during the monsoons.

The environs were that of a wetland and green paddy fields all around with a group of Mising ladies trying their hand in fishing. The shimmering mat of glowing rice field and water meadows with blossomed hyacinth heightened the mesmerising view of this idyllic locale. The natives of the island were very cordial, hospitable and we were overwhelmed with their plainness.

We visited the Uttar  Kamalbari  and the Auniati Satra and got a first hand experience of their life in a Satra. As has always being the cornerstone of Assam's socio religious structure for nearly half a millennium one could feel the devotional fervour and the epitome of simplicity of the people of Majuli. 

It was the next day in the afternoon we stepped back into our boat and with a heavy heart left this veritable place of pilgrimage with the sun setting behind on the horizon of the mighty Brahmaputra which is both a hope and sorrow to the Majulians.