The Guwahati Getaway - Nameri Sanctuary & Reserve Forest

Guwahati,  a gateway of the North East has become like any other metropolis of India, the maddening crowd, snarling traffic, the lovely Assam type bungalows been razed to build modern apartments, average road coverage of the city going down with each passing year as cars are added and no new roads in sight. Guwahatians happiness knew no bounds when it found its name among the smart city list of India but the plans are yet to take off from the drawing boards.  Pressures are mounting each passing day and the stress is slowly creeping into the otherwise laid back life of the citizens. Decades ago thoughts never came to our mind of looking for a getaway from Guwahati, but today everyone from young to old yearns for one. Here again, Guwahatians are fortunate to have a number of destinations as getaways and each one of them is truly God gifted and one of the many is Nameri Sanctuary and Reserve Forest.

Nameri National Park  is located 225 KM from Guwahati, covering area of 200 sqKM,  in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in the Sonitpur District of Assam. The Park was declared a Reserve Forest in 1978 and a sanctuary in 1985. The breath taking natural beauty and dense flora and fauna is a delight for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. The Park is a home to more than 30 species of fauna along with substantial population of elephants tigers, clouded leopards and barking deer. It is known as the last home to the white winged wood duck with a belief that only 150 odd pairs remain of this highly endangered species.   The amazing richness of natural wealth, exotic orchids, dense evergreen forest has made this for the tourist a must visit destination in Assam.  

Jia Bhoroli River which cuts across the Nameri Forest Reserve sharing its northern border with Pakhul Wildlife Sanctuary of the State of Arunachal Pradesh. The river originates as Kameng river from the glacier lake below the snow capped Goth Chen mountains, flows through the Bhalukpong, Arunachal Pradesh and Sonitpur District in Assam as Jia Bhoroli and joins the Brahmaputra near Tezpur just east of Kolia Bhamura Setu. Several splitting channels of the river, which are fast flowing and deep,  meets downstream leading  to formation of some of the excellent spots for casting the angling line. It is the home of the endangered fish ,The Golden Mahseer, known as the tiger of the Himalayan River and the most sought after game for the anglers around the world. As the story goes, three decades back a group of anglers discovered the rich bounty in Jia Bhoroli. Frequent angling adventures lead to starting the Bhoroli Angling camp which in course of time morphed into Nameri Eco Camp. Today, hundreds of anglers from different countries around the world flock here to try their luck. The biggest catch recorded of the golden mahseer was recorded in 1997 scaled 23.5 Kg. Government of Assam is putting its best foot forward to regulate the fishing of golden mahseer, i.e the catch is to be reported and then released but clandestinely catching of the endangered fish continues in various stretched of the river.  

The Nameri Eco Camp organizes water rafting between the months of November to April. The rapid, rugged and rough water flow of the Jia Bhoroli makes its ideal for water rafting. Accommodation is in tents, thatched roof shelters and cottages, a epitome of eco living. One can go bird watching, trekking, river rafting or just relax and let the environs soak in. Nature treks are organized by forest authorities accompanied by forest guards through thick jungles and river beds. Community bonfire is the order of winter evenings. 

Permission to raft is to be obtained from the Forest department at Nameri. We were driven in four wheel drive vehicles along with  inflatable rubber dinghy upstream of River Jia Bhorali. Life jackets were provided to each one of us. The heart seems to be in the mouth as we stepped into the dinghy which started moving gingerly on the water of Jia Bhorali. It takes a bit of time for the confidence to build up on the two persons rowing the boat who otherwise are skilfull in  manoeuvring dinghy over the water.

 As time goes by, the ride becomes enjoyable, simply letting us soak in the peaceful panorama, the scenic view on both side of the river is breathtaking, every piece of land befitting to be a spot for a picnic. As we raft, we can watch the locals busy in community fishing along the banks of Jia Bhoroli. 

The boat ride took us a couple of hours and as we were about to reach our destination. We could sight the boat riding in front of us cutting across the river and docking on the banks. Our rows men followed on the same trail but I think took a sharper turn, in the process missed the target for docking the boat at the bank. Suddenly we found the boat to move precariously and move along the downstream current of the river. One of the row men step into the swollen river and attempted to steady the boat. In the meantime the people on the bank moved along the banks of Jia Bhorali, a rope was arranged, the second rows man tied the rope to the boat and the people on the bank started to pull the dinghy upstream. It was with a sigh a relief for four of us as we stepped into the banks of the river. The strong current of River Jai Bhoroli could easily take us to Tezpur to join the Brahmaputra or may be even to the ghats of Guwahati. All said and done, it was a near miss accident and we were sheer lucky to survive. 

Overall it was relaxing and a tranquil experience, an unforgettable voyage down the beautiful Brahmaputra tributary. It was a time well spent with nature and serenity nestled amidst beautiful wilderness.  

Today, The Nameri Sanctuary The Kaziranga sanctuary and The River island Majuli  has indeed developed into the magic triangle of Assam for the wanderlust.