Majuli

Majuli is a large island in the Brahmaputra, often described as the largest river island in the world, and it has been the centre of the Vaishnav satra tradition since Srimanta Sankardeva founded monasteries here in the sixteenth century; around twenty-two satras remain, communities of celibate or married monks who preserve dance, mask-making, manuscript painting and the borgeet song tradition. The mask makers of Samaguri satra are particularly known. The island is also disappearing: erosion has reduced its area by more than half since the early twentieth century, and villages are relocated regularly as the river cuts into the banks.

History

The land between the Dihing and the Brahmaputra, largely today's Majuli, was once part of the Chutia kingdom, until the Ahoms took it. In the first half of the 17th century the Ahom king Pratap Singha built a rampart on the island called Meragarh, and in 1776 King Lakshmi Singha wrote a grant naming "Majuli Pradesh" and its Kamalabari Satra; in 2016 Majuli became the first island in India to be made a district (Wikipedia, Majuli).

The main sights

• The satras - Vaishnav monastic communities with dance and music traditions.
• The mask making - Samaguri satra's bamboo and clay masks for drama.
• The Mising villages - stilt houses of the island's communities.
• The erosion - riverbanks visibly cutting into the island.

When to go

November to March for stable ferries and comfortable weather; Raas Mahotsav in November is the great festival. The monsoon floods large areas and ferries become unreliable.

Good to know

Ferries are crowded, weather-dependent and can be cancelled. Accommodation is basic bamboo cottages. Erosion means the island's geography changes and some places described in older guides no longer exist.

Nearby

Jorhat lies south across the river; Sivasagar is southeast.

Key facts