Majuli: Island in the River
The largest fresh-water river island in the world, Majuli is situated in the middle of the Brahmaputra, India's most tempestuous river. Less than twenty five kilometres from Jorhat as the crow flies, the distance takes over three hours to cover, with three bus rides and two ferry rides to get there.
Krishna is supposed to have played with his consorts here. Though thousands of miles distant from Vrindavan, one only has to visit Majuli during the Ras-purnima in the month of Kartik to experience this. Virtually every single person on the island is involved in the three-day long ras festival, depicting the life of Krishna. Every village hosts its own, and people who have left Majuli return to take part in the song, dance, theatre and merriment. And the language that is used is Brijabali, the tongue of Mathura. In this modern television plastic age, the notion of entertainment from an essentially religious-spiritual form seems strange, and antiquated. Perhaps such performances might attract a curious few in other places, but in Majuli, the days of bhaona and ras are special, with thousands turing out all over the island to watch and experience. Even when the ras is not there, one can look out at the green expanses, and the cattle grazing, listen to the song of the birds and the flute of the shepherd, and for a moment get carried back in time..
Although the origins of Majuli may be uncertain, it is known for a fact that the social reformer Sankardeb visited the island in the early sixteenth century. Sankardeb propogated a form of Vaishnavism that was simpler and more accessible than the ritualistic Hinduism of the time. His approach was rooted in faith and prayer, and stressed on the cultural aspects of life and living. There was no idol worship or sacrifices - instead, he developed the dance drama forms of the bhaona and ankiya-nat, theatrical depictions of the triumph of good over evil, using as material the Bhagawat which he himself had written. Sankardeb had spent ten years as a mendicant itinerant traveller, visiting all the great pilgrimage sites in the country, to learn from them. Perhaps it is because of this that people from all over are able to relate to it.
Sankardeb established satras or monasteries on Majuli, to nurture this philosophy and practice of life. In its heyday, there were sixty five satras, each with hundreds of bhakats or disciples, and several thousand followers all over the state. Even today some retain this position. The Satra at Auniati, for instance, has even today a hundred and twenty five disciples, and over seven hundred thousand followers. The satras take in young boys and groom them. The daily routine includes working in the fields, tending cattle, prayer, discussion and study. The satras have also nurtured certain art and craft traditions, which can now be found only here. In Natun Samugri satra for instance, one can still find the craft of mask-making; Kamlabari satra still makes the finest boats.
This cultural ambience is not confined to the satras alone. Every village on the island, whether tribal or non-tribal, has assimilated these traditions in daily life. The central point of all villages is the "e;namghar"e;, where periodically people gather to sing and pray. It is more than a temple - it is a sacrosanct meeting place as well. Usually after the sessions of reading and discussion, the members will get together to decide on matters concerning the village - how much to auction the fishing rights for, what to do with the money that is raised, and many other issues of importance to the community.
In this day of individualism, Majuli still preserves the notion of the community. Among the majority Mising community, who migrated from the Arunachal hills many generations ago, traditions of ali-ay-ligang (the harvest festival) are still preserved, and different ethnicities have been living together peacefully for generations.
The main occupation of the people is agriculture. Majuli has a rich and diverse agricultural tradition, growing as many as a hundred different varieties of rice, all without any kind of artificial fertiliser or pesticide. Though productivity is low, most people manage to produce enough for their own needs, depending little on the market. Among the interesting varieties of rice produced are koomol saool, a rice that can be eaten just after immersing in warm water for fifteen minutes or so, like a breakfast cereal - bao dhan, that stays under water, and is harrvested after ten months; bora, a sticky brown rice that is used to make the traditional peetha, a sweet made during the spring festival of Bihu. Other than agriculture, fishing and dairying are major occupations in Majuli.
Just as food is produced and consumed by themselves, so also the cloth that they weave : exquisite varieties and textures of silk and cotton. Every woman on the island, whether Mising or non-tribal, is an expert weaver, though like the agriculture, this is non-commercial, mostly just for the home.
Being a wetland, Majuli is a biodiversity hotspot for flora and fauna, sheltering many rare and endangered species of birds. Among the birds you can see here are the Greater Adjutant Stork; as also the Whistling Teal.
