Majuli

A village in Majuli

A Deori Community Women weaving Gamusa

From Kamalabari

Kamalabari Satra

The population of Majuli comprises the scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, and the non-tribal caste Hindu Assamese. The indigenous ST/SC communities include the Misings, the Deoris, the Kaibartas and the Sonowal Kacharis. The non-tribal caste Hindu Assamese communities include Koch, Kalitas, Ahoms, Sutiyas, Yogis, etc. The Mising community has the largest population in the island who immigrated from Arunachal Pradesh to Majuli centuries ago along with the Deori, Kaibarta and Sonowal Kacharis. Languages spoken are Mising, Assamese, and Deori. The island has 144 villages with a population of over 150,000 and a density of 300 individuals per square km.

Ferry service which operates six times a day connects Majuli to Jorhat city. Night super buses ply from Guwahti to Majuli via Lakhimpur. Despite inherent drawbacks faced, modernism has touched this island, with the setting up of medical centers and educational institutions. Housing, too, has segued from traditional bamboo and mud construction to ones made of concrete.

Gayan Bayan in Majuli

Raas leela in Majuli

The festival of Ali aye ligang is celebrated during mid-February with great pomp and show. It is celebrated for five days starting from the second Wednesday of February till the next week (first Wednesday of fagun month ) Local dishes like purang apin (rice wrapped in special leaves), apong (rice beer) and dishes made of pork, fish, and chickens are served. Traditional Mising dance Gumrag Soman is performed in every village worshiping the almighty Donyi polo (mother sun and father moon) asking for good year of harvest.

Other festivals like Christmas is celebrated by the majority Christians of Mising tribe in upper Majuli where Jengraimukh village is the epicentre of Christians. Majuli has been the cultural capital and the cradle of Assamese civilization for the past 500 years. The satras set up preserve antiques like weapons, utensils, jewellery and other items of cultural significance. Pottery is made in Mājuli from beaten clay and burnt in driftwood fired kilns in the same mode carried out by the peoples of the ancient Harappan Civilisation. Sociologists have stressed the preservation of these unique peoples, whose culture and dance forms are untouched by modernism. The hand-loom work of these tribes is internationally famous.

Virtually every person on the island is involved in the three-day long raas festival, depicting the life of Krishna. People from hundreds of kilometers away come to celebrate this festival including a number of expatriate members of community. The satras have honed certain art and craft traditions, which can now be found only here. In Natun Samuguri Satra for example, one can still find the craft of mask-making; and in the Kamalabari Satra the finest boats are made.

The island has been the hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture, initiated around the 15th century by the revered Assamese saint Srimanta Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavdeva. Many Satras or monasteries constructed by the saint still survive and represent the colourful Assamese culture. The saint took refuge in Mājuli and spent a couple of months at Belguri in West Mājuli, which was a place of grandeur for the historic and auspicious event known as 'Manikanchan Sanjog'; when Sankardeva met Madhavdeva for the first time. Sankardeva established the first satra in Belguri, Mājuli. After the "Manikanchan Sanjog", sixty-five satras were set up. However, today only twenty-two of the original sixty-five are operational. Sixty-five out of the six hundred and sixty-five original satras in Assam were situated in Mājuli.

The main surviving Satras (Satra) are:

During Rass Mahotsav, artists perform Bhawna wearing masks.

• Dakhinpat Satra: Founded by Banamalidev, a supporter of Raasleela, which is now observed as one of the National Festivals of Assam.
• Garamur Satra: This "Satra" was founded by Lakshmikantadeva. There are two Garamur Satra 1.Garamur bor Satra and 2.Garamur saru satra During the end of autumn, the traditional Raasleela is enacted with pomp and celebrations. Ancient weapons called "Bartop" or cannons are preserved here.
• Auniati Satra: Founded by Niranjan Pathakdeva, the satra is famous for the "Paalnaam" and Apsara Dances and also its extensive assortment of ancient Assamese artefacts, utensils, jewellery and handicrafts. It also has a hundred and twenty-five disciples and over seven hundred thousand followers worldwide.
• Kamalabari Satra: The Kamalabari Satra, founded by Bedulapadma Ata, is a centre of art, cultural, literature and classical studies on the island. Its branch the Uttar Kamalabari Satra has performed cultural programmes of the Satria Art all around the country and abroad.
• Narashingha Satra: In the year of 1746 Shri Shri Alengi Narasingha Satra was established by Ahom King Promottra Singha.
• Benegenaati Satra: It is a reliquary of antiques of cultural importance and an advanced centre of performing art. Muraridev, the grandson of Sankaradeva's stepmother was the founder of the Satra. The royal raiment belongs to the Ahom king Swargadeo Godadhar Singha, is made of gold. Also preserved is the royal umbrella made in gold.
• Shamaguri Satra: The satra is famous for the mask making in India.
• Bihimpur satra Satra: These satras are the treasure house of "Borgeet" Matiakhara, Satriya Dances (Jumora Dance, Chali Dance, Notua Dance, Nande Vringee, Sutradhar, Ozapali, Apsara Dance, Satria Krishna Dance, and Dasavater Dance), all promulgated by Srimanta Sankardeva. It has become a center for shuddhi in the Northeast of India, due to the efforts of Pitambar Deva Goswami.

The main industry is agriculture, with paddy being the chief crop. Mājuli has a rich and diverse agricultural tradition, with as many as 100 varieties of rice grown. Fishing is also among the main industry after agriculture. Among the fascinating arrays of rice produced are the Komal Saul, a unique type that can be eaten after immersing the grains in warm water for 15 minutes and usually eaten as a breakfast cereal; the bao dhan, that grows underwater and is harvested after ten months; and the Bora saul, a sticky brown rice used to make the traditional cake with fish is known as pitha. Fishing, dairying, pottery, handloom and boat-making are other important economic activities.[16]

Jengraimukh

Handloom is a major occupation among the distaff population of the villages. Although largely a non-commercial occupation, it keeps many of the inhabitants occupied. Weaving is exquisite and intricate with the use of a variety of colours and textures of cotton and silk, especially Muga silk. On 4 November 2017, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 647 schemes with a total financial outlay of Rs. 246 million to boost Majuli's development.

There are following higher learning institutions:

• Majuli University of Culture
• Majuli College Kamalabari
• Jengraimukh College, Jengraimukh
• Ujoi Majuli Kini Kherkotia Mahavidyalaya, Nayabazar
• Rangachahi College
• Pub Majuli College, Bongoan
• Garamur college, Garamur

A view of Majuli

Falgu Rath Yatra

Majuli – A paradise for bird watchers

Mājuli is 20 km from Jorhat. One can take the bus or a hired taxi to the Nimati Steamer Ghat from where ferry services ply. The distance takes over three hours to cover, with three bus rides and two ferry rides.

On the north bank is the river Subansiri and on the south bank, the mighty Brahmaputra has exited the island from the mainland. Lakhimpur town is to the north and Golaghat is to its southwest. The town of Sibsagar is on the southeast and Jorhat is to the south. On the extreme east is Dibrugarh District.

• The Vaishnava Satras founded by Sankardeva
• The colourful culture of the tribes
• Migratory birds
• The Ali-ai-ligang festival in Feb–March
• Pottery making
• Mask making
• Paal Namm festival in the end of winter
• Folgu Utsav (Holi)
• Madhya Majuli
• Namoni Majuli
• Ujoni Majuli
• Homespun masks crafts
• Porag Utsav
• Handmade Mekhla Chadar

The southern part of the island is a bird lover's paradise. The best time to visit is between November and March as the weather and wildlife view is satisfactory. There are three locales for birdwatching:

• The southeast of the island
• The southwest of the island
• The northern part
  • Sakuli Beel, near Kamalabari
  • Magurmari Beel, Dakhinpaat Satra
  • Verki Beel, near Kamalabari

Majuli Port has a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry service with 2 low draft vessels operated on National Waterway 2 (NW2) by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAR) with capacity of 200 passenger, 4 cars and 2 trucks. Foundation stone has been laid on 18 February 2021 for the two-lane bridge on the Brahmaputra between Majuli (North Bank) and Jorhat (South Bank) that will connect Neematighat (on Jorhat side) and Kamalabari (on Majuli side).[17]

Majuli island played a pivotal role in the literary landscape of Assam. Literary doyen, Neo Vaishnavite preacher Madhavdev met his guru Shankar Dev, the founder of Neo Vaishnavism in the island which is termed as "Mani Kanchan Sanjog". Madhavdev enriched Assamese literature with Namghosa, Borgeet and Bhatima, etc. Following the footsteps of the Vaishnavite leaders Satra institutions encouraged writing of plays and devotional songs. Second Assamese newspaper Asom Bilasini was published from Majuli in 1871 which played an active role in introducing blank verse in Assamese poetry. Majuli gave birth to a host of literary luminaries that includes well-renowned writers like Dhruba Jyoti Borah, poet and critic Rajib Borah, bilingual critic and writer Bhaskar Jyoti Nath, Juri Borah Borgohain, Deba Bhusan Borah, historian Dambarudhar Nath, novelist Gobin Khound, and poet Danny Gam. The island is very rich in the realm of art and literature which has significantly contributed to Assamese literature.[18][19][20][21]