A Rendezvous with an Island: Majuli

I took a long break to travel to northeast India last December. While I had kept most of my itinerary unplanned, I was sure about visiting one place – Majuli. Travelling from Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, I reached North Lakhimpur from where I began my journey towards Majuli.

North Lakhimpur to Majuli isn't really the most popular route to travel. However, I had my own plans or rather, whims. I hitchhiked to reach Duliapathar where the mustard fields welcomed me. The clear blue sky provided a picture-perfect glory to the view that was in front of me.

A ferry was almost ready to leave for the other side. I made space for myself amongst the cars and bikes which were lined up on the ferry. In a few minutes, we were in Majuli.

The first view of Majuli filled me with amazement–tall grasses, cattle, and a different looking animal, much larger than a usual buffalo and greyish in colour–Mithoon, welcomed me. A jeep drove us from this wild territory to the centre of Majuli through sun-kissed villages covered in dense vegetation and mustard crops. Occasionally, a lake filled with lotuses and lilies would change the backdrop to brighten it up.

The jeep stopped before a bamboo bridge, and I got down. There were some bamboo shacks beside the river I stood. After some negotiation, they guided me to the other bank of the river where they had more shacks. I found a home here for myself for 800 bucks.

My stay wasn't a usual one. How often do you stay in a house made with nothing but just bamboo? The walls, the floor, the doors, everything was made of bamboo. Mesmerised by the craft, I observed how the locals without any formal engineering education had constructed these houses with such flair. After relaxing for a while, it was time for me to take a walk around Majuli. Fields of wildflowers put out a velvety carpet for me. The raw, untamed beauty of the villages invited me to explore more. It felt like a place where you can enjoy just being, not doing anything at all.

I asked the villagers if there was an eatery nearby. They guided me to Ural restaurant where I had a delicious Assamese thali which had brown rice, local fish curry, stir-fried radish, spinach and cucumber salad, cabbage curry, two different lentils and green chutney. Even though I have had Assamese cuisine in Delhi and Guwahati, nothing can match the authentic flavour of a dish which is made from the fresh ingredients at the place of its origin.

Towards the evening, I met some people from Israel who were on a month-long trip. They told me that they were enjoying their stay in this different part of India, far away from commercialisation, so close to the nature. They had extended their stay here to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of Majuli.

Further, I strolled towards the villages where I met children and women who invited me to their homes. The villages were very neat and carefully laid out. The courtyards were decorated with flowers and the people were ready for their daily evening gathering after herding the cattle. I know a few phrases in Assamese, and tried to have a conversation with the children and herders. They invited me to their village and offered me some fruits. I thanked them for the hospitality, and explored around, until the sun was about to set.

Around the street, a fresh catch of local fishes were being sold. In another make-shift shop, local fruits and vegetables such as kagazi lembu and gourds were on sale. I clicked some photographs of the market and the streams at dusk, and moved back to my stay. I had the dinner at my stay itself. The staff prepared a nice curry of chicken cooked with local spices and ghost chilli.

The next morning, I woke up early to catch the birds in action at the wetlands. It was a soothing experience to feel the island come alive with the morning rituals of the birds as well as the people.

After the breakfast, I found a bus to Kamalabari Satra. The Satra had some traditional artists preparing for a performance. From the store here, I bought a small japi (Assamese bamboo hat) as a souvenir.

It was time for me to take my journey further in the Northeast. I headed to Kamalabari Ghat from where I boarded a ferry towards Jorhat. This is the best journey of the entire trip where you take over an hour to ferry across Brahmaputra which is as wide as a sea, and has silver beaches at places.

In about 1.5 hours, the ferry reached at Nimati Ghat in Jorhat. I a goodbye to Majuli and set forth for our journey ahead.

Looking for more off-beat destinations to visit around the country? Check out Kitkat Travel Breaks on Tripoto here.

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