Scenic surrounding, calm and peaceful life, Neo-Vaishnavite Satras, friendly natives all these are some frequented terms which occupied my mind when I think of Majuli Island. I jumped with joy and excitement when we plan to visit the island again. Though it is regarded as one of the largest fresh-water Island amidst mighty Brahmaputra River it has several attractions which are hard to miss. Here I list out all those attractions which you should cover on your visit to Majuli Island. Read how to spend a day in the world’s largest river island Majuli to spend a happening trip on the MAJULI ISLAND.
How to reach Majuli Island
Majuli Island is located in the middle of Brahmaputra River. It takes around 1 hr. to reach the island from the nearest port located in the Jorhat district of Assam. Jorhat is a small town located 300 km from Guwahati. Frequent buses are available from Guwahati to Jorhat. You can board a night super in the evening or a day super early morning to reach Jorhat. You can also communicate via trains moving between these two places. Jorhat also has an airport of its own so it is quite easy to reach from major cities of India.
You have to board a ferry to reach the island. From Jorhat town, it takes around 30 minutes to reach the ghat(port) from where ferries are available to Majuli island. The port (ghat) from where Ferries start is called “Nimati Ghat”.
Ferries are available all day to reach Majuli Island. But the best one is the gigantic Ro-Ro vessel ferry which was introduced in this route to make the journey more comfortable. Ro-Ro boat starts at 8: 30 AM in the morning and return at 3: 30 PM in the evening. It is closed on Sunday. It can accommodate up to 10 trucks and 25 small vehicles and more than 500 passengers at a time. All other ferries will carry around 50 passengers and 3 cars at a time. Sometimes you have to wait in the queue to board the ferry with your vehicle. We would like to advise you to start early so that you can beat the queue and comfortably take your vehicle. Since RO Ro ferry is not operational now several govt run ferry ply between Majuli to Nimtighat for transportation.
Jorhat To Majuli Ferry Fare: A ferry for the passenger will cost you Rs 20 and small vehicle cost Rs 715.
Boarding on an open ferry is an exciting and amazing experience. You can feel rejoicing standing in the top of the ferry and feel the cold wind blowing. The 60 min boat ride was itself a joyful experience.
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How to spend a day in Majuli
After reaching Majuli Island, it gradually became clear that the island is miles away from the hustle-bustle of the city and has a serene ambience that gives calmness to our minds. The island has several attractions which are difficult to cover in a single day. We sum up the best points you can cover on your day trip to Majuli.
Starting the day with a visit to the monastery and take blessing is considered very auspicious so we choose to visit the nearest satra(monastery) Kamalabari first. It is one of the largest and ancient satra.
Later we visit Garmur Satra another medieval and prime religious centre of Neo Vaishnavite culture. It houses a small museum which has a stupendous collection of ancient utensils, weapons, statues, books etc. Most of the items collected in the museum are 400 – 500 years old which wear used during Ahom kingdom. Most of the island’s cultural activities took place in these satras. In other words, it is the kernel of literature, classical studies, and art in Majuli.
Why Majuli island is known as the cultural cradle of Assam
It’s known by very few people that Neo Vaishnavite religion, a part of Hinduism is a unique culture and tradition followed by Assamese people. Established by Saint Sankardev it follows rich cultural significance – unique dance form, drama style, tons of prayer and divine music one of its kind. Majuli Island offers you a unique opportunity to acquaint with the Vaishnavite culture.
Unlike Buddhist monasteries, a unique place known as Satras were set up in Majuli Island by Saint Sankardev and his disciple during the 15th century to spread the Vaishnavite religion and culture. These monasteries were adopted by the Ahom kings later and make the principal centre to spread culture and education. There are around 30 living Satras are available in Majuli now. Though some of them have vanished and some are shifted to other places due to erosion in the Brahmaputra River. Visiting these culture centre are the first thing to spend a day in Majuli island.
Few worth visiting Satras in Majuli are Dakhinpat Satra, Auniati Satra, Kamalabari Satra, Garmur Satra and Samaguri Satra.
heirloom prayer book
Mask of Majuli
Another unique mask making art form known as the mask of Majuli is another must-sees here. Masks are made in a satra(workshop) named as Samaguri Satra, which was dedicated to making eco-friendly masks of Hindu mythological figures like Ravana, Hanuman, and more. The artisans were friendly and even ready to enact a small demo performance of a Ram Lila act. There were colourful small and large-sized masks in the satra.
Salmara village and unique pottery making craft
Next, we went to visit the Salmora village where for the first time, I enjoyed a hands-on experience of making pots! It seems strange that they do not make pots with the help of a potter’s wheel. Surely, such art of pottery is a unique heritage of Majuli. The friendly locals also offer you a lump of clay to try pottery making of your own.
Birds and birds everywhere
Majuli is another home to various local as well as migratory birds. You can spot many unseen birds in the wetland of Majuli Island. Next, we visit birding points to spot the avifauna variety of the island. The picturesque lakes and water hyacinth on top created the best hiding place for various swan as well as other birds like storks, egrets, and kingfishers etc.
Tribal villages and unique colourful dresses
Majuli island is inhabited by several tribes Mising, Bodo, Deuri, Assamese etc. Visiting Mising tribe’s village and watching their bamboo sloth house and a hard-working woman weaving their clothes is a vivid experience. If you like colourful garments you can also buy a traditional Mekhala Sador from one of the Mising women there.
Sunset point in Majuli
Before the day end and the last ferry starts to Jorhat don’t forget to watch an amazing sunset on a pristine sunset point. If you fall short of time to observe the sunset then don’t worry. You can still glimpse the eye-catching sunset from your boat in the Brahmaputra River.
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Best Time to visit Majuli
Though winter is considered as the best time to visit Majuli Island, however with the improving connectivity and construction of pitch roads inside the island you can visit the island any time of the year. Except for the rainy seasons, you can plan to visit Majuli at any time.
If you have a keen interest in culture then you must visit Raas Mahotsav in Majuli which was celebrated in all the Satras during the second week of November. Even November month is considered as the best time to visit Majuli in this month apart from Raas Mahotsav, Paal Nam festival also takes place. You can also enjoy the rehearsal of dance-drama(bhaona) for the upcoming Raas Festival.
Best Bamboo cottage in Majuli
If you are craving for a simple and tranquil stay amidst scenic setup then Majuli offers lots of comfortable stays at a reasonable rate. Several bamboo made cottages are available in Majuli which offers cosy stay with a delicious meal.
For me, the best bamboo cottages in Majuli are Me Po Okum, La Maison de Ananda, Okegiga home, Dekasang and Ygdrasill Bamboo Cottage, which are located in a peaceful and stunning location.
We decided to stay in the most discussed resort in Majuli – La Maison de Ananda. Which is frequented by most travellers and hosted by a super friendly missing guy named Manjit. But with our utter disappointed it was fully occupied in the day of our visit so we stayed in Me Po Okum Eco camp. The resort did not disappoint us with its majestic surrounding and stunning traditional food.
What should I eat?
Delicious and simple Rice-Dal and Sabji are the staple food of the locals. You can try smoked chicken and pork with traditional rice beer Apong which are available in most of the resorts. If you want to taste authentic local food then Ural Restaurant is the best option for you.
But this time when we visited instead of trying local foods, I feel my hunger pangs with some delicious Chinese cuisines which are available is a street food joint named KFC(Krishna Fried Chicken). It was not the big KFC food joint brand but it was a small street food stall which serves Finger-Lickin foods. So I can’t help but visit this place again and again and tested all the varieties of meals served there.
How to communicate within the island
The best way to enjoy the beauty of the island is to hire a cycle from Majuli cycle café or ask the owner of your resort to provide you with a bicycle or a scooty.
A scooty will cost Rs 300 per day and bicycle will cost Rs 200.
Various other autos, taxis are also available to communicate within the island. If you are planning for a day visit then hire a vehicle from Guwahati or Jorhat for your entire trip is the best option.
Few Random shots
That’s all for today! Hope it will clear your doubt on how to spend a day in Majuli. We tried to cover up all the best attractions you should include on your trip.
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