‘To reach God all you have to do is to utter his name’ – this is a simple yet very powerful philosophy to seek divinity in a living tradition of Assam. And Srimanta Shankardeva, the 16th century saint-reformer of Assam was the founder of this tradition. His teaching ‘Ekasarana Dharma’ still echoes in serenity across the numerous Satras (monasteries) and Naamghars (community prayer halls) of this land. In Namghars, people not only sit and recite the name of Lord Krishna, but also use it as a community theatre, village court and afternoon meeting place for women.
The preaching initiated by the Great reformer of Assam, Srimanta Sankardeva, are practiced widely across the State in two unique institutions – the Satras and the Namghars, both of which are deeply associated with the social, cultural as well as religious life of the Assamese society. The Satra institution is one of the most distinguishing feature of Assamese Neo-Vaisnavism Cult. The Satra, literally meaning ‘holy areas’, is a network of decentralized monasteries each headed by a Guru (teacher) designated as the Satradhikar. The Namghars which are found across the State of Assam are an ‘extended wing’ or a ‘miniature replica’ of the Satra institution.
The Bhowana performances in the Satras and Namghars of Assam simply transport a visitor into a transcendental state of peace, with stories about Lord Krishna, Vishnu, Rama and other related Gods becoming almost real-life in the central stage on the ground around which sits the audience. Assam has over 500 big and small Satras, the most important of them being located at Nagaon, Majuli and Barpeta in Assam.
1| The Bordowa Satra at Nagaon ~ Awesome Assam
Srimanta Shankardeva, who had spearheaded the Neo-Vaishnava Bhakti movement in Assam and its neighborhood, was the harbinger of an extra-ordinary resurgence in the life of this region. The movement had sample ramifications – spiritual, social, cultural, literacy and artistic. Saint and visionary, poet and dramatist, musician and painter – Srimanta Sankardeva was a many-splendored personality. Ably and enthusiastically assisted by his equally gifted spiritual heir Madhavdeva, Sankardeva galvanized the diverse ethnic elements of the society into a unified and inspired mass with the lofty ideal of service to God through service to humanity. The Sankardeva movement broke down the irrational barriers of caste, creed and ritualism, and brought the newly emergent society into close touch with the finest spiritual and cultural values that have been the hallmarks of the Indian Civilization.
It was largely due to the deep and pervasive influence of the teachings of Srimanta Sankardeva that the Assamese society had come to acquire certain outstanding traits that still mark it out from those of most parts of India.
The Bordowa Satra in the present Nagaon district of Assam was founded by Srimanta Sankaradeva. It is named as SRI SRI BATADRAVA THAN. Srimanta Sankaradeva set up the first ever Kirtanghar here in 1468. The importance of this place is also derived from the fact that the Religious Guru was born at Alipukhuri – Bordowa in 1449. After returning from his 12 year long pilgrimage in 1493, he started preaching his Vaishnavite religious ideas here regularly and systematically. His ideas were based on Bhagavata Purana.
The Bordowa Satra is the first Satra set up by Srimanta Sankaradeva for propagation of EKA SARANA NAMA DHARMA founded by him. He also built the ‘Monikut’ together with Kirtanghar or Namghar and the ‘Cari-Hati’ (four clusters of quarters) for accommodation of his disciples. This full-fledged Than complex came up in 1509. Simhasana or Guru Asana (the Altar of God) was placed in the Monikut with the holy scripture ‘Bhagavata’ on it without any idol.
Srimanta Sankaradeva used to practice his religious activities everyday at the Kirtanghar along with his follower devotees. His religion EKA SARANA NAMA DHARMA is very simple. There is no unnecessary ritual in his order. Srimanta Sankaradeva advocated ‘EKA DEVA, EKA SEVA, EKA BINEY NAHI KEWA’, which means one should worship none but one God, who is Lord Krishna. Bordowa became the center of his religious activities. As such, Batadrava has been regarded as the Dvitiya Vaikuntha (second heaven). Srimanta Sankaradeva used to write scriptures sitting below one Shilikha (Myrobalan) tree near the Kirtanghar. That tree is still alive even after over six hundred years, which is a wonder. Devotees from all over the world come here to see this sacred tree also.
Srimanta Sankaradeva left Bordowa in 1516 along with his followers consequent upon incessant conflicts between his kinsmen and some other people. He spent the remaining half of his life in Rowta, Gangmow,Dhuwahata, Patbausi, Kochbehar etc. Later his grandson Chaturbhuj’s wife Kanaklata rediscovered the Bordowa Satra with the help of the Ahom and Tiwa people. She restored the Than to the previous glory.
2| The Barpeta Satra at Barpeta ~ Awesome Assam
Established by Assamese Vaishnavite monasteries, the ‘Satras’ are Institutional Centers that propagate Neo Vaishnavism across the State of Assam. An initiative of the Kings of the Ahom Dynasty, these ‘Satras’ house hundreds of celibate and non-celibate ‘Bhokots’ (Monks), hold vast lands and are repositories of religious and cultural relics and artifacts.
Out of the several ‘Satras’ spread across Assam, we have already mentioned about one the most noteworthy ‘the Auniati Satra’ of the river Island of Majuli and its main branch at North Guwahati. In this chapter we bring forth to you another important ‘Satra’ of Assam – the ‘Barpeta Satra’
Established in 1583 AD by the disciple of Sri Sri Srimanta Shankardeva, Sri Sri Madhavdeva the ‘Barpeta Satra’ is located on the quaint town of Barpeta at Barpeta District in Lower Assam. Sri Sri Madhav Deva founded the ‘Barpeta Satra’ five hundred years (500) years back and stayed here for eight (8) long years, where he wrote some of his best known literature’s. For taking his responsibility as a disciple of Sri Srimanta Sankardev, he left the ‘Satra’ transferring the associated responsibilities to his disciple Sri Mathura Das Burha Ata, who later took care of the ‘Satra’ and he became the first ‘Satria’ of the ‘Barpeta Satra’.
It was Sri Mathura Das Burha Ata who systematized the administration of the ‘Barpeta Satra’ leading to development of the institution and the region of Barpeta. A democratic system was introduced which is effective till today. Large number of followers come to Barpeta and accept the Vaishnavate faith irrespective of their caste (high or low in society) that has created an egalitarian Society. This practice has led to the establishment of a new work culture among the followers. The ‘Satra’ has several buildings. The huge front gate is called ‘Batsora’, the main ‘Kirtanghar’ is where prayers or ‘Nam Kirtan’ are performed is an architectural splendor located at the center that was earlier built as a ‘Kutcha’ house. It was later built with concrete and big-pillars were erected. The walls were decorated with beautiful paintings of Hindu Gods in 1952. At the Satra, the ‘Bhokots’ (Monks) discussed all kinds of problems at the ‘Jagmohan Ghar’. In the ‘Bhajghar’ an oil lamp has been continuously burning for more than 500 years and is called the ‘Akhay banti’.
The ‘Barpeta Satra’ is truly an Architectural Marvel and a magnificent sight to the eyes of its beholder. The Doors of the ‘Satra’ are made of Silver and a visit to this ‘Satra’ will leave anyone mesmerized!
3| The Auniati Satra at Majuli Island ~ Awesome Assam
Established by Assamese Vaishnavite monasteries, the Satras are Institutional Centers that propagate Neo Vaishnavism across the State of Assam. An initiative of the Kings of the Ahom Dynasty, these Satras house hundreds of celibate and non-celibate ‘Bhokots’ (Monks), hold vast lands and are repositories of religious and cultural relics and artifacts.
One mentionable Satra in the State of Assam is the ‘Sri Sri Auniati Satra’ of Majuli established by Ahom King Jayaddhaja Singha in 1653 AD. The ‘Sri Sri Auniati Satra’ is the one that occupied the highest position amongst the various Satras of Assam. The slightly elevated land of the World’s Largest Inhabited River Island of Majuli was full of ‘Auni Paan’ (a kind of betel creeper plant). The term ‘Ati’ means elevated place and hence the name ‘Auniati Satra’ came into being.
The idol which receives daily worship in the ‘Satra Temple’ (Manikuta) is the idol of Lord Krishna called Govinda. This idol was originally brought from Jagannath Kshetra from Puri in Orissa and installed here with all the Vedic religious rituals. Apart from the main idol, there are also other idols for worship here. There are twelve branches of this famous ‘Satra’ in various parts of Assam.
With around 550 residents of udasin vaishnavs, the Sri Sri Auniati Satra established at Majuli in 1663 A.D., has been the epicenter of the Vaishnavism and Satriya culture in Assam. In addition to the regular holy practices in the Satra, numerous literary pursuits like biographical works of the Vaishnavite Saints, cultural compositions of ‘bhaonas’, ‘Satriya songs and dances’, religious publications and preaching related to religious and societal works are the core activities of the Auniati Satra. The Satriya ritual activities of the Auniati Satra include Sharana, Bhajan, Nam-Prasanga, religious festivals and related devotional performances for the pleasure of Lord Govinda. The Satradhikar, Deka Satradhikar, Govindapuriya with theirvaishnava disciples lead an udasin life (celibacy and purely devoted to the thinking of God).
The main prayer in the Auniati Satra continues from morning till evening everyday and is being continued without interruption for more than last 350 years. The Satriya performances are usually a regular devotion to Lord Govinda by the vaishnavs in the Satra in the general prayer hall (Naam-ghar). In addition, there are also special performances devoted to Lord in presence/ supervision of the Satradhikar on various occasions and festivals. These festivals are Paal-naam, Raas-leela, Janmastami, Holi, Dewali, Bohag Bihu (Assamese New Year), Kati Bihu etc. Thedeath anniversaries of the past Satradhikaras and the Vaishnavite Gurus are also ritually celebrated.
The Satriya performances of the Auniati Satra include various forms of prayers, dances and religious theatrical shows based on the great Indian epics of Puranas, Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Srimad-Bhagawat etc. The foremost dance performances of SriSri Auniati Satra are Natua, Apsara, Sutradhar, Ozapali (Panchali and Dulari), Sali, Jumura, Krishna Gopi Nritya, Maati Akhara andGayan-Bayan. The Songs (Satriya Geeta) includes Gayana Geet, Ozapali Geet, Janmastami Geet, Raas-Geet, Gopal Bairagya Geet, Raja Gharia Geet, Guru Bandana, Deva Bandana & Natarmajar Geet. Naama , Hiya Nam, Deeha Nam, Sabahua Nam, Bairagi Nam, Nam Mangal, Ghosa Mangal, Ras Mangal,Bairaginam, Barnam etc. One of the significant festivals of Sri Sri Auniati Satra is Palnaam, commencing from the 25th day of Assamese Kartika Month to the 29th day of the same. Thousands of followers (disciples) gather in the main Majuli satra for offering their prayers during these days.
Other major activities include the spiritual guidance (preaching) called Sharan, Bhajan and Malamantradan under the direct supervision of the Satradhikar or his delegates. The Auniati Satra with its head quarter in Majuli has two more focal establishments in North Guwahati and Kaliapani (Teok) with more than 1 million followers across the country. The Satra upholds the pride of performing cultural Satriya programmes as invited delegation across the country including National programmes like Republic day celebration at New Delhi, presentation at Rashtrapati Bhawan (for the President of India), National Cultural festivals at National Museum, New Delhi, Jodhpur, Rajashthan, Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu etc. etc.
4| The Samaguri Satra at Majuli Island ~ Awesome Assam
Mask making is one of the most famous traditional crafts still practiced in Majuli. It is mainly practiced by the ‘Satras’. The ‘Samaguri Satra’ has worldwide acclaim in making exquisite masks. It has been practiced by the ‘Bhakats’ here for centuries. Masks are an integral part of Sattriya culture. Traditionally, masks were used for religious dance and drama. They were conceptualized as a tool by Shrimanta Shankaradeva to make and depict the characters of ‘Srimad Bhagwat’ to the devotees. Masks helped to provide a physical form to the puranic characters. They also helped people to associate with the character and expressions of the mythical heroes. Shri Hem Chandra Goswami at the Samaguri Satra of Majuli has been practicing this art since the last 20 years and he continues to train artisans of the island to learn the art of mask making thus keeping alive this tradition.
5| The Uttar Kamalabari Satra at Majuli Island ~ Awesome Assam
The Kamalabari Satra is considered as one of the most influential Satra of Assam. It has been not only the center of Vaishnavism but also cultural center of the region. The Kamalabari Satra has been a center of art, cultural, literature and classical studies for centuries. Due to the damages done by flood, one branch of the Satra is recently established in the mainland Assam. But the a branch of the original Kamalabari Satra still continues from the Majuli island in the midst the river Brahmaputra.
The Kamalabari Satra has been producing great figures in Assam the cultural sector. It is the home to legendary musicians and performing artists like the Late Maniram Dutta, Muktiyar Bayan and Raseswar Saikia Barbayan, who contributed greatly towards the conferment of the Classical status upon Satriya Dance. The disciples and artists trained in the Satra still performs nationally and internationally today are well known for creating sculptures of mythological characters and also crafting beautiful boats.
6| The Garmur Satra at Majuli Island ~ Awesome Assam
Garamur Satra is one of the four major royal Satras of the Majuli Island. The name of the Satra has been derived from two words – Garh and mur – compounded in to one. In Assamese language Garh ,means embankment and Mur means head. The compound word therefore,means the end point of an embankment (Garh). Records say that the Satra was established at a place which was located on the extreme (northern) end of an embankment called Chowatalar Garh built by the Ahom King Pratap Singha (1603-1641). The remains of that Garh approaching the Satra in the southeastern direction could be seen till recent decades.
Garamur Satra is the third among four Satras of Assam that had received royal patronage of the Ahom Kings and was established in the third decade of the 17th century. Another major center of the Sattriya culture including fine arts and performing arts, the Garamur Satra is also rich in various antiques including several wooden idols and manuscripts written on the bark of the sanchi tree. Raas is the most important festival. Two former Satradhikars of Garamur Satra, Pitambar Deva Goswami and Krishna Chandra Goswami were eminent freedom fighters who set an example that loving the motherland is also form of spirituality. Both were also imprisoned by the British.
7| The Auniati Satra at Guwahati ~ Awesome Assam
The ‘Sri Sri Auniati Satra’ at Guwahati is a four-sided enclosed area with four gateways (Karapat). Centrally placed in this enclosure is a rectangular prayer-hall called the ‘Namghar’ aligned in the east-west direction. On its eastern side there is an additional independent structure called the ‘Manikut’ or the ‘Jewel-house’, the Sanctum Santorum, in which the ‘Asana’ – a wooden tetradehral structure with four carved lions is placed containing the main object of worship (usually a copy of the Bhagavat Purana in manuscript or an idol). The ‘Namghar’ is surrounded by four straight rows of huts, called ‘Hati’, in which the monks (Bhokots) reside. The ‘Adhikara’ and other high officers of the ‘Satra’ reside in the Eastern ‘Hatis’.
8| The Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar at Jorhat ~ Awesome Assam
Spread across 13 bighas of land, the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar was established in 1461 AD at Dhekiakhowa in Jorhat district in Assam by Sri Sri Madhavdeva, the disciple of Sri Sri Sankardev (the preacher and propounder of Vaishnavism in Assam and also the Father figure of Assamese Culture). Sri Sri Madhavdeva had kindled an earthen lamp in 1461, which has been burning since then being religiously re-fueled by the priests till date. This Lamp holds the World Record of being the Oldest Burning Oil Lamp in the World. The main pillar of the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar is made of a Sal tree.
According to the story, Mahapurush Madhavadeva, while spreading the Vaishnava faith came to stay in this small and poor village. He took shelter for the night at the hut of an old woman, who served him rice with dhekia xaak – a delicious fern. The old woman was very embarrassed to have served a saint guru like this, but the guru was immensely pleased by the dinner. He established a Namghar and gave the woman the responsibility of lighting the earthen lamp to the old woman. Because of this anecdote, the Namghar is called the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar; here bor meaning big!
Devotees throng this Namghar from all over Assam in the sacred month of Bhada (August-September), to observe the death anniversaries of both the saints – Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavadeva.
9| The Dakhinpat Satra at Majuli Island ~ Awesome Assam
The Dakhinpat Satra was established by Banamalideva under the patronage of Jayadhwaja Simha in 1654 AD, and is an important treasure house of art and culture. Apart from conserving and propagating various Sattriya dance forms like Oja-pali, Natuwa, Raja-ghariya nritya, Indrabhishek Nritya, Raas Nritya, this Satra has also preserved several ragas and talas of sattriya culture that are not to be found in other Satras.
Raas Leela is the largest festival organized by the Dakhinpat Satra in November, apart from a five day Palnaam and Raas kirtana. Its principal deity is known as Jadavrai, and has 15 other deities, all said to be different forms of Krishna. A collection of the Bhagwad in manuscript form which Shankardeva had gifted in a golden pin to another disciple Damodardeva in 1579 is the most important of numerous artifacts in this collection.
10| Bengena-ati Satra at Majuli Island ~ Awesome Assam
Yet another significant Satra at Majuli, the Bengena-ati Satra was established by Muraridev, a nephew of Srimanta Shankardeva.
An advance center of performing art, Bengena-ati Satra is a storehouse of antiques of cultural importance. It preserves the royal robes decorated with golden beads belonging to the Ahom King Swargadeo Gadadhar Simha and a golden umbrella.
Sample Itinerary for your visit to the Satras and Namghars of Assam
In this tour we will explore the various Neo-Vaishnavite Satras and Namghars of Assam along with few of the places of tourist interest like the UNESCO World Heritage sites and the Holy Maa Kamakhya temple at Guwahati. We will start our journey at the Guwahati airport and head on to Manas National Park crossing Barpeta where we will visit the Barpeta Satra that is renowned across the region for its Doul Utsav or the Festival of Holi and later we travel to Manas and explore the place to return to Guwahati visiting Hajo and Sualkuchi. Our journey will continue with the exploration of the Maa Kamakhya temple followed by the Bordowa Satra at Nagaon and further to Kaziranga National Park. Later we explore the various Satras of Majuli Island and visit the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar to travel to Jorhat for our onward flight. Please find below the detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Guwahati Airport – Manas National Park
Arrive at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport at Guwahati in the morning. Upon arrival you will be received by our representative offering you a warm welcome in traditional Assamese style. We board our Innova vehicles and start on our drive to Manas National Park from Guwahati and it is a four hour long drive and we will halt at the Barpeta Satra as well to explore the grandeur of this Neo Vaishnavite Satra built by the disciple of the holy Guru and Saint Reformer Srimanta Shankardeva – Sri Sri Madhavadeva. We cross Jalukbari and head towards the Saraighat Bridge where we will cross the Brahmaputra River and continue on our drive to Changsari and further towards Rangia and Nalbari to reach the Barpeta area by afternoon. We will first head to explore the Barpeta Satra post which we will have our lunch. A wonderful and huge gate structure greets and welcomes us at the Barpeta Satra and in front of the entrance we can see numerous small vendors set up stalls that sell various offerings to the devotees from lamps, oil, incense sticks, flowers, etc. as offerings for prayers.
The Barpeta Satra was established by Sri Madhavadeva in 1505 and it went on to be completed by Sri Mathura Das Burgha Ata. The place is spread across a big area and at the entrance of the Satra area there is huge Namghar prayer hall where the religious session are performed and inside the Namghar is the ‘Monikut’ where the various idols and jewellery are kept. At the entrance of the Namghar there are two huge tree trunks and these trunks are that of the Tulsi tree that gets slightly difficult to believe as the Tulsi (Holy Basil) is mostly a shrub today but it is a fact that in the earlier days, the Tulsi used to be a tree with broad trunks. We will offer our prayers at the Namghar of the Barpeta Satra and explore the area around the Namghar that has beautiful paintings on the walls all depicting the life of Lord Krishna. There are the congregation hall and the home where Sri Madhavadeva stayed during his time at the Barpeta Satra along with a well that is still present here.
Behind the Namghar area of the Barpeta Satra there is a Hall built on an elevated wood platform and this place was used by the monks of the Satra to discuss about the various affairs of the Satra and plan their course of action during the festivals and other special occasions. Also the entry of women folks at this place is strictly prohibited. Later we visit the huts of the monks here at the Barpeta Satra and understand the way of living of the Neo Vaishnavite monks and how they dedicate their entire life towards the life in the Satra. With this we wind our visit at the Barpeta Satra and continue on our drive to Manas National Park before that we make a stop for lunch at a nice restaurant at Barpeta. We will savour a flavourful Assamese Thali and this is one of the delights of Assam where you get to savour food that has been cooked fresh and the fresh ingredients sourced from the local markets. The Assamese thali comprises of rice, two varieties of dal, a curry of vegetables, a fried vegetable dish, mashed potatoes with onions, green chillies and fresh coriander, mashed brinjal, a chutney and a choice of meat or fish. The food is served on bell metal plates and bowls and the entire presentation looks very delightful.
After a sumptuous lunch we start on our drive to the Barpeta road crossing from where we will continue straight to drive to Manas National Park. The river Manas greets us along the road and we drive across the forest and the open lands of pasture and paddy fields. Soon as we are the Manas at the Baksa district of Assam we will be welcomed by the lush tea gardens of Assam here. We will check into the Florican Cottages at the Bansbari area of Manas that is a nice place to stay here at the entrance of the forest reserves of Manas National Park. The Florican Cottages at Manas is located quite close to the border of the forest reserves of Manas National Park that is marked by barbed wires and in the later afternoon one can see wild animals come close to the fence and we can spot them from the Florican Cottages. We will be free in the late afternoon and we will spend time around the Florican Cottage spotting the various bird species of Manas. In the evening we will witness a performance of the Bodo tribe folk dance of the ‘Bagurumba’ that will be performed by young Bodo boys and girls wearing colourful traditional attire. The Bodo people are the oldest inhabitants of Assam and they are mostly concentrated in the Bodoland area of Assam covering the Baksa and Kokrajhar districts of Assam. After the performance we will enjoy a sumptuous dinner and retire for the night to plan for our day of safari at Manas National Park the next morning.
Night Halt: Florican Cottages at Manas National Park
Meals Included: NA
Day 2 – Manas National Park
Today is our day of jungle safari ride in the forest reserves of Manas National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Elephant Reserve, Biosphere Reserve and IBA – Important Bird area. Manas National Park is known to be a successful conservation story in the forest life of Assam because this was earlier a troubled area and unscrupulous poachers used force to chop down tree for timber trade and poach animals for the meat, skin and bones. It took a lot of efforts including rehabilitation of the poachers here and now these poachers have turned into protectors and they carry out their day to day life protecting the forest reserves of Manas National Park from any poaching related activity including felling of trees. Manas National Park is the Second UNESCO World Heritage Site in Assam after the famed Kaziranga National Park and Manas Boasts of having the population of some of the most endangered bird and primate species in the World.
We start on our elephant back ride at the entrance of the Bansbari range of Manas National Park and we travel into the forest reserves admiring the varied flora and fauna of Manas National Park. The Elephant back ride provides a good view of the forest reserves of Manas as we are at a height and the visibility gets better but we do not go deep into the forest reserves of Manas National Park and are restricted to a limited track and we are able to spot the varied fauna species of Manas but to enjoy bird watching the jeep ride is preferable in the forest reserves of Manas National Park. We spot the varied flora of Manas on our elephant ride and we reach back to the safari start point in about an hours’ time. We go back to the Florican Cottage to freshen up and have our breakfast and later we start on our half day jeep safari ride into the forest reserves of Manas National Park and this time we will cover much larger grounds and this would be an ample opportunity for us to go for bird watching and sighting more flagship species of Manas in the far interiors of the place. We commence on our jeep ride and go on our ride admiring the rich flora, fauna and avifauna of Manas National Park.
The jeep driver will help us explore the deep interiors of the forest reserves of Manas and we get to spot the rhinos, deers, elephants, wild buffaloes, boars, jungle fowls, macaques, Hoolock gibbons and perhaps even the elusive tigers and clouded leopards of Manas depending on our luck. We enjoy our jeep ride and the jeep drives us back to the Florican Cottages at Manas. We freshen up as the jeep ride took us into the forest reserves that are having a mud track and so it is evident that we will encounter a lot of dust and it is better to clean ourselves before our lunch at the Florican Cottage. We will savour a delightful Bodo cuisine meal at the place that will have food cooked with vegetables picked from the local gardens of the villages and the most nutritious herbs. The Bodo people make use of the Roselle leaves in a lot of their preparations and they prepare crab fried with roselle leaves, pork fried with roselle leaves and even a fish curry with this leaf. Along with this they also use the traditional alkaline ingredient of ‘Khar’ that is basically the burnt banana stem and it is known as a natural cleanser of the stomach and is digestive as well.
The pork cooked with Mati Dali Khar is another delight and a special dal that is cooled with seven indigenous herbs is also a delightfully tasty and nutritious dish for the vegan lovers. We enjoy our meal here and the Florican Cottage and later we spend time some time relaxing around the place. Afternoon we will head out to explore the local Bodo village at the vicinity of the park and understand the traditions, culture and life of the Bodo people of Assam who are considered to be the oldest inhabitants of Assam. The Bodo people are primarily farmers and they do farming activity to sustain their livelihood along with other activities like fishing, dairy, animal husbandry, handicrafts and handlooms, etc. Over the years, they have left their villages to head to the city and now they are educated and hold reputed positions in the government organizations of Assam. At the local village we will witness their traditional home built with bamboo and wood and how each house has a traditional loom where the women folks weave out some of the most exquisite handloom. The Bodo people are credited with the finding of the Muga silk of Assam and it was them who discovered this silk worm that provides this golden silk of Assam.
The silk worm is even a delicacy in the Bodo villages where they are fried up with roselle leaves and consumed and it is a rich source of protein as well. We witness the process of silk extraction and also weaving of fabric from the cotton and how they use organically available colours from the leaves, barks and toots of plants to dye their fabric and weave out the most exquisite handloom sin the World. The Bodo ‘Dokhona’ is a skirt like wrap that is adorned by the Bodo women and it is one of the most colourful and vibrant traditional clothing one can see and the Bodo women wearing them look very beautiful in the ‘Dokhona’. We take a walk across the local village and witness the rural way of living here at Manas. Earlier this area was quite disturbed and militancy was very much prevalent and these people had a tough life in those days. But over the years after many peace talk with the government the insurgency has declined and now as mentioned earlier the poachers have turned into protectors and put in their collective efforts to restore Manas National Park to its original glory again and this can be seen in the tourism sector of this park as the visitors to Manas National Park are mostly from foreign countries who come to witness the rich wildlife and avifauna of Manas. With our adventure across the village we return to out place of stay where we prepare on our journey back to Guwahati the next day after visiting Hajo and Sualkuchi.
Night Halt: Florican Cottages at Manas National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3: Manas National Park – Guwahati via Hajo and Sualkuchi
Today morning we depart from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Manas National Park to go back to Guwahati after exploring the holy land of Hajo and later the Manchester of the East and the largest Silk Weaving town in the World at Sualkuchi to reach Guwahati by early afternoon. At Guwahati we will explore the Assam State Museum and enjoy a lovely dinner on board a river cruise on the Brahmaputra. We cross Barpeta road and drive towards Changsari crossing Barpeta, Nalbari and Rangiya and we make a stop at Changsari to take a break over tea and snacks and later continue on our drive towards Amingaon near Guwahati where we take a right diversion to go to Hajo. We halt at the Saraighat War Memorial to witness how the brave Ahom army defeated the Mughal army who were under the command of Ram Singh I under the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb to conquer Assam. The Ahom army that was much smaller in size under the command of the brave general Lachit Borphukan used various war tactics especially the tactics of using the river current of the Brahmaputra and defeated the Mughals who had to accept defeat and retreat. The historical Battle of Saraighat was fought at this site and today the Saraighat War Memorial has been constructed here to pay tribute to the brave warriors of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam. We head on our drive to Hajo that is said to be the Holy land of the Hindus, Muslims and the Buddhists alike. The Muslims of Hajo are the descendants of the brave Mughals who had come to conquer Assam but they found the place so inviting and the people so loving that they did not return back and settles themselves in Assam.
Hajo is a place in India where the Hindus and Muslims live in complete harmony and they involve in the daily rituals and festive practice rituals of each other as well. The Poa Mecca shrine at Hajo is visited by both Hindus and Muslims alike and we soon arrive at Hajo and we head to visit the Hayagriva Madhava temple at Hajo. Another one of the important temple shrines in Assam, the Hayagriva Madhava temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and some Buddhists also believe that it was here that Lord Buddha attained Nirvana. The rock cut features on the temple walls are unique and a sight to behold as well. To access the Hayagriva Madhava temple one has to climb a fleet of 100+ stairs but it is not a daunting task at all and old age people can easily climb up the stairs and as the priests of the temple state that the presiding deity at this temple imparts a unique strength to the devotees who come here that they do not feel any effort in working against gravity while climbing the stairs. At the temple premises on the ground there is a huge pond as well and this pond is known across the country as the place of successful conservation of various turtles of Assam along with several species of fish as well.
There was a time when the turtle species of Assam (around 20 species out of the total 29 in India) were almost at the brink of extinction due to excessive hunting of these species and a serious call to protect these species came to be under thought. It was then decided that to protect the baby species from being attacked by other predators it needed to be kept in protected water bodies and so no one would dare to hurt them when they came to offer their worship to God and so systematically these turtle species were allowed to be kept in the temple ponds of the Hayagriva Madhava temple, Kamakhya temple and the Ugratara temple in Guwahati and the efforts paid off and today these temple ponds speak of a great conservation success story and the young ones are now being taken and allowed to be returned in the waters of the various protected National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Assam thereby restoring their population balance in the natural wild as well. We will first need to cleanse our feet near the temple pond and here we can spot the giant turtle of Assam and we can feed them with a special fodder that is available for purchase for INR 10 near the pond and later we climb the stairway to access the main temple shrine of the Hayagriva Madhava temple.
Being dedicated to Lord Jagannath, the part of the temple on its south faces the direction of the Jagannath temple at Puri in Orissa and it is said that you Darshan at the Jagannath temple at Orissa is complete only after you pay your visit at the Hayagriva Madhava temple at Hajo. In the temple premise there is an oil lamp that had been continuously burning since several hundred years and the devotees offer mustard oil to the temple priest who keeps the oil lamp burning. We pay our respects here at the Hayagriva Madhava temple at Hajo and later we head to the Poa Mecca shrine that is a holy site of the Muslim community of Hajo. The drive to the Poa Mecca shrine is across a beautiful forest cover and we soon reach the Poa Mecca shrine. This place is said to be the tomb of Pir Giasuddin Aulia and this place was built with soil that was brought from the holy land of Mecca (250 gms) and hence it is called as Poa Mecca.
It is a customary practice here to offer a ‘chadar’ on top of the tomb and it is believed that your wishes are granted true here. We pay our respects at the Poa Mecca shrine at Hajo and alter commence on our drive to Sualkuchi and further to Guwahati. We make a stop at a restaurant to have our lunch and it will be a simple Assamese thali meal post which we will head to Sualkuchi. The Manchester of the East welcomes us and we drive to the main town area of Sualkuchi that is filled with silk emporiums and showrooms. The silk products of Sualkuchi are renowned across the World and thee weavers here use the three varieties of silk viz. Muga, Eri and Paat to weave out exquisite silk mekhela chadors and various other accessories as well like purses, hand bags, jackets, etc. The largest silk weaving town in the World, Sualkuchi is home to many weavers from across the place who weaves these exquisite silk fabrics all with their hands. We will visit a local silk emporium here and witness the various products that are weaved here and later we will visit a local silk workshop as well and get to witness first hand on how these silk products are woven.
We will learn about the various processes involved in the silk weaving and interestingly you will find many of the weavers are women who belong to the Bodo community of Assam. With this we go and buy ourselves a memoir of the finest silk of Assam from Sualkuchi and continue on our drive to Guwahati. We reach Guwahati by late afternoon and we will check into our Hotel at the Pan bazar area in Guwahati and freshen up and later we come to explore the Dighalipukhuri lake at Guwahati that is a prime hangout spot in the evening and there are boating facilities available in this lake., We visit the War Memorial near the lake that has on display arioso aircrafts and tanks of the Indian army and Air force that played a role in India’s war against the intruders. We head back to the Hotel and in the evening we will travel to the Machkhowa area in Guwahati where we will board the Alfresco River cruise to enjoy a wonderful dinner on the Brahmaputra River. After dinner we will return to our hotel for night halt.
Night Halt: Hotel Mayflower in Guwahati
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 4: Guwahati – Kaziranga National Park
Today early morning we will travel to the Maligaon area where we will take a right diversion to travel atop a hill to the Nilachal hills where we will go to visit the holiest temple shrine in North East India – the Maa Kamakhya temple. A very revered temple shrine in India – the Maa Kamakhya temple is one among the 51 Shakti Peethas in the Indian Sub-continent and it is believed that Goddess Sati’s womb fell on the Nilachal hills when Lord Shiva was performing the Tandava travelling across the World carrying Goddess Parvati’s mutilated body that was chopped into 51 pieces by Lord Vishnu with his Sudarshan Chakra in order to pacify Lord Shiva and stop him from performing the Tandava Nritya. As the womb of the Goddess fell on the Nilachal hills, the Kamakhya temple is considered to be an epitome of the characteristic of fertility and the ability of a female to give birth to a child. It is believed that every year in the month of Asad (June) the Goddess menstruates and the waters of the river Brahmaputra near the Kamakhya temple turns red and this is a time a huge festival of the Ambubachi Mela is held here that is referred to as the Eastern Mahakumbh and it attracts devotees and holy Sadhus to this temple from India and abroad.
The present day structure of the Kamakhya temple follows an Ahom architecture as the Kings of Assam started to take a lot of interest in the beliefs and practices of Shakti and Tantra that were earlier practiced at the Kamakhya temple and they became devout followers of Goddess Kamakhya and even converted to Hinduism and they rebuilt this temple shrine after it had come under the attack of Muslim invaders. We reach the parking spot at the temple area and we will be welcomed by a temple priest (Panda) who will lead us to the top of the Nilachal Hills where the actual temple shrine is located and we begin our Darshan of the holy Maa Kamakhya temple by at first cleansing our hands and feet at the temple pond and then admiring the grandeur of the construction of the Kamakhya temple and we will take a VIP ticket to bypass the long queue of devotees and travel by another queue to the inner sanctum of the Kamakhya temple.
The two queues merge again at the entrance of the main shrine of the Kamakhya temple and here we take a while to enter for our final Darshan where we visit the inner sanctum of the Kamakhya temple to witness the holy stone that is feed continuously by an underground stream and this is show one completes their Darshan of the Maa Kamakhya temple at Guwahati. The water needs to be touched and sprinkled on one’s head and the priests offer a piece of red cloth that is believed to be covered with the blood of Goddess Kamakhya and brings good luck to a person. We too sprinkle the holy water on our head and take a piece of the holy cloth and come out of the temple shrine to meet back with our Panda who will offer our final prayers at the courtyard of the temple. As the practices of tantra was prevalent at the Kamakhya temple during the earlier time, the sorcerers who practiced black magic worshipped Goddess Kamakhya and in order to appease the Goddess to achieve supernatural powers they used to perform human and animal sacrifices at the temple shrine.
The practice of human sacrifice has since long been abolished at the Kamakhya temple and today the practice of animal sacrifice continues and goats are brought in by some devotees to appease the Goddess and these animals are sacrifices at the place behind the main temple shrine. We will not visit this place and instead concentrate on our visit at the first half of the temple shrine and instead admire the grand architecture of the Kamakhya temple and adorn the stone statues that are hand crafted to perfection on the temple walls. After our Darshan is complete we board our vehicle and bid farewell to the Kamakhya temple to head back to our hotel to have our breakfast and check out to proceed on our drive to Bordowa near Nagaon where we will visit the Bordowa Satra and proceed further to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park. We cross Guwahati, Jorabat, Jagiroad and Raha to reach Nagaon from where we travel to Bordowa. Bordowa is the birthplace of the Holy Saint reformer Srimanta Shankardeva who started the Neo Vaishnavite cult in Assam with the principle of ‘Eksarna’ that had a sole motto that all human beings are alike and shall not be discriminated on the basis of caste, creed or religion.
Along with his trusted disciple Sri Madhava Deva, Srimanta Shankardeva preached the ideologies of Neo Vaishnavism across Assam and found patronage of the Ahom kings and he went to establish the various Neo Vaishnavite Satras and Namghars across Assam with a major focus in Majuli Island where religious discourses and sermons were imparted to the followers. The Neo Vaishnavite Satras over the years have contributed immensely to the culture, literature and educational fields of Assam and are still considered a prime learning centre of art. The practices of mask making, Bhaonas, Sattriya Nritya, fan making are still practiced in these Satras and they have even found recognition on the global stage as well. The Bordowa Satra is where Srimanta Shankardeva started preaching and we soon reach this place. As huge entrance gate welcomes us at the Bordowa Satra at Nagaon and this is a very popular Satra in Assam as this was the first Satra established by Srimanta Shankardeva after returning from his first pilgrimage in 1494.
Shankardeva established the Namghar along with the Monikut here at Bordowa and at that time it was not called as a Satra and instead called as a ‘Than’. Shankardeva was against the practices and rituals of sacrifice prevalent during those days and he established that no sacrifice is to be followed in order to appease Gods as life is a gift of God. We start our exploration of the Bordowa Satra at Nagaon and there are huge prayer halls of congregation of the devotee’s here. There are two Satras here namely the Narowa Satra and Solaguri Satra and the place observes the birth and death anniversaries of the great Saint and his disciples. Krishna Janmastmi, Holi and Raas Leela festival are also observed with pomp and grandeur at the Bordowa Satra. We explore the Satra and there are two huge ponds inside the Satra premises and a museum as well that preserves the various artefacts from the time of the era of Shankardeva and the Ahom Kingdom as well.. We will explore the museum and witness the various artefacts and later we head to Kaziranga National Park after we stop for lunch at the Triptire Ehaaz restaurant at Amoni.
We will enjoy a sumptuous Assamese thali and fresh fish curry at the Triptire Ehaaz restaurant at Amoni that is about an hour’s drive left from the entrance to Kaziranga National Park. This place is operated by the Dept. of Tourism (Govt. of Assam) and here it can be rest assured that the place would serve the best quality food. There is a big parking spot at this place and clean rest rooms are available for the use of guests. We finish our lunch and continue on our drive to Kaziranga National Park crossing Koliabor and Jakhlabandha. We will first reach the Burapahar range of Kaziranga National Park and the lush tea gardens of Assam will welcome us to the World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park. Towards the left hand side of the road are the tea gardens and the beautiful mountains of the Karbi Anglong hills on the right. We drive to reach the entry gate of the Burapahar range and head on to our drive towards the Bagori range. There will be a view point in between and we halt here to catch a glimpse of the famed Indian One Horned Rhinoceros of Kaziranga National Park.
Kaziranga is home to the highest population of the highly endangered Indian One Horned Rhinoceros species that was reduced to the brink of extinction due to excessive hunting because of its prized horn that is sold for millions in the black markets of China and other South East Asian countries as it is used in the preparations of certain traditional medicines. However over the years a successful conservation strategy has led to the growth in the number of around 3000 and above of the population of the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros with around 2/3rd the population here at Kaziranga National Park itself. Kaziranga has numerous other flagship animal species and at the view point we will be able to sight the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros, Asiatic Wild Water Buffaloes, Hog Deers, Wild Boards and various bird species. This will be a distant view and we will get to see these animal species up close on our elephant and jeep ride at Kaziranga National Park tomorrow. There will be two boys standing here who offer binoculars on rent to visitors and in case you want to get a closer view of these magnificent animals of Kaziranga National Park you can rent these binoculars for a nominal amount and also get pictures clicked with the binoculars to get a closer capture of these animals. After witnessing this we drive towards the Bagori area of Kaziranga National Park and continue on our drive further to Kohora – the main town area of Kaziranga National Park.
At Kohora we will got to visit the Kaziranga Orchid Park – the largest Orchid Park in India and wind up our visit for the day after this and check into our resort at Kohora area in Kaziranga National Park. We proceed to visit the Kaziranga Orchid Park and this is an ideal place to be to witness the various orchid species of Assam and North East India. India is home to around 1800 species of orchid varieties and North East India is home to about 1200 species that speaks about the rich biodiversity in the region. The semi evergreen and tropical forest cover across the states of North East India harbours various flora, fauna and avifauna diversities and orchids are one among them. We start our tour of the Kaziranga Orchid Park by visiting the green house here and a local guide will welcome us and show us around the place explaining to us about the various species of orchids that are to be found here. The orchids are well laid out in earthen pots and the local and scientific names of each of the species are marked here at the Green House of the Kaziranga Orchid Park. We take a tour of the place and later head to visit the handloom and handicraft section of Kaziranga Orchid Park that displays the various bamboo and cane handicrafts of Assam and there are the traditional looms where local women keep weaving on the looms and they weave out exquisite handmade cloth and Mekhela Chadors.
We explore this section of handicrafts and handloom at the Kaziranga Orchid Park and proceed to visit the rice museum at the place that has various indigenous rice varieties of Assam on display here. The entire North Eastern region is having a lot of land under cultivation and rice is the staple food of the people in this region and hence depending on the type of soil various rice varieties are grown according to the food taste of the people we explore the rice museum and we witness the various rice varieties like Bora Saul, Aijung Saul, Kumal Saul, Tupula Bhat Saul, Mishing Saul, etc. and next we head to explore the souvenir section here at the Kaziranga Orchid Park to witness the various local products made by the people dwelling in the areas around Kaziranga National Park and get to purchase some good herbal tea, herbal medicine, fresh pepper corns, pickles, etc. The Kaziranga Orchid Park is operated by the members of the KMSS (Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti) that is an association of the farmers of Assam and there are these are the people who have led the agricultural in Assam to a new height and this place tries to recognize their efforts by providing them an opportunity to learn a livelihood by selling their produce here at the souvenir section of Kaziranga Orchid Park.
We also explore the cactus garden and the beautiful plantations across the Kaziranga Orchid Park and finally take our seats at the open stage area to witness the folk dance performances of Assam. The stage area here at the Kaziranga Orchid Park hosts these traditional dance performances of Assam at regular intervals across the day so that visitors to Kaziranga National Park can get an opportunity to witness these dance forms of Assam. These two traditional dance performances are the Bihu dance and the bamboo dance and they are enacted and performed by the young boys and girls all dressed in their traditional and colourful attires. The Bihu dance is a famous dance form of Assam and is performed mostly during the Rongali Bihu festival of Assam during the month of April that is the Assamese New Year and also the time to welcome spring when after a dry spell of winters the first rains of the season comes and the fields and environment begins to get green.
The young boys and girls dressed in their traditional attires and the girls especially wearing Muga silk Mekhela chadors along with the traditional Assamese ornaments look very beautiful and they go around the homes of the villages performing this Bihu dance and collecting small amounts of money and Tamul Paan as a token to save and have a grand fest at the end of the month in April. Today at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park we get this opportunity to witness the famed Bihu dance of Assam here at the Kaziranga Orchid Park. Later on the Mishing boys and girls perform the bamboo dance of their tribe that is a unique dance performance to watch out for. Bamboo is a versatile grass that is used for various purposes in the village homes of Assam.
Bamboo is used in the villages of Assam to build homes, fences, bridges over streams and even used for culinary purposes as the bamboo shoot is an important ingredient in the kitchens of these villages as well and it is a highly nutritious ingredient that can be used to prepare pork, chicken and fish recipes. No wonder these people have found use of this bamboo in their festival occasion as well and they use the bamboo poles to performance the bamboo dance that is a unique dance form practiced in Assam and Mizoram in North East India. Around a minimum of 4 boys and 2 girls are required to perform this bamboo dance and how it is performed is that four boys hold each end of the bamboo at the end and one person holds two bamboo poles and they create a mesh like structure and the girls hop in and out of this mesh to a pulse beat of a drum and the boys keep moving the bamboo mesh in a unique pattern and this is an ultimate test of balance to be maintained on these moving bamboo poles. We witness both these dance performances of Assam at the Kaziranga Orchid Park and later we bid farewell to end our day and head to our place of stay at Kaziranga National Park. We have an early morning tomorrow and so we will retire early after our dinner.
Night Stay: Bon Habi Resort at Kaziranga National Park
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 5: Kaziranga National Park – Majuli Island
Today is our day of safari inside the forest reserves of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park and we will go for two safari rides inside the park where at first in the morning we go for the elephant safari ride and later after breakfast we go for a jeep safari ride onto the forest reserves of Kaziranga National Park. Later we will travel to the Neemati Ghat near Jorhat to proceed on our ferry ride to the largest river island in the World of Majuli and also the hub of the Neo Vaishnavism cult of Assam. The Elephant Safari slot at Kaziranga National Park is conducted at two slots in the morning at 5 AM – 6 AM and 6.30 AM – 7.30 AM. The safari rides are conducted at the Western Range of Bagori (for Indian Nationals) and the Central range of Kohora (for Foreign Nationals). Based on our elephant safari slot time we will plan for our visit to the respective range and go for an hour long safari ride into the forest reserve of Kaziranga National Park.
We will be allotted our passes for our Elephant Safari ride at the counter at the entrance of our safari zone and we head into the forest of Kaziranga National Park to board the elephant back to begin our safari ride into Kaziranga. The Elephant Safari ride provides a good opportunity to sight the Indian One Horned Rhinoceros species of Kaziranga National Park from up close and as the Elephants go into the grasslands and they take visitors close to these rhino species of Kaziranga National Park. As you get to sight the forest from on top the elephant back and this gives you to sight some of the other animal species that are generally not viewed from the jeep safari ride as they remain covered in the grasslands. We will complete our hour long safari back ride and later come back to our resort to freshen up and have our breakfast. We will pack our bags and put the luggage in our vehicles before we head out on our jeep safari ride at the Eastern range of Kaziranga National Park at Agoratoli. The Jeeps will take us from our resort at Kohora to Agoratoli and later after out safari we will board our Innova vehicles to travel to Majuli from Kaziranga National Park.
The Agoratoli is a less frequented safari zone in Kaziranga National Park while the more popular central and eastern range and hence it provides a better opportunity to sight more animals and bird species here due to lesser movement of the gypsy vehicles inside the park. You can also sight the Royal Bengal Tigers of Kaziranga National Park here at the Agoratoli range depending on your luck as numerous sightings of the same have been reported at this range. We start on our jeep safari ride into the eastern range of Kaziranga National Park and we will be greeted for sure by the great Indian Hornbill Birds of Kaziranga National Park that is a majestic bird species that are found across the forest reserve of Kaziranga. Gradually along our drive we will spot the Rhinoceros, Wild Elephants, Wild Water Buffaloes, Hog Deers, Sāmbhar Deer, various Assamese Macaques, Capped Langur, Jungle Fowls, Wild Boar and off course the majestic bird so Kaziranga National Park. During the winter season, the place becomes a haven for bird watching as migratory birds from across the World come to Assam and find their places in the various protected forest reserves of Assam along with the water bodies and Kaziranga National Park has recorded around 495 species of birds alone.
The Jeep ride will take us deeper into the forest reserves of Kaziranga National Park and we will get the opportunity to sight more animal species as we cover more grounds. The jeep takes us close to a river bank area and we admire the vast natural beauty of the forest reserves of the Eastern range of Kaziranga National Park and alter we commence on our drive back out of the safari range to come out of the forest reserves of Kaziranga National Park and we get down from the jeeps and board our vehicle to travel to the Neemati Ghat near Jorhat. We will reach the Numaligarh area and here we stop for lunch at the famous Numaligarh Dhaba that is a very popular rest point for lunch and we take our seats for an early lunch of rice, dal, sabji, salad, chutney and a choice of meat or fish and after lunch we head on our drive to Jorhat crossing Numaligarh and Dergaon. We soon approach Jorhat and we take the bypass to travel to the diversion towards the Neemati Ghat near Jorhat where we will reach the banks of the Brahmaputra river to catch our ferry to travel to Majuli Island – the largest river island in the World and the centre of the Sattriya Culture of Assam.
The vehicle will be boarded on the ferry and we will accompany it and begin on our hour long ferry ride to the Kamalabari Ghat from the Neemati Ghat. The beautiful Brahmaputra river’s sky horizon accompanies us along the way and it would be hard to believe that this same river can cause so much havoc during the monsoon season and destroys life and land of the people of Majuli. The Brahmaputra is the lifeline of Assam and this river enters into Assam flowing in as River Lohit from Arunachal Pradesh and travels along the length of the State to finally meet with the Ganges and the Yamuna at the Sunder bans and flow into the Bay of Bengal. This river provides life to the rich topography of Assam and the human life is dependent on it but during the monsoon the river gets flooded with water and in turn it spills out its fury on the land and inundates the various across around it causing great loss to life and property. The significant sufferer are the animals of Kaziranga National Park as the Brahmaputra inundates about 90% of the park and the animals try to seek refuge in the higher grounds but many perish in the flood waters. We will be visiting during the winter season to Majuli and so the waters will recede and the river will look quite calm.
We soon reach the Kamalabari Ghat and we disembark from our ferry and board our vehicle to travel to the main town area of Majuli at Garamur. At Garamur we will check into our place of sty and take time to freshen up and spend our time at leisure around the place. After our evening tea we will go to visit the Sri Sri Uttar Kamalabari Satra in Majuli Island. The Uttar Kamalabari Satra is considered to be one of the most influential Satras in Assam and the Satra had contributed a lot to the art, culture and literature fields of Assam. Many noted scholars have been disciples of this Satra and they have written many books and articles on the culture of Assam. The artwork of preparing lifelike sculptures of various mythological characters by the monks of the Uttar Kamalabari Satra has found recognition in the National and International stages as well. But what this Satra is famous for truly ids these days is the practice of the Sattriya Nritya that is one among the eight classical dance forms of India. The Sattriya Nritya was introduced by the holy Saint reformer and Guru Srimanta Shankardeva as a way to introduce people to various epics of the Indian mythologies.
The Saint believed that if he could enact a play and dance in front of the people to witness, the masses would be able to relate themselves more closely with the characters and it was indeed a brilliant idea and the Bhaonas and Sattriya Nritya immediately caught the attention of the people and it is even today practiced at the Satras and Namghars across Assam where people relate themselves to the various mythological characters. The Sattriya Nritya depicts the various stages in the life of Lord Krishna and it was earlier introduced to be practiced only by the male monks of the Satras of Assam but later in the 20th century the Sattriya Nritya was started to be practiced out of the Satras by women as well and today this dance form has found global recognition and the artists of the Uttar Kamalabari Satra travel across the World to demonstrate this dance form on International stages. We will witness the Sattriya Nritya at the place where it is renowned here at the Sri Sri Uttar Kamalabari Satra in Majuli Island. The dance form will be performed in the main Namghar of the Kamalabari Satra and we will take our seat on the floor and the young boys all dressed to depict Lord Krishna and his Gopis will take the stage and demonstrate this classical dance for us.
What will surprise you is the flexibility of the human body when they are performing this dance from and how much the human body is able to bend will be seen during the performance of this Sattriya Nritya. We will witness this brilliant performance and alter we contribute a small donation to the Satra to help them keep this art for alive and later travel to our place of stay for dinner. The Mishing people of Majuli Island are one among the indigenous people of Assam who have inhabited Majuli since very long and their heritage and traditions are to the witnessed here along with the Sattriya cult of Assam. Over the years Majuli has now become an important ecotourism destination and people from across the World come to this tinsel island to witness the heritage and culture of the Mishing people of Assam. We will take our place at the local kitchen of the place of our stay viz. La Maison De Ananda that was the first property built here to welcome guests and we will savour some real ethnic Mishing cuisine at the Risong kitchen and later we will retire for the night to prepare for the next day of our exploration of Majuli Island to visit the Neo Vaishnavite Satras of the place.
Night Halt: La Maison De Ananda
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 6: Majuli Island
Today is our day of exploring the various mysteries of Majuli Island in Assam where we will explore the various prominent Satras of this tinsel island and understand the practices of Neo Vaishnavism that was initiated and preached by the Holy Saint reformer Srimanta Shankardeva. We will go to visit a nearby village in the morning and learn about the way of living of the Mishing people of Majuli. These people are mostly farmers who cultivate land and grow various crops like rice and vegetables and so this means that they get up early in the morning and go to work on the agricultural fields. We walk across the village and witness how the women folks weave on their looms and they clean the rice husk and store the rice is the store house. Also the people practice animal husbandry, silk weaving, bamboo handicrafts and cattle rearing. We explore the local village and later return back to our place of stay to have our breakfast and begin our exploration of the various Satras of Majuli Island. At first we will travel to the Sri Sri Auniati Satra near the Kamalabari area in Majuli that is about a twenty minute drive from the main town centre.
The Sri Sri Auniati Satra is the most renowned Satra in Assam and it was established by the Ahom King Jayaddhaja Singha. The Satra has 12 branches across Assam and it is known to celebrate the prominent festival of Raas Leela, Paalnaam, Falgutsav, Janmashtami and the birth and death anniversaries of Srimanta Shankardeva, Madhavadeva and the Satradhikars of this Satra. The monks of the Auniati Satra are very talented artisans and they are known to make a fan made of cane that is renowned across the World because of the skilled craftsmanship and vibrant colour of the fan. Many noted scholars of Assam have spent time at the Auniati Satra and their cultural works are renowned across Assam. The Satradhikar of the Auniati Satra Sri Pitambar Dev Goswami himself is a noted scholar having published various books and articles on the literature of Assam. We reach the entrance of Auniati Satra in Majuli and we travel to the inside of this famed Satra carrying with us the offerings to be given at the Namghar shrine of the Auniati Satra.
We enter the premises of the Sri Sri Auniati Satra in Majuli Island and we will see huge ponds inside the Satra premises that is a part of the basic build of a Satra in Assam as we had seen in the Bordowa Satra and as well as the Kamalabari Satra. The basic structure of these Satras of Assam is the presence of a main Namghar at the centre area of the Satra that also includes the Monikut area. The Namghar adjacent is the house of the Satradhikar – Head of the Satra and surrounding the area are the huts of the Neo Vaishnavite monks who reside within the premises of the Satra. There is the presence of two or three big ponds in the Satras and the entire area is filled with trees where the devotees can rest during their time at the Satra. Few of the major Satras also house a museum room that displays the various artefacts from the times of the founding of Neo Vaishnavism cult of Assam, items of the Holy Guru Srimanta Shankardeva, Madhavadeva and the past Satradhikars along with the major important relics that belonged to the Ahom Kingdom of Assam. There is a museum here at the premises of the Auniati Satra as well and we will explore this place later after we complete our exploration of the Auniati Satra in Majuli Island.
We first visit the main Namghar area of the Auniati Satra and here we can see the monks in prayers and we light the incenses sticks and earthen lamps and later we head inside the Monikut area where we witness the grand idols of Lord Krishna and offer our prayers and also the other prayers items. Later we explore the area around the Satra witnessing the houses of the monks who stay here at the Auniati Satra and dedicate their life in the praise of God and learn about various arts, crafts and books of literature. At the Auniati Satra the monks are not allowed to lead a married life and they remain bachelors across their life dedicating their life in the service and worship of God. We finally come to the museum area of the Auniati Satra where we will witness the various relics from the times of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam and the past possession of the previous Satradhikars of the Auniati Satra. There are swords used by the brave Ahom General Lachit Borphukan, robes of the Ahom kings, ivory chairs, ivory chess board, ivory walking sticks, ivory sandals and various other relics kept here and we examine and appreciate these artefacts and with this we finish our exploration of the Sri Sri Auniati Satra in Majuli and proceed on our visit to the Samaguri Satra.
The drive to the Samaguri Satra will take us about 20 minutes and we will explore the beauty of Majuli Island along our drive where we will witness agricultural fields and blooming mustard plants. The local Mishing villages can be seen along our way and we can see the women folks being actively involved on their traditional looms weaving out some exquisite handlooms of Assam and we soon arrive at the Samaguri Satra in Majuli Island. Upon entrance at this famed Satra of Majuli we can witness the artists engaged in the crafting of the traditional masks with hands. The tradition of handmade masks was introduced by Srimanta Shankardeva as he believed that people could relate themselves tot eh mythological characters of the Indian Epics if they could see that artists wearing these masks resembling the faces of the mythological characters. He came up with the idea of narrating the stories of the Epics to the masses in the form of play enactment called as Bhaonas.
The artists of these Bhaonas adorned themselves with the attires of the various characters of the Epics and they also wore a mask to demonstrate the characters in real. The art of traditional mask making has caught since then and its legacy has been kept alive and continued here at the Samaguri Satra in Majuli Island. The reputed Satradhikar of the Samaguri Satra Dr. Hemchandra Goswami is accredited with keeping this tradition of mask making alive and also taking it to the World Stage and today this mask making art of Majuli is renowned across the World and visitors from around the World come here to witness this art form in person and some even come to learn a course on how to make these mask themselves and carry on this art to their home country. These masks are made with a frame built with bamboo and later a thin cloth is wrapped around the frame. Everything is down with hands and so the process requires some time to complete. Next up, a special mud that is dug from the banks of the Brahmaputra River is mixed with cow dung and a paste is prepared with it and later this is smeared on the mask structure to create a face. Now this frame is allowed to dry in the sun and the surface gets hard in a few days.
To put the finishing touches, paint has to be applied on the masks and this paint is derived from organic products like turmeric, barks of trees, leaves, roots, etc. and the final colour is applied to these masks of the Samaguri Satra and it is allowed to dry again and this completes the mask. A unique identity provided to these masks by the Satradhikar of the Satra is the addition of jaw of the masks to move along with the movements of the jaw of the person enacting the Bhaona wearing these masks. This feature was not present in the olden days and with the introduction of this feature took these masks of Majuli to a new level as people could feel the play character more lifelike as the jaw kept moving and it felt that the mythological character was speaking himself. We will admire this art of mask making here at the Samaguri Satra and head to the display room where we will be shown a short demonstration of how the artistes of the Bhaona adorn these masks and enact during their performance.
We will also get the opportunity to meet Dr. Hemchandra Goswami – the Satradhikar of the Samaguri Satra and the person credited with keeping this art for alive and taking it to a whole new dimension to be taken to the World stage. With this we will wind up our visit at the Samaguri Satra to visit the Dakhinpat Satra in Majuli that is treasure house and it has some ancient cultural artefacts kept her that are not to be found at any Satra in Assam. The Dakhinpat Satra is known to celebrate the major festivals of the Neo Vaishnavism cult with great pomp and grandeur and we explore this Satra to finally head to the Salmora village where we will witness the art of traditional pottery making with hands.
We will reach the small village of Salmora and this place has been unique since several years due to the practice of the traditional pottery making with hands. Salmora also has a forest reserve within Majuli Island that is rich in flora, fauna and avifauna diversity. Majuli being located by the banks of the Brahmaputra River has one of the most fertile soils present across Assam and here the place is abundant in vast floral diversity in turn giving rise to various fauna species. The water bodies around the island provide food for migratory birds and during the winters the island becomes a haven for bird watching. We will not go into the forest and instead walk on foot across the Salmora village to go to a house of a local person who will demonstrate this art of traditional pottery making with hands in front of our eyes. The term pottery when it comes to mind the picture of the pottery wheel that keeps rotating and the artist puts a lump of clay on the wheel and while the wheel spins the artists moulds the shape of a pot or the earthen ware on the wheel.
But the art of pottery making at the Salmora village in Majuli is completely different because the artist do not make use of the wheel and instead they give the shape and structure to the clay mould entirely with their hands only making various earthenware including pots. During the earlier times, the pots of Salmora village were in huge demand across Assam and traders from far off places used to come here to buy these pots to sell them in their villages and small towns. But today with the availability of steel and plastic utensils the demand has gone down considerably but still there are patrons who prefer to use these earthen ware products only. We take ours eats at the local home at Salmora village and another unique thing about the art here is that it is practiced by the women folks of the village as well otherwise pottery is mostly a male dominated industry. The clay used to create these pottery items are bought from the deep underground of the banks of the Brahmaputra River and this clay is mixed with cow dung and sand to create a mixture that helps to create a mould for these pottery items. The lady of the home will take the clay and use her hands and fingers to create various pottery items in front of our eyes and you will be surprised with the finish of the products.
Once done these products are allowed to dry out in the sun and then later they are painted with organic colours derived from plants. We thank the family at Salmora village for demonstrating this art to us and we drive back to the Garamur area to visit the Garamur Satra at Majuli. One of the other campus Satras of Majuli that was built by an Ahom King, the Garamur Satra is known for hosting one of the very grand Raas Leela festivals among the Satras of Majuli. There is a museum at the Garamur Satra premises and we will explore this museum to witness various relics kept here from the times of the beginning of the Neo Vaishnavite cult to its flourishing days and also certain relics from the Ahom Kingdom as well. With this we will wind up our visit of the Satras of Majuli Island and go for our lunch at the place of stay and relax for some time. In the later afternoon we will go by the banks of the river Luit to witness the sunset and after that we go to a local Mishing house to learn about their way of life and savour a traditional Mishing cuisine dinner along with the preparations of rice wine and rice beer.
The Mishing people of Majuli Island believe in eating food that is derived from nature. Their food preparation contain fresh ingredients that are sourced from the nearby gardens, fields and the things like rice, dal, turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander are all grown by them in their agricultural fields. They believe in consuming food that is boiled and not prepared in too much of oil. Mustard is grown in abundance and so even the oil they use is from their agricultural fields. We will witness how the members of the family get together to prepare a meal with the men going out to collect the herbs and meat/fish to prepare the dinner and the ladies of the house get to the preparations to keep the ingredients ready before the man comes back and gets to the preparations. The evening dinner at home are mostly a family affair and the family along with the neighbours gather around the wood fire in the kitchen with the elders savouring the rice beer/wine and the food preparations going on. This will give us a unique opportunity to savour a Mishing way of dining and we enjoy a sumptuous Mishing tribe dinner prepared right in front of our eyes from scratch with all the fresh ingredients and later we return back to our place of stay.
Night Halt: La Maison De Ananda
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 8: Majuli – Jorhat Airport
Today we bid farewell to Majuli Island and we reach the Kamalabari Ghat to board our ferry to Neemati Ghat early in the morning. Our onward flight from the Jorhat airport will be scheduled in the afternoon and we will explore the final place of interest in our Itinerary at the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghor and then head to the Jorhat airport. Our boat ride to the Neemati Ghat will take about an hour and half and we plan to reach the Neemati Ghat by 9 AM and board our vehicle to drive to Jorhat where we will drive a little ahead of town where the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghor is present. We soon reach the place and we head to explore this old Namghar in Assam. The Dhekiakhowa Bornamghor was established by Sri Madhavadeva in the 1400s when he had come to this place and took shelter in the home of an elderly couple. The elderly couple were shocked and surprised that the great disciple of Srimanta Shankardeva had come to their home and they did not know what to offer to the person. The only thing that was present was the ‘Dhekia Xaak’ viz. the fiddle head fern at their home and the old woman fried it and served the saint a meal of Dhekia Xaak and rice and the saint loved the meal a lot.
To offer his gratitude he offered to setup a Namghar at the village and this was an auspicious moment for the villagers as the great saint disciple was present at their village in person and Madhavadeva lit an oil lamp and instructed the villagers never to allow this oil lamp to burn away and the practice of refuelling this oil lamp in the Namghar continued till today and today the Dhekiakhowa Bornamghor holds the record of being home to the oldest burning oil lamp the World. We will explore the Namghar area and offer our prayers and this Namghar celebrates both the both and death anniversaries of the holy Guru and his disciple Srimanta Shankardeva and Madhavadeva and we also visit he main prayer hall to witness the oldest burning oil lamp in the World as certified by the Limca Book of records. The walls of the Namghar are beautifully painted with the life of the Lord Krishna and with this we end our journey of exploring the prominent Satras and Namghars of Assam along with exploring of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, the Holy Kamakhya temple and the silk town of Suwalkuchi and we drive to the Jorhat airport. We will drop you at the airport for your flight to onward destination/home. Tour Ends. Bid Adieu!
Night Halt: NA
Meals Included: Breakfast
Considered as the biggest River Island in the World, Majuli has also been the hub of Assamese neo-vaishnavite culture, initiated around 16th century by the great Assamese saint-reformer Srimanta Shankardeva and his principal disciple Madhavadeva. These Satras or Monasteries that came up in the subsequent period in Majuli Island are not only centers of spiritual discourses, but are always agog with Bhaona performances, devotional music and songs and various other cultural activities. Visitors can stay in the baha – traditional dormitories of the celibate monks, in the premises of the Satras and becomes part of the several round of daily prayers. Once Majuli had over 55 Satras; river-bank erosion caused by the Brahmaputra has taken away over 30 of them; only 22 exist at Majuli Island today.
The preaching initiated by the Great reformer of Assam, Srimanta Sankardeva, are practiced widely across the State in two unique institutions – the Satras and the Namghars, both of which are deeply associated with the social, cultural as well as religious life of the Assamese society. The Satra institution is one of the most distinguishing feature of Assamese Neo-Vaisnavism Cult. The Satra, literally meaning ‘holy areas’, is a network of decentralized monasteries each headed by a Guru (teacher) designated as the Satradhikar. The Namghars which are found across the State of Assam are an ‘extended wing’ or a ‘miniature replica’ of the Satra institution.
The Satras and the Namghars both, are basically a place of religious worship. It is at these places of worship in Assam where people gather to sing praised of the Lord and seek spiritual solace. The most important area inside the premises of these institutions is the Kirtanghar. The Kirtanghar is the nerve center of the entire place generally located in the center of the premises of the Satra that is surrounded with houses for the devotees within the compound its four sides. It is a long and open hall, where the devotees sit together to sing the glory of God. There is no idol in the altar, but only a book, generally the ‘Bhagavata Gita’, symbolizing God. In addition to prayers and cultural functions, religious discourses are also held in the Kirtanghar.
The first stage of evolution of the Satras in Assam began with Srimanta Sankardeva. However, it was during the time of the equally able disciples of Sankardeva i.e. Madhavdeva and Damordeva that the Satra institution attained the glorious phase of its growth. The architectural structure of the Satra also received the final shape during this period. It thus came to possess the prayer hall (Namghar) and the Manikut with the wooden throne (Singhasana) attached to the former and containing a sacred scripture. By the middle of the 17th century, the Satra institution, firmly established itself and the royal authority had to accord recognition to Srimanta Sankardeva’s faith. Subsequently, the Ahom kings and nobles accepted Neo-Vaisnavism. The Satras played a great role in the social life of the people. One component of the Satra institution, the Kirtanghar, became an integral part of every Assamese village in Assam over time. It became popular by another name too, the Namghar. Over time it came to be an integral part of every Hindu village of Assam. As a result every Assamese village came under the religious influence of one Satra or the other and its influence even penetrated gradually into the neighbouring tribal areas. The Satras gave Assam a rich religious literature, besides reviving and popularizing the art of classical music and dance.
The establishment of the village Namghar came about with the idea of popularizing the Neo-Vaisnavite faith to the masses. The Namghar came to serve as a forum of not only religious but also socio-cultural activities of the community. The village Namghar has for the last four hundred years has been serving as the village public hall: it is at once a village prayer hall, a cultural center and a ‘village court’, thereby providing a common forum for the villagers to assemble in an atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation. The Namghar becomes the venue for congregational chanting of prayers, singing of Borgeets or classical devotional songs composed by Srimanta Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavdeva and enactment of Bhoanas – a cultural art event on various occasions. No discrimination is made in terms of class or caste in distributing roles in the Bhaonas held at the Namghar.
Jungleideas welcomes you to India’s North East to witness the Grandeur of the Neo-Vaishnavite Institutional Centers and the Prayer Halls of the Assamese Community – the ‘Satras’ and ‘Namghars’, the State of Assam, Incredible India!
