Majuli Island

Majuli Island is a river island in the Brahmaputra in upper Assam, and one of the largest river islands in the world. Majuli Island has been shrinking for a century as the river erodes its banks, and it has lost a large share of its former area; every monsoon still changes its outline. In 2016 Majuli became its own district, the first island district in India.

Majuli is the heart of Assamese Vaishnavism, the devotional movement founded by the saint Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its satras, monasteries of celibate or family monks, keep alive Sattriya dance, bhaona drama, devotional music, manuscript painting and mask making. Several satras date back to the 17th century. The island is also home to the Mishing people, who live in bamboo houses raised on stilts above the flood line, along with Deori and Sonowal Kachari communities. The Raas Leela festival in November is the busiest time of the year.

What to see

• Auniati, Dakhinpat and Garamur satras, with their prayer halls (namghar)
• Mask making at Samaguri Satra, from small face masks to full-body figures
• Sattriya dance and devotional music at Uttar Kamalabari Satra
• Mishing stilt villages and handloom weaving
• Sunsets over the Brahmaputra sandbars and wetland birds in winter

What to wear

Dress modestly at the satras, covering shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes before entering a namghar. Majuli is flat and warm; wear light cotton and a hat from March to October, and a sweater for cool winter evenings. Sandals are handy for the ferry but walking shoes are better for cycling and village lanes. Assamese women wear the mekhela chador, and Mishing women weave their own striped cloth, the mibu galuk and ege, which you may see on the looms under the houses.

Local food to try

Mishing cooking is the local highlight. Try purang apin, rice steamed in leaves, pork or fish cooked with bamboo shoot, and apong, the Mishing rice beer served in homes. Satras are vegetarian, and simple Assamese thalis with dal, greens and fish are served at small eateries in Kamalabari and Garamur. Homestays in Mishing villages usually cook dinner for guests.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March; the Raas festival falls in November
• Satras are open to visitors in the daytime; prayer times vary
• No entry fee to the island; a ferry ticket is charged per person and vehicle
• Allow at least two nights
• Ferries run from Neamati Ghat, about 15 km from Jorhat, to Kamalabari Ghat; the crossing takes around an hour and last boats leave in the afternoon
• Ask before photographing monks and dancers; some satras have rules on entry to inner halls

Nearby places

Majuli Island fits well with Kaziranga National Park, about three hours' drive west of Jorhat, and with Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. For a longer loop, Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh lies north of the Brahmaputra.