Down the Brahmaputra

A cruise on the river reveals its beauty and that of  the State that hosts it

“In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.” ...

And nowhere is this better expressed than in Assam, with the mighty Brahmaputra as chief narrator. Assam has embraced migrants over centuries, who brought different ethnicities, religion and culture to its fertile shores.

Cruises are rare in India. That itself is exciting, so I decide to do one right here rather than book myself into an international one.  I choose a medium- sized ship called the M.V. Mahabaahu, operated by Adventure Resorts & Cruises. I select the downstream cruise that would take us from Jorhat to Guwahati on the river, while enjoying all the on-shore excursions offered by them.  

Arriving at Jorhat airport, my cousin Pam and I are picked up and taken to Neamati Ghat, where the big boat is berthed.

The M.V. Mahabaahuis is  outfitted like a three- storied boutique hotel, complete with single, double and luxury rooms, with balconies, a spa- salon and  pool, as well as bar-lounges and a dining room. On board, we are treated to a traditional, Assamese welcome and introduced to the two couples on board, from the U.K. & the U.S., Steve and Mary MacSweeney and Bruce & Louise Magun. Though there were many more rooms, there are only six of us travelling this season. This makes us all happy because it ensured personalised service!

 

  

After a light lunch in the sunlit dining room with large look-out windows, we set sail. The ghat slid past and we sat enraptured by the glittering water gliding past. It was a clear, blue, winter sky, with a slight chill in the air. But the boat was centrally heated. Winter is the best time to sail on this river. 

After an introduction to the Brahmaputra, a short presentation on the ship, a safety briefing and an orientation on the following day’s trip, we retire to the lounge bar appropriately named Soma. In the evening, we climb up to the third floor, the ship’s deck, which has a bar and lounge chairs. There, we sip our complimentary wine and champagne, while watching the resplendent sunset in awe. 

 

 

 

After a sumptuous dinner, which was titled Swagat Bhoj, we retire to our cosy cabins for the night.  Reading the itinerary, we note at the top of the page that each program is `subject to river and weather conditions or political disturbances’. Assam, we note, is still not taken off the politically disturbed area list. 

The next day dawns bright and clear. We whiff the river air early in the morning from our mini balcony, while sipping our morning Assam tea. The ship is still berthed at Neamati Ghat. After a buffet breakfast, we get climb down towards our cars, for our first on- shore excursion. A visit by road to see the monuments built by the Ahoms.

The Ahoms were descendants of the Tai people from central Thailand, who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228. They established the Ahom kingdom which lasted till the arrival of the British East India Company in the late 19^th century. 

 

We first visit the Shiva Dol, near the Sibsagar lake, built by an Ahom queen, in 1734. At 104 feet, it is the highest Shiva temple in the country. It is topped with a pure gold Shivalinga on its Kosoloi, or dome. It is flanked by Vishnu and Durga temples and has carvings of various deities on its pillars. The sanctum sanctorum is unique in that it has a reversed Shivalinga. Offerings dropped in it reach the river, say the priests.  The complex is visited by hundreds of thousands of Shiv bhakts from all over the country, during Mahashivratri. 

We then drive to Rang Ghar, or the sports pavilion, where two fearsome and intricately carved dragons welcome us. It was built in the late 18^th century by the Ahoms, who were sports lovers. Bull, cock fighting and wrestling, were some of the matches they watched from atop the 10 metre high structure that can be accessed via steep and risky stairs. The gardens below, known as the Rupohi Pathor, has life- like statues of sportsmen engaged in the games.  The structure is built in the typical Ahom style of thin red bricks, joined together with a paste made out of rice and eggs.

A few metres away, is the Talatal Ghar, the 18^th century palace and military base of the Ahoms. Unfortunately, a great fire engulfed the royal apartments which were made of wood. But some stone rooms along a corridor remain, a scorched reminder of what must have been a grand residence. Again, there is a vast green ground surrounding the ruins. There were rumours of secret underground passages, but searches revealed nothing. Openings to underground rooms have been sealed off. 

Afternoon was spent at a beautiful tea estate, where we were treated to a sumptuous, home- made lunch and a talk on Assam tea. We tasted the home grown tea and joined the tea pickers in plucking the tea leaves.

 

We returned to the boat in the evening, which was spent on the deck with a drink, enjoying another gorgeous sunset. The boat anchored itself for the night. And we were lulled to sleep, with the gentle lapping sound of the river, the croaks and cries of nocturnal creatures, under the starlit sky. 

 

The following morning we sail to Majuli island. Majuli has been the cultural capital of Assam for 500 years. It is also the cradle of Vaishnav culture, brought to the island by the Assamese saint Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavdeva. Their satras or monasteries still survive and are the repositories of a centuries old culture that perhaps can only be seen on this island. For example, the craft of mask making and boat making, their Harappan style clay pottery and of course, their traditional dances. A three day Raas Leela,  dedicated to Krishna,  is held once year, where everybody participates, including expatriate Assamese.  

 

It isn’t Raas Leela season, but we are treated to Sutradhar, Dashavtar & Mukha Bhawna performances. The themes revolve around our epics. The arena is a small clearing amidst tall trees.    

Everybody in Majuli is involved in some cultural pursuit or the other. While we walk around, we hear the tinkle of bells and melodies emanating from a house, while in another, a little girl, all dressed up in traditional dance finery and make up, is teaching her parrot a song. 

From the outdoor dance venue, we enter a monastery, where we witness a stunning performance called Gayan Bayan, by the priests, who vigorously beat  drums suspended from their necks, while singing and dancing in that rhythm.

In the evening, we are treated to another gorgeous sunset, being reflected in the swiftly moving water. 

 

 

After the illuminating but exhausting tour, the ship lifts anchor and sails away. We are now looking for a deserted island to drop anchor and party away! We were lucky to find one. We get off the ship…it’s bonfire and barbeque time! The snacks are delicious, consisting of kebabs and fresh river fish, sold by a fisherman who anchored himself beside our ship. We play some games too. The island, a stretch of white sand, reminds me of the Rann of Kutch. The more imaginative amongst us likened it to the landing on a pitted moon! A surreal experience indeed.

 

The following morning, we sail towards a Mishing village. The Mishing are tribal folk. Their dwellings are built with woven grass and bamboo mats and scaffolding. The huts are built on stilts, in order to protect them from the flooded river. Each monsoon, the Brahmaputra breaches its banks because of the incessant rains. The Mishing live in perpetual readiness to shift to the refuge provided by the state government. When the floods recede, they return. 

  

We climb up one scaffolding and visit a home.  It is one big room, divided by woven bamboo walls and plastic curtains. In the kitchen area, the morning catch of fish steams in a bamboo sieve, suspended over a fire. It is later eaten with boiled rice. Rolled beddings, clothes, trunks are neatly stacked against the matting in readiness to evacuate during the floods.

   

Climbing down we spot a loom, with a bright yellow woven cloth on it. Weaving is the main livelihood of the mothers and wives in the village, while the men are either farm labourers or fishermen. 

 

 

The lady of the house displays her handiwork…a colourful Mekhala (skirt) and Chadar (upper cloth), the traditional Assamese attire. They are too tempting and the woman is a good businesswoman. We end up buying the material. Later, there is a Mekhala and Dhoti wearing demonstration on Louise and Bruce, who surrender happily to the nimble fingers.     

  

We return to the ship for our lunch. The chef is an extraordinary cook, who specialises in fusion cuisine, that meets everyone’s taste.

At the moment we are anchored at Dhansiri. Post lunch we again board our small motorboat for a safari at Dhansiri, where it meets the Brahmaputra at Agoratoli. We’re heady with the good lunch and delicious winter sun on our backs. In the distance glimmers the curved rooftops of the Eco resort. We’re in the vicinity of Agoratoli, near the Eastern range of Kaziranga and are informed that we should look out for wild life on the cliff edges. 

 

We switch off the engine and drift closer, our binoculars trained on the edge of the forest.   On the cliff opposite, we spot a family of elephants. We sneak close to them. The female leader of the group is protective of the babies and snorts her warning to us. It’s a good introduction to what we could expect in Kaziranga.

We then sail towards Bishwanath Ghat. By the evening have found another  deserted island, opposite the ghat, to anchor our ship. Again we party with a bonfire and games, but no barbeque this time. It’s so clear, we can see the milky way. Some of us note baby and mama tiger pug marks and buffalo footprints on the fine sand. Apparently, animals had swum to this island and crossed it in the morning.

Back on the ship our talented cook gives us a cooking demonstration. Thereafter, we are given an orientation on Kaziranga wild life. After dinner, it’s off to bed for six tired passengers!

 

The following morning, we are led to the island again, this time for a yoga lesson, by the multi- talented and ingenious director of the tour, Neena Morada. We bask in the winter sun while doing our asanas; the white sand below and the azure sky above us. It is quite an experience! 

Later, we leave by boat for Biswawnath Ghat, while our ship remains moored. At the ghat, we visit a village of silk weavers. The villagers are quite market savvy. They have their wares lined up on plastic chairs for us to admire.  We walk through a forest of silk woven cloth, to enter the local Shiva temple. It is small and dark within. When we exit, we are again besieged by the women and end up shopping again, much to the amusement of giggling school kids.  

 

We bring back our `loot’ to the ship’s tailor (thoughtfully provided by the tour director). And see a mini bazaar opened out in the reception! Clothes, material, jewellery, from all parts of India. The local women are not the only ones who are market savvy, we realise!

 

We then sail towards Silghat and enjoy it from the deck, looking for wild life, as we grow closer to Kaziranga. The view of the looming Karbi Anglong hills in the horizon, at the confluence of the Diphlu & Brahmaputra waters, is picturesque. 

After lunch, we take in a less pretty sight. We anchor at a jetty at Silghat and drive to a jute mill. Along with agriculture, tea, silk and jute is a major trade in Assam. We walk through a dark and dank room with gigantic machines, churning out gunny bags from jute fibres. The pollution in that room is horrific.  We hurry out as soon as we can. We are aghast to learn that the workers don’t wear masks and some of them have been doing this work for over a decade!

 

After the mill, it’s fortunately a pristine environment that we visit. A pleasant drive amidst nature takes us to another tea estate, this time in the hilly Kaliabore area. Against the green backdrop, we witness a Bihu performance specially arranged for us. Later we interact with and take pictures with the beautifully attired performers who are busy flirting with each other!

 

At night on the ship we were shown videos and provided information on the Kaziranga safari, which was to be our next trip.

The following day is looked forward to with excitement. We have entered the  World Heritage Site of Kaziranga, a rhino paradise. The forest is protected and home to the world’s largest population of the one-horned Indian rhino. It is also home to elephants, tigers and migratory and rare birds. Poaching of rhino horns has become a serious problem and several times rhino carcasses are found with their horns ripped out. 

 

We start at 5 am. And after a light breakfast at a resort, we get on to our elephants at Kohora Mihimukh, which is the central range of Kaziranga. The elephants feed and defecate while lumbering across, while we undulate on their backs, attempting to catch a glimpse of the elusive tiger, through our binoculars. We don’t see it, but spot fresh pug marks. We did see hordes of elephants though and many rhinos. The former always in groups and the latter, in solitary splendour, munching on leaves and stems, while waist deep in water. Accompanying each is a solitary water bird, balanced on its armour-like back, pecking out parasites. A win, win situation for both. 

 

Later, we take a jeep safari at Bagori, in the western range of Kaziranga. We spot many birds like eagle, pelican, heron, gull, babler, weaver, etc and excitedly point them out to each other. 

After our tiring trip, we are treated to an Assamese dinner, back on the ship.

Next morning, our ship has begun to sail towards Guwahati, but drops anchor near an interesting village. 

We take a boat to the village, which has a Bangla speaking community. They are refugees from Bangladesh, who landed on this barren island and cultivated fields for their livelihood. Today it is a fertile land, growing all sorts of crops from paddy to corn and healthy looking vegetables, which are sold in the local market. I slip and fall while trying to negotiate a raised bank, much to the amusement of the local kids. After meeting and chatting with bearded patriarchs and winsome young mothers lulling their tots to sleep in their hammocks, we return to our ship

 

The sail towards Guwahati resumes. En- route, we drop anchor near a small, rocky outcrop called Peacock Island and scramble into our boat to explore it. Turns out it’s the island famous for its Umananada (Shiva) temple. A visit to this temple is supposed to be beneficial for all those visiting the Devi temple at Kamakhya. The climb is steep and the other side is a sheer drop into the water. There’s a 200- year -old lamp post from colonial times standing on a rocky promontory. It’s the holiday season and the crowd at the island encourages us to beat a hasty retreat to the mother ship! 

Back on the ship, I treat myself to an Ayurvedic massage at the spa. Thereafter, we enjoy a sit-down dinner called the Alvida Bhoj, or farewell dinner, while our ship sails in the shadow of the Guwahati hills. We’re all sad that this will be our last dinner together and our last night on the ship.

 

 The following day, after hugs and promises to keep in touch, we leave our American and British friends on board, as they will not be accompanying us. We embark with our luggage to Kamakhya, the famous Devi temple.

 

 

The Temple is in Kamakhya town, eight km from Guwahati, It is situated on the Nilachal mountain and is the seat of Sati, the Goddess of Power. This temple is considered the highest place of Tantric siddhi and many Tantrics from all over the world visit it. The virgin form of the Goddess is worshipped here. It is believed that when Ma Sati was cut into pieces by Vishnu, her womb fell here and since the womb creates life, she is worshipped as the Creator of the Universe. Three days are set aside for her `menstruation’, when devotees are not allowed inside the temple. Apparently, blood flows out of the sanctum sanctorum then, where her vagina is said to be located.

There is always a crowd of devotees and that day was no exception. Many herded goats along for the sacrifice at the altar. Waiting to get inside the garba griha would have taken more than four hours and we had a flight to catch. So we took a walk around the temple, paid homage to the great golden lion, the sentry of the gate - also a hot - spot for selfies - and left for the airport.

--Sohaila Kapur

Published in The Wire as a photo feature: 

 https://thewire.in/travel/in-pictures-sailing-the-brahmaputra-from-jorhat-to-guwahati