Majuli Assam – The World’s Largest River Island (INR 1500 – 2 day trip)

Majuli Assam-“The World’s Largest River Island”, although not so popular, came into my knowledge when I was reading about top tourist destinations in North East India. Majuli has recently been declared as the largest river island in the world by Guinness World Record. So I  decided to have a visit to Majuli river island Assam on my journey to North East India and Bhutan.

Nestled between the mighty Brahmaputra River’s ever-shifting sandbanks from the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north, Majuli Island had a total area of 1,250 sq. km. It has now shrunk to 352 sq. km. due to several earthquakes, changes in the course of the rivers and severe erosion. In June 2016, the Assam Government officially declared the island a district making it India’s first island district.

Bamboo Houses at Majuli Assam

How to reach Majuli River Island Assam

The cheapest and best way to reach Majuli is to take a train from Guwahati to Jorhat Town (Overnight journey). A shared auto from Jorhat Town to Neamati Ghat and then a ferry to Kamalabari Ghat. There are regular government-operated ferry services which take around 2 hours. The first ferry from Neamati Ghat is at 8:30 am and the last one is at 4 pm. Once you reach Kamalabari Ghat, you will get a shared auto to reach Majuli which is a few kilometers away. Visit IRCTC for train bookings.

Note: For returning the last ferry from Kamalabari Ghat to Neamati Ghat is at 3 pm.

The closest airport to reach the Majuli lies at Jorhat.

Best time to visit Majuli Assam

The best time to visit Majuli is between October and March. During this month’s various dance events, music performances and dramas are organized. It will be perfect if you visit Majuli at the time of Krishna Janmashtami and Raas Leela. The Ali-ai-ligang festival is held between Feb-March and Paal Namm festival at the end of winter.

Stay Options at Majuli Assam

You can stay at Prashanti Eco-tourism Resort which was recently developed by Assam tourism or the government circuit house. But to make your stay unique, the entire island offers private stilt cottages that offer homestays to visitors. I would recommend you to stay at ”La Mansion de Ananda” – Danny’s Hut. It is a Mishing Tribe-styled bamboo hut built by 2 French architects located in the Garmaour area. It’s a budget-priced cottage with delicious home-cooked food available.

Prashanti Eco-tourism Resort Majuli river island Assam

The journey to this beautiful island starts with a ferry from Neamati Ghat. Going boating in the majestic Brahmaputra is probably one of the best experiences one can have. The ferry takes around 2 hours to reach Kamalabari Ghat and to witness the glorious views of the mighty Brahmaputra. I would suggest being on the upper deck rather than sitting inside. Here, people stand with their cars, bikes, cattle etc. that are also being ferried along. On reaching you will get shared taxis to reach Majuli which is another half hour away.

Ferry to reach Majuli River Island Assam

On the way to Majuli, you can immediately feel the peacefulness of the surroundings—the earthy fragrance of village clay, unique stilt houses, and locals cycling along narrow paths. It was exactly what I had longed to experience.

Given that I had just a single day to explore Majuli’s beauty, I began exploring the nearby areas as soon as I arrived. The island can be explored either on foot or by renting a bicycle. While I was taking pictures of the scenery, a group of local kids noticed me. They asked if I could take their pictures with my “big camera”—the DSLR hanging around my neck. We quickly became friends, and they happily showed me around their entire village.

Majuli Assam

My new friends at Majuli Assam

More and more of their friends joined and at one time it was about 15 kids around me. Their love and affection towards me cannot be described in words. It was one of the most amazing days of my life. Assamese people don’t lag behind in generosity and it comes naturally.

  They kept increasing in no’s

Almost all homes in Majuli are made from bamboo, elevated on concrete pillars about two to three feet above the ground to prevent water from seeping in. During the monsoon season, much of the village becomes submerged, with water levels rising as high as 3-4 feet. As a result, locals rely on self-made bamboo ferries to commute to and from their homes, adapting seamlessly to the seasonal floods.

Transport means to reach house

The island houses several villages that are mainly inhabited by the Mishing tribe, the Deoris and the Ahoms, Mishing being the largest in population. They are very helpful people and love inviting visitors to their homes and offer apong or rice beer.

Fishing time at Majuli Assam

Majuli is not only famous for its beautiful landscape but also for cultural celebrations. Every year Majuli notices a lot of tourists just to experience festivals like Raas Mahotsav, Paal Namm, and Ali-ai-ligang. Majuli is also famous for its mask-making and pottery.

Villagers at Majuli Assam

You can also get a glimpse of the Neo-Vaishnavate culture that still exists here in the Satras and there are 22 of those. Garamurh Satra, Kamalabari Satra, Dakhinpat Satra, Auniati Satra, etc. just to name a few are the prominent satras of this beautiful island. The best place for cultural programs is Kamalabari Satra.

Cute kid at Majuli Assam

Being a wetland, Majuli is a biodiversity hot spot for flora and fauna, sheltering many rare and endangered species of birds. The island is a birdwatcher’s paradise with storks, pelican, and cranes being spotted here.

Kids of Majuli Assam

Due to the remote and inaccessible conditions, commercialization has barely touched Majuli. It feels like stepping back in time to the ’70s or ’80s. The island is its complete world—spacious, free, and entirely disconnected from the hustle of modern life, untouched by urbanization. It’s the kind of magical place a seasoned traveller would gladly trade a few years of life just to witness and experience, even if only once.

 Cycling is so much fun here at Majuli Assam

As the climatic conditions are changing drastically, it is very much possible that the whole of Majuli Island could become nothing but just plain water. So I would recommend you visit it as early as possible before it completely disappears. In a life where everyone is on their feet and is in a race to earn money, Majuli comes across as a reminder to stop, breathe and live. Life is a bit tough in Majuli but the people of Majuli are full of life. They will help you remember that no matter how tough are the circumstances when there is a will there is a way.

Beautiful Majuli Village

Looking for a small trek in the Northeast. You can check out Double Decker living root bridge

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