The Island Of Masks

A pink cycle may be an unusual mode of transport. But, boy, it can take you places—to lovely villages on India’s largest river island, to a rice beer quaffing session, to historical centres of tradition and art.

- Jitaditya Narzary

The sun felt more unforgiving than expected, although cycling after so many years was probably another reason for my exhaustion. However, my spirit was not affected as it was Phagun, the first Indian calendar month of spring when the sky is set ablaze by silk cotton blossoms and hormones dictate the terms of young (and not-so-young) hearts. Majuli is, in fact, the perfect place to experience the advent of the Indian winter and spring, as it remains minimally touched by urbanisation and nature is visibly raw and resplendent.

I had arrived in Majuli the previous evening after the customary motorboat ride. This would have been a piece of banal detail in any other place. In Majuli, it is an experience in itself. Boats are the only way to reach the island that is in danger of losing its status of being one of the world’s largest river islands due to continuous erosion by the Brahmaputra. Nevertheless, the mighty Brahmaputra is also what makes this boat ride memorable. Even in the dry winter, it is vast enough to make the other bank invisible and the currents are strong enough to make this short ride last more than an hour. I paid a minuscule fare of ₹15 for a one-way trip from Nematighat near Jorhat to Kamalabari Ghat in Majuli. This is a fixed rate that is mentioned clearly on a notice board. However, a closer look at the same board revealed some interesting details. The board mentions the rates for many other items, including cycles, personal vehicles and commercial vehicles. It also has rates for cows, horses, pigs, goats, chicken, ducks, and, most astonishingly, elephants! I am not sure why anyone would take an elephant to Majuli but I think this little detail is a remnant of times gone by when elephants performed most of the tasks now done by cranes and trucks.