A River Of Gods And Men

A cruise down Assam's mighty Brahmaputra River is a chance to witness centuries-old flow of reverence and transience.

- Diya Kohli

You have to recognise the waters. Here, GPS and maps don't work as the islands appear and disappear and the depths keep changing," says Bimal Mondol, the man who steers our vessel, the ABN Charaidew II, expertly across the meanders and bends of the Brahmaputra River in Assam. "That is why we need someone to always be on the lookout and guide us along through shallow silted areas and submerged sandbanks." This is no mean feat on a river that is as wild as it is unpredictable and requires a team of two-a master and a pilot-to be able to traverse its ever-morphing channels. For 22 years, Mondol has been navigating the waters of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers on survey vessels and barges. However, unlike the former, the Brahmaputra is wild, eluding confinement by exact coordinates.

It is early December and we are standing at the busy Neamati Ghat near Jorhat, ready to embark on the weeklong & Beyond Assam Brahmaputra Cruise. The ecotourism giant partnered with Indo-British company Assam Bengal Navigation (ABN) for its first Indian cruise and the careful itinerary reflects their shared values regarding land, community and wildlife conservation.