Cock-a-doodle-do…..Cock-a-doodle-do…it’s not even 5:00 O’clock in the morning…the roosters crow go louder and louder …….I was still sleepy and slothful but somehow dragged my lazy body to the window and opened it…a cold breeze gently touches my face and quietly stirs past my ears; I hear a murmur as if the nature wants to tell me something. I closed my eyes and took a long breath...aahhhh...the freshness in the air….I felt lost for a moment. The sun is yet to rise, I can’t see beyond few meters, it’s little fuzzy but I can hear indistinct sound of people talking at distant and walking briskly, I can hear people running on the road, I can hear the bird’s chirp. I put on my slippers and moved out of my house only to take my slipper off again and walk barefooted on the small Bermuda grass (Dubori Bon) and move towards the road. I don’t know if my grand mother was right or not to tell us that walking barefooted on Bermuda grass is good for eyesight but surely it feels so amazing, I can’t explain the cold touch of moist grass with dew on it, just like I can’t explain my emotions when I sense the smell of first rain hitting the ground. I put my slipper on as I hit the road … good morning Sir …morning…. morning ...I nod my head and look up, saw a group of my students passing by rapidly…Sir you are late today…someone from the group shouted as they disappear in to the fog.

There is something about the mornings in a village, you feel so connected to the nature, you feel full of life, you feel yourselves. I lived a fair amount of my short life in cities (4years in Jalandhar, 1 year in Delhi, 3 Years in Guwahati, 1 year in Dibrugarh and 1 year in Jorhat) but too much hustle and bustle of the city life does not suit me. I know this is not the case for everybody. I remember an incident – I got a call from an old friend of mine from engineering days, Rajesh (from Bihar) and asked me – “ Deva, how is Digboi, my company provides machinery to oil companies at Digboi and there is some issue with one of our machine and I had to visit”. I informed him that it’s a nice little town, lots of greenery, little hilly but beautiful and there is nothing to worry. He again call me after few days and yelled “ Deva yaar kaha aa gya, bas jungle he jungle hai”. And that day I got it; nature is not for everyone.

For the past three years I am residing at Majuli, the largest river island in the world, an island surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra River, one of the most significant cultural places in Assam known for preserving a lot of Assamese culture and traditions in its purest form. Apart form its cultural wealth, nature has its hand on the head of Majuli.

If you are at Majuli and are tired of a busy, hectic day; then rush to the banks of the Brahmaputra (Burha Luit), make your way through the vetivers (Birina Bon) or the beautiful Kans grass (Kahua Bon) sit and enjoy the sunset.  You may hear someone playing flute faraway and will forget yourselves in the glittering waves as the last rays from the sun strikes the overflowing Burha Luit. You will hear the fishermen singing their heart out far away in the river, you may not grasp what they are singing but will feel the soul of the fading songs.

If you want to explore various cultures of our diverse nation, you must once visit Majuli. You get to learn about our culture, our traditions and heritages and also relish the nature and its beauty.

I would like to tell a lot more, I would like to tell about the the internationally acclaimed mask making traditional craft and the story of the man behind it; the Padmashree Awardee Hemchandra Goswami, I would like to tell about the four Satras and the famous four day Rass festival celebrating Lord Krishna’s life and teachings, I would like to tell you about the peace your heart shall find beholding the yellow sea of blooming mustered plants, I keep that for another day. For now, thank you for you patient read.