Majuli island in Assam

rebecca0

Hello,

I am a french girl, and I prepare a travel in Assam. This is my first travel alone.
The aim of my travel is to meet the monks from Majuli. An association help me financially, but I need information about them, although I examined.
Do you know association or other that protect Majuli? (préserver Majuli, MIPADC). Have you information about?

What vaccines are advised?
During July and August, how is the monsoon?

I take all information!

And I am sorry beacause I don't speack engilsh very weel, thus I hope that you understant what I want to say!

Thanks you very much

Reemus

Hi Rebecca,

There could be floods all over in Assam between July and August. You should be ready for it. Keep your travel plans flexible when in Assam.

Though I have no experience on this topic, try to research about vaccinations for malaria, and water borne diseases like Hepatitis.

I have not idea about the monks...

Cheers
Reemus

Payeng

Hi..


I hope that I am not late in my reply.

I have spent my childhood visitng my grand parents every year on the Majuli Island..

Here is some information from my side:

>> Majuli is flooded every year during the months May-August.

>> The best time to visit Majuli would be between Oct-March

>> The Monks can be visited at their "Satras" or or monasteries constructed by the revered Assamese saint Srimanta Sankardeva who also was the founder of the Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture, initiated around 15th century.

These "Satra's" are scattered around a place called "Kamalabari", which can be located easily once you land on the island.

edwardseco

There is no vaccination for malaria althought there is one in the works for partial effectiveness for children being tried in Africa. The area of preventives is a huge topic on the health forum so please research that. There is no auyomatic recommendation on that, sadly. As a general rule for South Asia: Typhoid, Hep. A & B, and Tetanus are recommended.

Actually, your English is good. You will likely need to learn some Bengali..

edwardseco

Why did I mention Bengali, must have been late at night..

delhiwala

www.majuli.org

Majuli Island Protection & Development Council
68 South Avenue
New Delhi-110 011
Tel: +91-11-23792214

Sapta Sahid Road
GS Road, Mathura Nagar
Guwahati 781006
Tel: +91-361-2331937
Fax: +91-361-2611081

e-mail: drarunkrsarma@Mail.com, mipadc1@rediffmail.com

__________________
Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. - The Dhammapada

ocean020

Hi Rebecca,

As several other posters have mentioned, Majuli will be flooded from June till September. Brahmaputra during monsoon is to be feared and you will find very few people in Majuli during that time. Majuli loses a lot of land every year due to erosion during monsoon.. A very sorry state of affair given that Majuli's culture is in need of preservation and the government is doing nothing to protect the island from floods.

Assam is very wet area and as such water related problems are common. Malaria, jaundice (hepatitis) are some of the diseases and if possible, do get vaccination against them. Use a mosquito net at night and odomos or other repellent during day.

While you are in Majuli, apart from Satras & the soil erosion problem, do check out the different types of rice that only grow there. There are also many bird species but the best time for bird watching is during winters.

Hope this helps
Ocean

shahronakm

Thanks Delhiwala for the link & addresses.

Ronak.

__________________
My Picture Gallery

rebecca0

Hello!
Thanks for your answers, and no problem for the english, I can understand.
Thus Majuli island is completely flood during july and august? How do the population? Do people force to leave the island?
We had nevertheless already said to me that it was possible to travel there even during the monsoon, although it is difficult.

I have ever founded much informations about the assamese culture, and I have ever visited your link, and contacted the mipadc too.
In fact, my project is to discover the assamese culture and his protection, in particular majuli and the satras. I have to do a study about. But if Majuli is flood during my travel, Can I visit the others satras outside Majuli?

And I know the name of satras, don't worry! ;-)

Thank, I hope that you will not have too many difficulties to understand my English!

CANADON

Last year Majuli had major flooding and thousands of people displaced and various forms of disaster relief had to be brought in.If you google "majuli island floods 2008" you'll see a lot of news stories about it and the extent of the flooding.
I certainly don't want to discourage you from ever visiting.I spent a week there staying at a satra and visiting some of the others and it was a lovely place.The only other tourist staying on the island when I was there was an Italian woman who was staying at the satra's doing research for academic reasons.I was there at the end of March 2007 and the weather then was sunny and dry.

delhiwala

No ! Even during Monsoons people live at Majuli ? Where will they go ?

KonfuSed

Hi Rebacca,
I'll be going to Assam during April and if possible will visit Majuli too. I'll try to gather as much information possible and will let you know.
BTW, yes, during Monsoon it'll be really difficult to navigate majuli as many of the parts will be flooded and mode of transportation will surely be hampered.
There are other Satra's outside Majuli and I'll gather info about them too.
Regards,

rebecca0

Thank you very much Konfused !!
Good trip, and I'm waiting for your informations!

Travel_hungry

Hi Rebecca,
As an assamese I would like to thank you for the noble cause you mentioned in the thread and welcome you to Majuli. If you need more information(already u have a lot, i think ), please let me know..monsoon season should be avoided....rest all be fine...
best wishes
Traval Hungry

stewgreen

- I was in Majuli last month for one week
I didn't find it so special ...compared to the Assam mainland.

-The Anthropology head of Guwahati university gave me a lot of contact information for the Satras (many also exist off the island) as I don't have much interest in the religion.

- It's more interesting for the Vaisenaite pilgrims, for tourists there is not much to see. The halls are mostly plain although contrary to the idea that thee are no deities there and a few shrines and statues. The ceremonies seem mostly repetitive chanting and drum banging to me.

- My Polish friend Antoni spent 1 month this year at one Satra and he said the monks were kind and sincere, but maybe focused on strange "cleanliness rules"

- For me the highlight was the opportunity to experience local Meshing tribal culture and try their food like pork and drink very good rice wine called Porro Apong. The tribal people run a guesthouse

- I was able to arrive from the south by ferry and leave to the north by taking a ferry at Luit Ghat (only 10Km north as the island is thin at that point) 50m then a bus 5KM and then another ferry 150m to another bus. I suppose the north route will be closed. Though one thing is when the river is higher it is easiest to get around as the boats don't get trapped in shallow waters. Of course many times the river current might be strong making boating difficult.

- I spoke to my doctor friends in Sibsagr and they said not to worry Malaria doesn't occur often remember there is TB but British people are usually already vaccinated from birth. There are armed soldiers patrolling and the odd "terrorist event"
there was at grenade attack at Garmurh Thana a few days ago.

- Be careful with NGO's people say that many are corrupt.

- I speak French.

bye