Majuli Island Sightseeing

Kamalabari Satra : Kamalabari Satra was founded by Bedulapadma Ata. TIt is the center of culture, art, literature and classical studies for many long years and even continues to do so. This satra has produced many great figures in the state in the culture sector. This Satra has many well-known artists like Muktiyar Bayan and Late Maniram Dutta who had contributed a lot towards upliftment of the classical dance status of Assam. There are many artists and disciples who are trained in this satra and they perform both on national and international platform. This satra is a must visit when you are in Majuli and the people are so friendly here that you will get to know a lot about their lifestyle and culture . This place is also popular for crafting many beautiful boats and designing sculptures of mythological characters.

Dakhinpat Satra : The Dakhinpat Satra is a very popular satra on the Majuli Island of the state of Assam. This Satra was established in the year 1584 by Vamshigopal who was a disciple of Sri Vanamalidev. Thousands of devotees visit this satra from all over the world to experience the serenity of the place. The entrance gate of the satra is being engraved with animal forms, religious motifs and several beautiful flower forms. Many beautiful paintings and sculptures can also be seen on the inner walls of the satra. Dakhinpat Satra is considered to be a home for dances which is a contribution of Sri Sankardeva. The monks living in the satras are known as Bhakats who spend their entire life in the devotion of the Lord. The satradhikars put in a lot of efforts in the preservation of the manuscripts and relics that are written on the bark of the Sanchi tree. This satra celebrates Rasotsava with a lot of passion and grandeur. This festival is considered as one of the vital festivals of the state of Assam. This place is a clear insight to the art and culture that prevails in Majuli.

Garmur Satra : The Garamur Satra is one of the royal satras of the Majuli Island. It is considered a prominent holy site and was established in the year 1656 AD by Jayaharideva. This historic satra has a very solemn ambience. Earlier there were two Garmurs which were later merged into one. This Vaishnavite site in Majuli houses many ancient articles and artifacts which help people in getting a deeper insight to the religious beliefs of the people here. Sri Sri Pitambardev Goswami was the person who initiated the conversion of this monastic institution into a semi monastic one. There is a common prayer hall in the satra where the devotees gather together to seek the blessings of the almighty. The satra is maintained in a clean and tidy manner and the solitude of the place imparts peace to one’s mind and soul. Several forms of cultural activities are organized at the Garamur Satra,one of which is the Raslila festival. Both men and women take part in this grand occasion which is however considered against the rules of the other satras.

Auniati Satra : Sultanla, an Ahom ruler had established the Auniati Satra in the year 1653 AD. The idol being worshipped at this satra is Lord Krishna who is also known by the name of Govinda. This idol was originally brought from Jagannath Puri and was installed here. This famous satra has got twelve branches in several parts of the state and the main branch is located at North Guwahati. This satra is considered as the epicenter of Satriaya and Vaishnavism culture in Assam. Apart from carrying out the day to day holy activities, the satra is also engaged in many other activities like satriaya dances and songs; preaching various religious works and other works on bibliography of the Vaishnavite saints. On your visit here you can experience the devotional performances that are organized to please Lord Krishna. The main prayer of this satra starts from the morning and continues till the evenings. Special occasions and festivals being celebrated at the satra comprise of Bohag Bihu, Janmashtami, Holi, Kati Bihu, Paal naam and many others. Many cultural programs are organized during these special events at the satra.

Mask Making : Assam has a long tradition of mask making, it developed in the response to Neo–Vaisnavism, initiated by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th century. These masks were developed for it to be used in the Bhaona's (Traditional drama of Assam). The art of making masks was prevalent in Satras for centuries, presently the Samaguri Satra is world-famous for its mask crafts.

These masks or (Mukha) are of various kinds like– Mukh mukha (mask covering the face), Bor mukha (mask+costume, covers whole of the body), and Suti Su Mukha (smaller than Bor muka, but more compact) and are made of biodegradable materials such as bamboo, cane, potter's clay (Kumar mati), cow dung, jute fiber, paper cloth etc.[2] It usually takes a period of 10 to 15 days to make one mask and traditionally hengul and haital were used for colouring the masks, but presently due to inavailability of those materials water-colour and chemical dyes are also in use.[3][4] Till recent decades, the masks were stiff and didn't allow the actor to portray any facial expression but innovations brought by Padma Shri awardee Dr. Hemachandra Goswami has changed this. Despite its cultural significance, it is not widely embraced. This art is only prevalent in Upper Assam, especially in Majuli island, and only managed to survive in a plenty of Satras.