Majuli Festival in Assam

Majuli festival, celebrated in the north east side of the country, in the state of Assam. The place to celebrate the festival is the bank of River Luit, which happens to have the biggest river island in the world. This festival starts on the 21st of November each year and continues to the 24th of the same month. The sub divisional headquarters of the Majuli Island, Garmur is well known for its ethereal scenic beauty where this festival is observed. A number of cultural programmes are organized during the festival by a number of cultural groups of Majuli as well as from other parts of the state of Assam. During the Majuli festival, one can see a number of ethnic groups taking part in the celebration. Majuli is just 20 km away from Jorhat, and is already famous for its flora and fauna, other than the festival itself.

History of the Festival

Majuli, for a long time has been the cultural capital of Assam and therefore, it has a number of cultural and religious traditions, running from the 16th century . The Majuli festival showcases the traditions through the performances of the native groups and exhibitions, where the remnants of the old traditions are displayed. For example, the tribes of Majuli use the same technique of making burnt clay pottery as it used to be done by the Harappan people. The pottery, weapons and other items are displayed as a part of the festivities.

Duration of the Festival

The festival lasts for 4 days from 21st to 24th November.

Highlights/ Important Rituals of the Festival

The festival is a celebration of the tradition of the people of the region and beyond. There are no actual rituals, but cultural performances and display of various traditional products of Assam.

• A food festival is also held as part of celebration, where different tribal foods are cooked and can be bought.
• Seminars are organized where discussion on relevant issues are done.
• Special events are organized where classical performances from all over the country can be seen.
• Since the region is a melting pot of many tribes and ethnic races, one can see a number of groups sharing space under the Majuli sky.