The effect of such large-scale changes in morphology of the Brahmaputra is evident in the socioeconomic fabric of Majuli. Guwahati 781006 On the other hand, central Kamlabari is the only place in Majuli that has remained entirely unaffected by erosion, resulting in not just new settlements, but also in numerous refugee colonies that are occupied by villagers displaced because of riverbank erosion on the rest of the island. Fishing is also among the main industry after agriculture. Majuli Island Protection & Development Council As time went on, his ideas spread to the whole of Assam. Forests and grasslands have increased because the local administration is actively trying to increase green cover on the island to combat soil erosion. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. New Delhi-110 011 above MSL. Majoli es también la … Baruah, B. K. 1994. 1998. [5] However, it is recognised by Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Largest River Island. In the next sixty years, the population of Majuli more than doubled to 167,304, but the area it occupied has been reduced by two-thirds (Census of India 2011). While most of the adherents become associated with some other satra, there are many who still maintain their allegiance to the original satra, even though it means they have to travel off Majuli to take part in the religious life of the satra. Map 3: Morphology of River Brahmaputra in 2000. Census of India 1951. The description of the island during the 19th century has been given based on various written reports. Whereas the changes in the island during 20th century have been assessed in detail at different parts of the island by superimposing the bank lines of 1917, 1966–1972, 1996 and 2001 and subdividing the island into an array of twenty-six 5′ latitude×5′ longitude blocks. In 1917, the island had an area of 751.31 km2, which gradually shrank to 564.01 km2 in 1966–1972, 453.76 km2 in 1996 and 421.65 km2 in 2001. The Majuli Island: Society Economy and Culture. This extraordinary longevity was recognized by the state government when the Majuli Cultural Heritage Act was passed by the State Assembly of Assam in 2006, which granted Majuli the status of a Cultural Heritage Site of India. The larger swamps owe their origin to pre-existing rivers. Map 7: Land Use Pattern of Majuli in 2015.

Treaty of Majuli’s main terms of settlement were. Goswami, D. 2008.

For centuries, the Brahmaputra has been shaping the culture and economy of Assamese society. While in the 1920s, the Brahmaputra River occupied an area of 4,000 square kilometers in Assam, today it occupies more than 6,000 square kilometers (WRD 2008). Granted status as a Cultural Heritage Site by the government of Assam in 2006, Majuli is one of the most populated river islands in the world, covering an area approximately 584 square kilometers and home to 167,304 people (Census of India 2011).

Majuli Island sits slap bang in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. Choudhury, R. N. 2011. “Shankardeva’s Philosophy of Religion.” In Srimanta Shankardeva and his Philosophy, edited by G. Barua. Kolkata, India: Cambridge India. A similar cult of Shiva worship is called Shaivism and the two cults have existed in every Hindu society. The Brahmaputra and one of its major tributaries, the Dihing, once flowed parallel and close to each other. While such an arrangement provides the displaced persons with a source of livelihood, it is by nature riddled with uncertainties as the owner of the land can at any time dismiss the laborers.

A neo-Vaishnavite place of worship is called naamghar, as opposed to temples for the rest of India. The Brahmaputra and one of its major tributaries, the Dihing, once flowed parallel and close to each other.

68 South Avenue The demand for land in Majuli is so high that even the areas along the riverbank have been used for housing. However, more recently, the river has been eroding land in the northeastern part of the island, which is shown by the red arrows on the maps. Copyright © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. The present study on Majuli, the largest river island of the Brahmaputra, aims at exploring its origin and geomorphological evolution during the last century. Since the earthquake, land along the riverbank has been eroding at an alarming rate.

The Brahmaputra River descends from a height of 2,450 m above sea level in the Himalayas to 135 m in Pasighat, a town in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, within a stretch of two kilometers (Figure 2). For centuries, the Brahmaputra River has annually flooded the island, but since the 1950 earthquake that struck the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, riverbank erosion has become the scourge of the land and its people.

From these three images we have digitized the morphology of the Brahmaputra River. Historically, culturally, and economically, the Brahmaputra can be regarded as the lifeline of Assam. For the rest of the year, the channel is mostly covered in sand and crisscrossed by numerous streams coming out of the main river, resulting in the formation of hundreds of sandy islets. It also ranks second only to the Hwang Ho, or Yellow River, of China in terms of sediment load. The island situates itself is in the state of Assam, mid-stream of the Great male river Brahmaputra river, which is also one of the largest rivers in the world. Among the fascinating arrays of rice produced are the Komal Saul, a unique type that can be eaten after immersing the grains in warm water for 15 minutes and usually eaten as a breakfast cereal; the bao dhan, that grows underwater and is harvested after ten months; and the Bora saul, a sticky brow… Neo-Vaishnavism quickly spread to the rest of Assam and became the major religion of the state. As the satras that operate off of Majuli cannot maintain the same level of control over its adherents from afar, the hold of neo-Vaishnavism among When the two rivers joined, the intervening land area formed the Majuli Island. This shift gives rise to changes in lifestyle, and the resultant loss of agricultural land has led to changes in the economic profile of the island. The rate of bank line shift has not been uniform throughout the island in time and space; migration leading to erosion along the Brahmaputra is dominant at the south bank, the maximum rate of retreat being 0.480 km/year. However, since this map was prepared, large-scale changes have taken place in the geography of the island, the most significant of which are in Ahatguri and Salmora panchayats. On a less sanguine note, Majuli is an island of natural hazards. The present study on Majuli, the largest river island of the Brahmaputra, aims at exploring its origin and geomorphological evolution during the last century. Majuli has a fairly large number of swamps and wetlands. Goyari, P. 2005. The geographical region of Majuli is North-East of India, which has seven states - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalya are a part of the greater sub llimalyan Region. These islets are locally known as “chapooris,” and though they are unfit for any permanent settlement, they are used during the dry season for the cultivation of sugarcane and mustard. Our subsequent maps show the trends and patterns of change that the course of the Brahmaputra has undergone in the past four decades—and the extent of erosion. Such a scenario, of shrinking space and expanding population, has put great strain on the land and people of Majuli, and this is manifest in the changing land-use and land-cover patterns of the island.

Sankardeva-Vasihnav Saint of Assam. Copyright © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The great Brahmaputra River courses through the highlands of Assam, a state in India’s far northeast. Secondly, neo-Vaishnavism is unique in its resistance to idol worship. It has mixed and morphed with many different religious currents all over the state. 1. However, this causes a dangerous situation during the rainy season, when hundreds of small streams crisscross the riverbank, submerging these new settlements. Immediately after the earthquake of 1950, the Brahmaputra started moving northwards, especially in the western, Ahatguri, part of the island. Gohain, H. 2006. Majuli Island | World's Largest River Island | Assam | Brahmaputra … The Brahmaputra and one of its major tributaries, the Dihing, once flowed parallel and close to each other.

Bigger and financially stronger satras, like the Auniati Satra, have managed to relocate inside Majuli—the Auniati Satra alone has relocated three times in the last fifty years—but many smaller satras either close down or move off of Majuli.

The average annual rate of erosion was 1.77 km2 from 1917 to 1972, 1.84 km2 from 1972 to 1996 and 6.42 km2 from 1996 to 2001, indicating a gradual increase in the rate of erosion in later periods. [6], From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "Origin and some geomorphological changes of Majuli Island of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India", "World's largest river island, Majuli, becomes India's first island district", "Majuli, world's largest river island is shrinking and sinking", 'A Capricious River, an Indian Island’s Lifeline, Now Eats Away at It', https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Majuli&oldid=5783832, Articles containing Assamese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Then the Koch king Nara Narayan, camping at Majuli, signed the The Treaty of Majuli with the Ahom king Sukhaamphaa, in the year 1563.