• This photo feature tells you about the very exciting river cruise along the Brahmaputra River i.e. also a great way to experience Assam.  

Having been born and brought up in the gateway city of North East India – Guwahati still evokes images of the mighty Brahmaputra river meandering through much of the city and of those joyful days when as kids we would play beach cricket on the sandy stretches of the river bank. There was also a wild side to this river in that with the onset of the monsoon season, the river’s fury and turbulence would inundate large parts of the state of Assam, flooding almost all the riverside towns. The perennial problem of flooding of the Brahmaputra valley still continues unabated despite the best efforts of the conservation authorities.

The Brahmaputra River is no ordinary river and on the basis of the length of the river (2,900 Kms.), it is one of Asia’s principal rivers and perhaps the most turbulent. It originates from the icy glaciers of the Himalayas, passes through much of Tibet, the North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and finally merges with the holy Ganga and empties into the Bay of Bengal. 

When it passes through Tibet, the river is known as Yarlung Zangbo river, the stretch of the river as it passes through the mountaneous state of Arunachal Pradesh is referred to as the Dihang river and when it merges with the Ganga, it shapes up the Sunderban delta, which incidentally happens to be the world’s largest riverine delta that for centuries has been the exclusive preserve of the rare and endangered Royal Bengal Tigers. 

An important facet of this river is that while most rivers in India and eslwhere in the world are regarded as females, this river stands out as the only male river in the world. The very word – “Brahmaputra” literally means “son of Lord Brahma”.

For decades together, the mandarins of Indian Tourism industry have pondered about the pros and cons of harnessing the true potential of river Brahmaputra as a means of attracting tourists. But nothing much materialized. For years, adventerous rafters from distant corners of the world (USA, UK, Germany) would come with all their logistics and embark on white water rafting, particularly on the lower reaches of the river where the turbulent rapids are ideal for river rafting.

However all these deadlocks were brushed aside with the launch of the Assam Bengal Navigation Company in the year 2003, which is an Indo-British joint venture. They started operating high quality river cruises not only in the Brahmaputra River but also on the river Hugli in the neighboring state of West Bengal, thereby earning accolades from the Tourism industry.

One of the finest moments in the history of North East India’s sagging Tourism industry was when the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India conferred the most coveted “National Tourism Award for Innovation” in the year 2004-05 to the Assam Bengal Navigation Company. From then onwards, there has been no looking back and the ABNC has gone from strength to strength with offices not only in India but also in countries like UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, France and Italy from where they receive the lion’s share of cruise bookings.

As a Travel Writer, I was offered the rare privelege of embarking on a ten Night cruise covering the colonial town of Dibrugarh, Ahom capital of Sibsagar, island of Majuli, Kaziranga National Park, ancient city of Tezpur and the mecca of Assam’s burgeoning Silk industry – Sualkochi. 

Before I take you on the roller coaster cruise along the river, it would perhaps be apt to mention that the river Brahmaputra along with the Ganga and Hugli rivers used to be the vital transportation channels of the British East India Company. However with the partition of 1947 and the emergence of the railways, this rather fascinating mode of water transport was put on the backburner.

Brown colored boat is for cruises around Guwahati.

I reached Dibrugarh town after an overnight’s train journey from Guwahati and was escorted to a waiting cab by one of the representatives of the Assam Bengal Navigation Company. A brisk 3.5 hours drive past quaint Assamese countryside and lush green tea gardens brought us to the Neamati Ghat jetty where the vessel – “Charaidew” was moored.

In another half an hour’s time the Charaidew began its long voyage all the way to Guwahati and like all long distance cruises, there was excitement in the air. A group of visitors from UK, all IT professionals and two NRI families along with the crew made up the party. 

Upper deck. Boat behind in white is Charaidev. 

As the vessel meandered its way through the river, I sat on the sundeck with a beer can accompanied by a guest from UK who revealed that he was undertaking the voyage so as to rekindle the memories of his grandfather who had worked in a renowned Tea Garden of Assam and passed away soon after the 1947 partition. He had the address of the graveyard where his grandfather was buried and the ever friendly ABNC staff had promised to take him there so that he could pay his homage to his ancestors.

As the luxury vessel cruised along, the fascinating riverside views dotted with charming Assamese villages and the appearnace of small towns made for a truly ethereal sight. One of the smartly dressed crew members introduced me to the luxurious ambience of the vessel’s interiors. 

In all there were 12 luxuriously appointed cabins that had all the modern amenities that a discerning guest would look forward to. Along with airconditioners, each cabin was equipped with a shower cubicle and the interiors were designed ethnically with a harmonious blend of bamboo and wood. I especially liked the indegenously manufactured rattan chairs for their comfort. The cabins being on the Upper Deck meant that one had access to the panoramic riverside views from the comfortable confines of the cabins viz-a-viz the spacious sliding windows.

I was ushered into the well stocked bar also on the Upper Deck where the choicest of liquors and spirits was readily available. As far as the cuisine is concerned, it can range from the very best of Assamese to the nouveau Indian and Continental.

Shiv Temple Sivasagar. 

Our first stop was at the medieval city of Sibsagar.  In the days of yore Sibsagar was a military bastion of the mighty Ahom rulers who ruled supreme for more than 600 years. Sibsagar is one of Assam’s principal centers of tea and oil. It is here that the regional headquarters of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission is located.  

Rang Ghar Jayanagar was built by Ahom king P Singha (1744-1751) for watching games and cultural programs. 

Modern day Sibsagar is a town, which is rapidly developing into one of the most vibrant towns of Upper Assam. This charming town which is also a District of the same name has earned the distinction of having the highest number of oil fields in Assam.

Canons at Talatalaghar or Underground Palace. 

After a leisurely bout of sight seeing in Sibsagar, we once again hopped into Charaidew for our onward journey.

Blue Sky at Silghat, tea garden and jute mill.

Welcome to Majuli Island.  

On Day 3 our vessel anchored at Majuli – the world’s largest riverine island. Here we sampled the very best of Assam’s rich socio-religious tradition and heritage viz a viz the monasteries and witnessed the unique dance and drama performance enacted by the locals.  

Naamghar in Majuli is where people pray. Centre of hall is kept the Bhagwatam. 

According to our well-informed guide, Majuli has been short listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site (Natural) and it is just a matter of time for Majuli to be conferred with that coveted status.  As we returned to our vessel we cruised along the river for another two hours before anchoring for our night halt.

Sun set at Majuli. Pic by Ravi Venkateshwar.

Reflection of Cottages in water during sunset at Majuli.  

Day 4 was largely spent cruising and to break the monotony of the cruise, we made a brief halt at Jamuguri, renowned for its fascinating tribal population. We spent an hour or so going on soft treks along the narrow winding village alleyways and chatting up with the innocent village folks.

Homes are built on stilts because of the river that inundates the land during the monsoons. Some homes had a small boat too.

In stilt area of some homes they keep a textile loom. 

The guests from UK especially were taken aback by the richness of the dwellers of Jamuguri and the sight of the womenfolk plying on their indigenous looms to produce exotically designed shawls. It was a kind of an eye-opener for them as it was for me.

Rhinoceros at Kaziranga National Park.

If have time visit some of the Satras in Majuli esp. where masks are made.

By late afternoon we had reached the outer contours of the world famous Kaziranga National Park, the last remaining habitat of the rare and endangered One–horned Rhinoceros. One of our guests sighted the elusive Rhino and there was a herd of spotted Deers on a marshy stretch that grazed on the lush evergreen grassland. This was just the tip of the iceberg as far as the fascination with Kaziranga is concerned. The best was yet to come.

Bamboos that are taken to the market are lashed together and floated down the river. 

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up to a cacophony of bird sounds and after freshning up had our breakfast on the Upper Deck. All the while, our vessel was literally gliding with the flow of the river. 

Today (Day 5) was to be a big day for all of us as it would be our first real brush with Kaziranga’s wilderness. Two 4 Wheel Drive vehicles were waiting to transport us to the Western Range of the Kaziranga National Park.

As we rattled along the meandering jungle trail on our four-wheeled drive through the foggy landscape, there was a nip in the air and as we traveled deep inside the forest we became excited at the sight of untamed One-Horned Rhinos grazing in the grasslands of Kaziranga. As we traversed deeper inside the forest, we spotted varied species like the Hollock Gibbons, Capped Langurs (they are cute), Bristly Hare, Sloth Bears, the Swamp Deer, Sambhar and Barasingha. If luck is on your side, you might even spot the elusive Gangetic Dolphins that are a treat to watch.

After a fun filled day out in the wilderness of Kaziranga, we returned weary and tired to our luxurious vessel. After freshening up and a stimulating pre dinner drinks session we savored the very best of Assamese cuisine. That night we all slept like logs and the memories of the day’s eventful trip in the haunting wilderness of Kaziranga made us enthralled with the mystery that is Kaziranga.

Early next morning, as the vessel had covered enough nautical miles to be in close proximity to Kaziranga’s Central Range meant more wildlife adventures awaiting us for the day.  Apart from the early morning elephant rides and jungle safaris, a visit to Tea Garden Estates was truly a very rewarding experience.    

We undertook a leisurely trek, along the border of Hathikuli tea estate, accompanied by a naturalist. The breathtaking sight of hundreds of women plucking tealeaves on to their cane baskets hanging at their backs was straight out of the “Garden of Eden”.

Sari at Sualkochi. 

The last three days were spent hopping and sight seeing in places like Tezpur, Guwahati and Sualkochi, each one more interesting than the other. While Tezpur with its lush green tea gardens and its proximity to Orang National Park was terrific so was the capital city of Assam – Guwahati, with the holy Kamakshya Temple perched atop the Nilachal Hills. For the quintessential Tantrik believers, this temple is the ultimate. 

As the gateway city of the North East India, Guwahati has indeed come of age. Trendy multi cuisine restaurants, neon lit bars, deluxe hotels and a youth brigade which is constantly evolving to the demands of the new age are characteristic features of the city.

For shopping, Guwahati has numerous centrally located markets like the Fancy Bazaar, Paltan Bazaar, Ulubari, Ganeshguri and GNB Road. A popular haunt of the tourists to Guwahati is the Assam State Emporium and we purchased a few Bamboo and cane products. The guests from UK were more interested in the traditionally manufactured shawls, wall hangings and fancy Assamese hats.

How to reach Guwahati

Guwahati is well connected by air, rail and road to the rest of India.

For the Brahmaputra cruise contact Assam Bengal Navigation Company, E-mail: assambengal@rediffmail.com 

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Pictures are courtesy Assam Bengal Navigation Company, Noni Chawla and esamskriti.

Also see albums

1. Brahmaputra River Cruise

2. Majuli Satras and Landscape

3. Temples of Guwahati

4. Saris of Sualkuchi

5. Masks of Majuli Chamaguri Satra

6. Hand-made pottery making at Majuli

7. Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalashetra Guwahati

8. Kamakhya Temple

9. Kaziranga National Park

10. Lachit Borphukan Memorial Jorhat

11. Temples of Sivasagar