Majuli, the largest inhabited river island in the world, is a land mass of over 420 square
kilometres in the middle of the Subansiri and the Brahmaputra rivers. Within the
boundaries of this tropical river island exists a plethora of cultural diversity. We often say
that the more time you spend here, the more and more magical it appears to be. Majuli
is a destination best experienced by the slow traveller who sinks into the “laahe laahe”
(slow and content) life of Assam.
Of the many secrets it holds, here is one significant practice of the river island that may
look very simple at first glance but only when you learn more about it in some detail do
you understand the importance of it, as well as the challenges it faces.
The art of making earthen pots in the village called Salmora is one that is passed down
through generations. There is no recorded history of when and how it was introduced
here, but it is believed that the Kumar potters migrated to Majuli (during the Ahom reign)
from the banks of Sadiya around the 13th century looking for suitable clay. What is very
interesting and unique about the form of pottery practiced in Majuli is that the
techniques used for making these pots are the same as the ones used in the Harappan
and Mohenjo Daro civilisations. Archaeologists believe that Majuli’s pottery offers a
missing link between these civilisations during which the pottery industry flourished.
