Jorhat, March 13: A book, claiming to have A to Z on Majuli in English named The Treasure Trove on River Island Majuli, was released at a function here today.
The book has been compiled by filmmaker and writer Charu Kamal Hazarika who said it is a complete database on all spheres of Majuli.
The book has been published by Majuli Island Protection and Development Council, an NGO. It was released by Upper Assam commissioner S.I. Hussain, who is also the chief executive officer of the Majuli Cultural Landscape Management Authority.
Hazarika said information provided in the book was collected with active support from the 20 gaon panchayat secretaries and presidents and also officials of different government departments of the island.
The council having former MP Arun Sarmah as its patron had first mooted the idea to push for inclusion of the island on World Heritage List about 12 years back and had been campaigning for the Brahmaputra island’s protection and preservation of the culture practised in it.
Hazarika said he had first prepared a set of questionnaires and distributed it to the gaon panchyat office-bearers of the island, collected preliminary data of each gaon panchyat and then visited the areas and verified the information provided to him.
He said the book with 10 chapters spread over 200 pages with large number of photographs, contains profiles of each and every xatra (Vaishnavite monastery) of the island.
It has minute details of all the 30 xatras of Majuli concerning the different art and dance forms, list of artistes in the island, and list of all social and cultural organisations active in the island.
Hazarika said the book has information on formation of the island, seasonal changes undergone by the natural landscape, herbal, medicinal and other plants, resident and migratory bird species, flora and fauna of Majuli.
Claiming the book to be the first of its kind, Hazarika said the book also contains list of doctors, nurses, Ayurveda practitioners and even those practising the age-old bejali (traditional method of healing). He said the present economic activities and those that could be potential for initiating development schemes in the coming days have also been provided in the book.
“Tourism is one sector that has great scope. The demography, unique culture and its countless waterbodies being a hotspot for a variety of birds, Majuli could attract tourists from within India and abroad,” the writer said.
Hussain in his address, said the book would promote Majuli and was “very timely” as the island’s bid for inclusion in World Heritage Site list was under way this year with a fresh dossier on the island already submitted to Unesco’s headquarters in Paris.
