The Promise of a River: Mahabahu Brahmaputra

A cold hazy line forms at the end of the vision…vague and blurry it struggles to leave a mark on the vast expanse of the river. The sun, engulfed within the folds of a foggy sky, has given up on its hope of shining down. It's only noon, but the story is of an approaching night A Ro-Ro boat, haughtily moves forward cutting through an endless sameness.

It's a scene that cannot be visualised unless experienced. The motor of the boat, drowns every sound of its surrounding, as the hazy line, asserts its prominence, The vision steadies, a mass of land appears. A mystic dream on the bosom of the river. Sitting on tranquil waters, a bar of white sand …so immense that it seemed like a world in itself.

This isn't a poetic reminiscence or an imaginative endeavor of a creative mind, but rather an artistic impression sculptured by a river. A river so colossal that the prefix Mighty is its natural corollary… The mighty Brahmaputra. The river of "Bubbling Water", as Bishnu Rabha calls it or the Burha Luit is a majestic celebration of life and its many facets. The Brahmaputra and its varied moods have since time immemorial given this region a unique identity and way of life.

Even before blood began flowing through our veins, the Brahmaputra had flowed for a million years nurturing and shaping this region. For Assam, Brahmaputra is more than just a geographical entity, it is a forceful emotion etched in time. The mythological narrative ascribes this river the power to purge Parashuram, of sin as deadly as matricide. It is said that the water of this river had wasted off his bloody stains and bestowed back his sainthood. The water became blood red and hence the name Lohitya, "The Red River" in Sanskrit.

The Brahmaputra runs through the valley, like an arterial vein embracing and feeding its surroundings. It gives life to the aspirations of the millions who inhabit its banks. " The river never creeps….in a sluggish way," wrote Hem Barua in his book " The Red River and Blue Hill" but " the river rushes, and rushes in torrents" rapidly flowing with immense force. If the river is to be a metaphor of life, then the Brahmaputra represents the intrinsic vitality embedded in this life.

The past, present and future dwell in its depth, to be raised up in the million waves, lapping against the rock of destiny… forever determined and undefeated. The rocky Umananda island raises its head amidst the turbulent waters like a roaring voice of boundless energy. It is perhaps the smallest inhabited river island in the world, a sculpture of fineness created in time

The Britishers when they first came to Assam, mistook the Brahmaputra to be a sea. Its width at places is more than sixteen kilometres. This unfathomable expanse makes it a geological wonder. It is the widest and second-highest sediment-transporting river in the world after the Yellow River or Hwang He of China, and the fourth largest in the world in terms of the average discharge of water at the mouth. Geologically speaking, the river is the youngest among the major rivers.

The history of Assam is the history of Brahmaputra. The life and culture of the people living on its banks reflect the river's ebb and swell. Its lush banks provided the foundation for ancient urban centres and capital cities like Pragjyotishpura, Hatappesvara (or Hadappesvara), Durjjayanagara, Kamrup, Sadiya and Sonitpur. The powerful Varman, Pal, Kamata, Koch, Ahom, Chutiyas, and Kachari dynasties flourished here.

In the mystical realms, story abounds of legendary kings like Narakasura, Banasura, and Bhismaka, princesses like Rukmini and Usha, sages like Shantanu, Parashuram and Basistha, and gods and goddesses like Shiva, Parvati, Kamakhya, Kama and Krishna. The river takes on mystic hues in those tales, flowing through the narrative and rooting them to the land. The Mahabharata, Kalidas' Raghuvamsham, the Hastayurveda and other ancient Sanskrit texts refer to the Brahmaputra as Lauhitya. The first mention of Brahmaputra is found in the Kalika Purana (10th century C.E.) followed by the Yoginitantra (16th century C.E).

The dancing moods of the Brahmaputra, its varied nuances and emotions, have always inspired writers, poets, singers, composers and a gamut of individuals whose sensitivity was touched and nurtured by this great river. The river flows through their creative instincts giving strength and meaning to their creation. Lakshmi Nath Bezbaroa, Jyoti Prasad Agarwal and a host of others have made the Brahmaputra the backdrop of their work. Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla composed a poem/song, 'Luitor parore aami deka lora moriboloy bhoi nai…to inspire people during the freedom movement. In a similar vein he says, 'Luitore pani jabi o boi, joyare kiriti deshe bideshe, sohore nagare, phuribi koi' – O water of Luit, as you flow through different lands, cities and towns, tell the stories of our victories.

The poetry of Brahmaputra is Majuli, where the sattras have kept alive the teaching of Srimanta Shankaradeva. The bonds of unity that he weaved still reverberate along the banks. The Misings who populate this island are river-centric people whose livelihood, society and culture is profoundly influenced by the river. The Deoris and Kaibbatas living in the char chaporis of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, etc., also have a deep relationship with the Brahmaputra.

The Ro-Ro boat finally docks at the sand bar which had been christened The Brahmaputra Carnival. Multi-hued flags fluttering in the wind invite you to a landscape dotted with traditional bamboo huts, stalls with ethnic food and the promise of untold adventure. Guwahati looms in the distance. A novel way of experiencing the majesty of the Brahmaputra. A thought occurs…The prism of history is too firmly entrenched on the ground; it is about time we take a boat to the middle of the river and observe the land…. As the river flows by it seemed to be saying…Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. No feeling is final. This too shall pass…

By Emon NC.