The Quiet Assam Village That Has Become a Sanctuary for Hundreds of Birds

Morigaon: Tucked between Nagaon and Guwahati, the small Assamese village of Jurgaon in Morigaon has emerged as an extraordinary example of harmony between humans and nature. Home to 121 families, the Tiwa majority village has earned admiration for its strict yet compassionate rules that protect hundreds of birds visiting the area throughout the year.

In Jurgaon, silence is not only valued but it is also protected. Loud horns are discouraged, high-decibel sounds are banned, and firecrackers are not allowed even during festivals. The village’s towering bamboo groves, which form nesting grounds for countless birds, are rarely cut unless necessary.

“We don’t cut bamboo unless we really need to. The birds raise their families there, just like we raise ours,” explained Pranjal Bordoloi, a village elder. “We’ve grown up with these birds. This is their home too.”

Every evening, the sky above Jurgaon fills with the sounds of starlings, egrets, kingfishers, waterhens and occasional rare species such as vultures and hornbills. The village wetlands and bamboo thickets provide ideal shelter, and the residents have adopted a community code of conduct to protect them.

The rules include: 

No high-decibel sounds, vehicles must pass silently, and horns are discouraged.  

No firecrackers or fireworks, even during festivals.  

No hunting, no trapping, no disturbance; outsiders with harmful intent are turned away.  

No bamboo harvesting unless essential, to preserve nesting grounds.

Children in the village grow up learning these values from a young age. “Even the smallest children know not to harm a bird. If anyone from outside tries, we stop them. The birds trust us,” said another resident.

Though Jurgaon lacks facilities like a high school, the local people are deeply rooted in empathy and environmental awareness. Most residents are farmers who work closely with nature and have shaped a peaceful ecosystem where both people and birds can flourish. In an increasingly noisy and mechanised world, Jurgaon stands as a rare reminder that coexistence does not always require technology or intervention; sometimes, it only requires understanding, respect, and quietness.

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