the lost island in the river of brahmaputra

1. Lost island in Brahmaputra-
Majuli River Island
BY-
Rushabh Panchamia
Maitri Ashara
Jain Mamta
Radhika Sota
Saili Sawantt
LOKMANYA TILAK INST. OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
STUDIES

2. INTRODUCTION:
 Majuli is a riverine island in the Brahmaputra river, Assam, India.
 300-400 kilometres east from the Guwahati, capital of Assam.
 Worlds largest deltaic island.
 Cultural capital of Assamese civilisation since 16th century.
LOCATION MAP:
MAJULI

3. GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS:
 It is surrounded from all sides by the water-flow of the Brahmaputra except
the north-eastern comer .
 TOPOGRAPHY: is characterized by the presence of
• frequent wetlands,
• static water-bodies,
• cultivable and grazing fields,
• sand-shores and
• naturally formedAA drainage systems.
■ It is a fertile land with alluvial sedimentation.
■ Tuni is the only river of Majuli.
Summer
• From March to July
• Hot and humid.
• Temperature 34*C
Monsoon
• July to August
Winter
• From November to February
• Temperature 7*C to 18*C
• Various fests and fairs in the
region are celebrated.
Climate:
Sub tropical Monsoon climate
Wetlands

4. CULTURE:
Religion:
Vaishnavism
has
prospered
since 15th
century.
Caste-
Brahmins,
Kayastha,
Kali,
Keot,
Koch,
Nathyogi,
Hadi
Sut.
Tribes-
Mising,
Deori,
Marwari,
Nepali,
Muslims.
Social distribution –
brahmins (head of
satras),
Vaishnavite (oldest
preachers and
practinioners of
satras)
Satras-
take care of heritage,
socio-religious
culture, rich traditions
of various art and
literature.
Festivals:
Bohag Bihu
Pal nam
Raasleela
Janmashtami
Barsik-bhaona
Pal nam
Bohag Bihu
Barsik BhaonaRaasleela

5. Batcora:
• Entrance gateway for
satra also known as
karapat.
• Constructed with a roof
standing on four
decorated pillars.
Hati:
• Passage from batkara leads to hati.
• Cloister where the devotees reside.
• Each of this cari- hatis (cari means
four) are named as per the direction of
namghar such as :
• Pub hati(eastern cloister)
• Pashchim hati(western cloister)
• Uttar hati(northern cloister)
• Dakkhin hati (southern cloister)
Namghar:
• Prayer hall at the center of
the campus
• surrounded by four rows of
hatis.
• Big hall topped with gable
roof.
• Wall- wooden carving
called jalis which functions
like window.
Manikut:
• Means house of jewels is a
stancum of satra campus.
• Attatched at the eastern
end of namghar.
• Deities either in form of
idols or holi scripture.
• Most sacred portion in the
entire satra campus.
SATRAS
• Monastries plus centres of traditional performing arts.
• 65 satras in Majuli now 22.
• Started for the dissemination of the Vaishnava faith among the masses.
• Characteristic traditions - literature, music, dance and drama, painting, manuscript-writing, craftsmanship
and architecture, bringing out distinctive whole which is locally called as Satra culture.
Typical Satra Campus divided into 4 Architectural Units:

6. • Overall connectivity of majauli
• Farmlands and houses
• Water transport
• Connection to main haighway is the tourist place
OVERVIEW OF CONNECTIVITY OF SPACES
Map of Majauli- showing the connectivity of town

7. Agriculture, with paddy being the chief crop.
Fishing
Wood and Bamboo Craft
Pottery (made from beaten clay and burnt in
driftwood fired kilns same as the Harrapan
civilisation)
Handloom (major occupation although largely a non-
commercial occupation)
Boat-making.
Mask making
O
C
C
U
P
A
T
I
O
N
Only means of
transport to reach
Majuli -
waterways over
the
Brahmhaputra.
• The most convenient
and frequently used
route
• government and
private ferry
There is also a
land route which
connects the
Dhemaji(north of
Bhrahmaputra) to
the Jengrai (north
of Majuli)
Within Majuli,
there are
motorable roads
contructed by the
Public Works
Department of
the government.
TRANSPORTATION

8. • No particular orientation.
• Houses parallel to streets
• Houses with small coutyard
(not farmlands)
OVER VIEW OF FISHERMANS VILLAGE
SETTLEMENT (FISHER MAN’S VILLAGE) NEAR RIVER SHOWING
CONNECTIVITY

9. • Houses attached to both
sides of road.
• Cluster of houses in middle
of farms.
• Huge farmlands behind
houses.
ZOOM OUT IMAGE OF OVERALL
FARMERS VILLAGE
MAP -SHOWING THE CONNECTIVITY IN FARMERS VILLAGE.
ZOOMED- CLUSTER OF HOUSES

10. • Main city centre.
• Growing settlement around the national highway.
• Tourist attraction.
• Residences are small houses and other farmhouses.
• Occupation: wood craft, pottery, handloom, mask making.
NATIONAL HIGHWAY
MAP- SHOWING THE CONNECTIVTY IN CITY OF
MAJAULI

11. BUILT FORM OF MAJULI

12. A
R
C
H
I
T
E
C
T
U
R
E
Typical House of
Fisherman
Plan
Elevation
Detail of typical Entrance Door

13. TYPICAL
FISHERM
ANHOUSE

14. Modern column to frame connection
Original column to
beam connection
Typical wall Typical Fisherman’s House
DETAILS

15. CONSTRUCTION TEHNIQUES:
Pile foundation
Modern pile footing to base connection

16. PROBLEMS AND THREATS:
■ For quite some years now, the issue of conservation and preservation of
the Majuli island and its heritage has been raised and discussed ate
different levels.
■ Locals, government and UNESCO are all involved
■ Natural threats:
• Monsoon floods
• Land erosion
• Loss of built-in structure and objects of heritage is beyond the
means of counting.
• Satras are migrating and building their alternative campuses
outside the island, which is giving rise to social and cultural
problems.
■ Social and cultural threats:
• Urbanization
• Migration
• Intrusion of western markets
On the on-slought of the socio economic processes ... culture as a whole is
dynamically affected

17. MEASURES TAKEN BY
GOVERNMENT:
REFFRING _http://wrmin.nic.in/writereaddata/Protection%20of%20Majuli%20Island.pdf
Overall Achievement / Reclamation of Land Mass of Majuli Island

18. REFFRING_http://wrmin.nic.in/writereaddata/Protection%20of%20Majuli%20Island.
pdf
OVERVIEW:
• Locals, tourists and government are all
aware of the problems, majauli is
facing to sustain life.
• Awareness is being spread and
actions are taken.
• Government is actively involved in the
conservation program .