Majuli

The river Brahmaputra, landscape of Majuli and the social, cultural and spiritual life of the people in Majuli form the basis for this solo work. This production is an earnest effort to share the story of Majuli through a personal vocabulary of movement, dance and theatre.

The river Brahmaputra, landscape of Majuli and the social, cultural and spiritual life of the people in Majuli form the basis for this solo work. This production is an earnest effort to share the story of Majuli through a personal vocabulary of movement, dance and theatre.

Structurally the performance starts at any point, like on an island, to ultimately open up to a huge dimension in space. The performer travels as the river water, with different qualities and evoke many journeys within the space of visits to Majuli. The rhythms, flirtation of the folk, the catharsis of one’s house getting washed away, the pleasures of rain, the spiritualism of the Satras, the structures, along with the imagery of a boat create ‘Majuli’.

This piece is a celebration of the spirit of Majuli and the flows of the Brahmaputra, which weaves together to signify the intricate bond of people with their land and their resilient and adaptive relationship with the river.

The meandering character of the river and its cycle of give and take is due to undergo rapid changes with the ongoing plans of several hydroelectricity and infrastructure projects. For these projects to be sustainable, the innumerable stories of the resilience of the people-river interactions — much like the one she will tell — need to inform these changes.

The music created is from instruments that are played by the Assamese, Deori and Mising communities of Majuli. The projected images which will be used during the performance are of Majuli and at every point they are used to just give an impression, enhancing the journey of the audience to experience Majuli.