As the country celebrates Durga Puja, the worlds's largest river island Majuli and seat of Vaishnavism does not have Durga Puja celebrations.
Instead, this island in the midst of river Brahmaputra, is getting ready for the upcoming Rass festival.
Shri Shri Pitambor Devogoswami, the Aattra-adhikar (head-priest) of Aunie Ati Sattra here, told reporters, "We don't worship dev-devis here.
As Sarodio Utsav we observe the Raas-leela and hold Paal Naam (prayers) from the first week of November for over 20 days", the Sattra Adhikar told PTI.
On Kati Bihu yesterday, 21 akash bonti (lamps in the air) were lit for one month at the premises of the Aunie Ati Sattra till November 18 next, he said.
In the 65 existing Sattras, community halls, public places, Namghars (prayer halls) and in the schools, preprations are afoot with sounds of khol (drum), taal (large sized cymbals), flute and conch shells which is audible from far and near.
The sound and beat is meditative and opposite to the vibrant beats of the big drums during Durga puja, Sanjeev Asom, secretary of Rong Cultural Gosti, Goromur (Majuli), said.
This year tourists from Germany, Japan, Europe and Phillipines are expected to be present during the Paal Naam at the Sattra, Goswami added.
The people of Majuli, however, travel to Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts to see Durga Puja there, said one Kamal Dutta who was on way to see the puja festivities in Lakhimpur.
Fifteenth century revered Assamese
socio-cultural-religious reformer and saint Srimanta Sankardeva and his disciple Madhavdeva who initiated Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture in Assam had made Majuli their hub by constructing many Satras or monasteries representing the colourful Assamese culture, historical documents state.
After setting up the 'Manikanchan Sanjog', Shankardeva and Madhavdeva had set up 65 other satras on the river island but only 26 of them are operational today, the documents said.
