Morning walk by the mighty Brahmaputra
We decided to spend a quiet morning strolling on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra at Nimati Ghat on our trip to Assam. Most rivers in India have a feminine name. The Brahmaputra is an exception with a masculine name (though it is called Meghna when it reaches Bangladesh)
The river is called Tsangpo in China. It merges with the Padma (the name for the Ganges in Bangladesh) and thereafter it is called the Meghna. In Bangladesh it is also called Jamuna (different from Yamuna in India)
The sun rises early in the east, and even at 5.30 a.m. the morning, the light was bright and hurt our eyes. But the river stretching wide and long, was a calming sight. In the silences I almost could hear Bhupen Hazarika sing Mohabahu Brahmaputra. Or Sachin Dev Burman sing O mere majhi, mere saajan hain us paar…
We had white wagtails swaying along the sand, groups of mynas foraging along and some ravens for company. The few labourers were readying their ferry boats for the long day ahead to Majuli island. Inhaling the river breeze and walking along the blue stretch made us hungry enough for some hot poori bhaji for breakfast.
