Raas Utsav (Majuli Raas festival) or the Raas Lila is the annual cultural festival celebrated in the famous river island of Majuli in Assam. This festival is celebrated every year on the full moon day in the month of November. The festivities go on for four or five days, during which Lord Krishna’s life is presented in a very artistic and cultural format by experienced women and men dancers.
This festival consists of various segments which describe the birth of Lord Krishna, His mischief, His brave acts of killing various demons, His win over King Kansa (Krishna’s maternal uncle) and His acts with the Gopis are all covered here. All of these segments are performed in traditional dance and drama format. In some places of worship, men dress up as women to perform the part of the Gopis, whereas, in some parts, women performers rule the roost in these festivities. Lots of tourists throng Majuli during his time and it has been the custom of the island’s inhabitants to accommodate one or more tourists at their place till the time they go back.
About Majuli
Majuli River Island, located on the shores of sacred Bhrahmaputra River, is the largest in the world. There are lots of Satras or places of worship in this beautiful island. You will feel absolutely blessed and divine when you get to witness the first-hand beauty of this island. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Assam and the RaasUtsav is the peak tourist season in this island.
How to reach
Air – Jorhat airport in Assam, in the nearest to get to Majuli. From here you can take a bus or taxi to Neemati Ghat, from where ferries are available to Majuli River Island.
Train – Moriyani station availabe at Jorhat district is the nearest rail head, if you want to reach Majuli by train.
Road – There are lots of buses from Guwahati to Jorhat on a daily basis. From Jorhat, you will have to travel to Neemati Ghat and then take the ferry to Majuli Island.
Ferry – The ferry roads from Jorhat to Majuli lasts for about an hour. After getting down from ferries, you will have to take a bus to reach Garmur, the main town of Majuli. There are at least a couple of ferry rides available on a daily basis to enable tourists coming to Majuli.
Where to stay
One of the major highlights of RaasUtsav is that tourists coming for the festival will be accommodated at the traditional bamboo cottages of the local inhabitants. The local residents permit one or more tourists to stay with them (as per their convenience and size of homes) during the 4 to 5 days long festival.
Things to do
- Bicycle tours around the Majuli River Island to get a first-hand feel of tribal lifestyle
- Scenic boat rides along the sacred Brahmaputra River
- Learn the trades of catching fish and angling from the local experts
- Learn the lifestyle of Mising, Assamese and other tribes of people by staying in bamboo cottages along with them for few days
- Majuli River Island is a haven for ornithologists as there are several varieties of local and migratory birds coming here during various seasons.
If you are looking for more information on Majuli please check out the page dedicated to Majuli on our website, or email us on support@nexplore.org to start planning your trip!
You can also check our pre-designed Majuli tours here.
