Rishan Doley, 30, and Shekhar Bordoloi, 26, speak of the 400 kilometre expedition that changed their lives
A bag of rice, dal, few potatoes and onions, a small bottle of oil, some green chillies, a portable cylinder-cum burner, a safety kit, few kitchen tools, torch lights and a change of clothes. Not to forget, a good stock of fresh, wild elephant apples. These were the things Rishan Doley, 30, and Shekhar Bordoloi, 26, packed and loaded onto their handmade raft, and set sail on a unique journey.
The two friends and adventure sports enthusiasts travelled from Majuli in Assam, the world’s biggest river island (880 square kilometres) to the smallest inhabited river islet in Brahmaputra-Umananda, Guwahati. It is also home to the endangered primate species the Golden Langur.
The journey — a distance of 400 kilometres took them eight days and gave them innumerable visuals and unforgettable experiences.
Soaking up sights
Then, they concentrated on building a raft. They selected local species of bamboo called jati and mukal. The raft was mostly built by Rishan with the help of a craftsman in Jorhat, says Shekhar. The raft has a little hut for the two to take shelter while the rest of it is open. “We had a makeshift roof for the open space when it rained. We didn’t mind the rain as it made the mighty Brahmaputra look even more handsome. Once we crossed the Dipholu river (a rivulet that originates from Assam’s Karbi Anglong hills and flows through Kaziranga) we decided to touch land as we couldn’t bear to move along without stopping to experience its exquisite beauty. Virgin lands with just wild animals grazing. It was no less than paradise. No film or photo can make up for what we saw in reality,” says Rishan.
They also drank from the river and were are surprised at the taste and purity of the water. This however, started to deteriorate as they approached Guwahati city. “As we entered Panikhati (10 kilometres from Guwahati), closer to OIL India, we experienced itchiness on our skin. Since we were closer to our destination we avoided drinking or eating.”
On their entire journey, they were greeted by people on the banks who offered food and water in the signature Assamese style of calling out to know about one’s well being and purpose.
“It made us extremely happy. They had no idea about our journey but cheered and offered fruits and water or whatever they had on them,” adds Shekhar.
Back in Guwahati the duo are in talks with Inland Waterways Authority of India to ferry their raft back to Majuli or Jorhat.