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| Image : A scenic beauty of Umananda |
Umananda is the smallest river island of the world situated near Guwahati, Assam, northeast of India. It is in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputra and exactly between north and south Guwahati. It is known as Peacock Island. This name was given by the British for its peacock feather-like structure. This is the smallest inhabited river island of the world glowing with natural beauty and the magnificent view of the Brahmaputra. The tamarind trees and the green grasses make another glimpse of the island.
You can go there by inland water transport of Assam from Umananda ghat. It will take 10-20 minutes to cross the river. Ferry and motorboats are easily available between 7 am to 5 pm. The best time to visit is during the dry season as, during monsoon, the Brahmaputra river gets overflooded and it becomes very risky to cross the river at that time. Being very close to the capital of Assam, Guwahati, accommodation, and access is very easy and comfortable. You can find a number of hotels in the nearby area.
There are a number of stories behind the formation and history of the islands. In one of them, it is believed that Lord Shiva created this island for his wife Parvati for her happiness. He used to live here in the form of Bhayananda. It was their favorite place of being together. It is found in Kalika Puran, a holy book of Hindu religion, that the Hindu God of Love, Kamdev tried to interrupt Shiva during his deep meditation, so he burnt him with his third eye in this place. So, this place is also called as 'Bhasmachal'. 'Bhasma' means ashes and 'chal' means place.
There is a sacred temple called 'Umananda temple'. The Umananda temple is situated on the bank of the Brahmaputra in a hill called 'Bhasmachal' on this island. It was built by Barphukon Garhganya Handique by the order of King Gadadhar Singha in 1694 A.D. It is a Shiva temple. The term Uma stands for another name of Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. During the earthquake of 1897, the temple was damaged heavily and later a rich Hindu merchant repaired it again. The temple has characteristics of Vaishnavism and Shaivism. Craftings of Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu, and other Hindu gods are seen there increasing its beauty and dignity. These rock-cut structures grow the beauty of the temple. There are a number of steps to climb up to this temple which can give you a true adventure. The temple is one of the five pilgrimage centers of Kamrup. It is believed that worshipping here during Amavasya on Monday gives the highest bliss. Every year, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated widely in the island, and Monday is believed to be the best day to visit there as the new moon gives bliss and peace. During Shivaratri, many devotees from all over India come to worship here. There are five other temples on the island- Ganesha, Hara Gauri, Chalantika, Chandrashekhar, and Baidyanath temples.
Some other folktales tell that the Brahmaputra is a servant of Lord Shiva. Shiva should be satisfied to prevent any disasters. It is strange to tell that although every year flood causes major havoc in parts of Assam Umananda island has never been affected yet. But recently, soil erosion is creating havoc to the inhabitants of the island. The biggest river island Majuli is also above the Brahmaputra river and every year, Majuli suffers from severe flood, unlike Umananda. So, it is believed that whenever flood will enter Umananda island, the entire Guwahati city will be drowned.
The island was also known for the golden langur found there. This place and a few other places of western Assam were the only places where golden langurs were found in India. But unfortunately the last remaining golden langurs of this place, Gobinda died recently in February 2020. There were 11 golden langurs remaining of which one died due to dog bites, two died due to some disasters and the others were shifted to the zoo of Guwahati except Govinda. It is one of the endangered species of monkeys. It is heard that two youths left a pair of golden langurs there 35 years ago and from that after reproduction, it became a habitat of golden langurs. They were very friendly to the tourists making a perfect coexistence with the people. They generally ate the fruits found there and also enjoyed the foods offered by the visitors. It is very disgraceful to use past tense while writing about them. If proper care would have been taken for their preservation, then I wouldn't have to feel sorry now. But this is our fault. We all are responsible for the threats of the wild animals. I have no record of the ones shifted to the zoo at present.
After the introduction of regular ferries to the island from Guwahati, the tourists are increasing in number every year. But nature is changing there too. Once, the island was covered with total greenery and dense forests and there was only one way to the temple. But now almost every part of the island is accessible. The trees are decreasing in number and somehow the true beauty of the island is decreasing slowly. Also, this could be the reason for the extinction of the golden langurs living there. There are many other birds and trees too. So, if you are a visitor, try to contribute a small thing for the future of the existed flora and fauna. It is true that humans have a habit of invading the homes of animals. And this is going to have happened with Umananda island too. Natural soil erosion is dangerous but the most dangerous is the artificial pollution caused by the visitors by the plastic bags, food packets, etc. If you really fall in love with the place and the natural beauty around it, don't do such kind of activities like throwing plastic bags and causing harm to the biodiversity. Make our earth beautiful and make it easy for wild animals to live. Let us protect each and every animal of the world. Because irrespective of their sizes, behaviors, and food habits every single animal deserves to live in this world to grow its beauty and peace.
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