Mising villages and Salmora potters
The Mising people are one of the largest tribal communities of Assam, living along the rivers of the upper Brahmaputra valley. In Majuli their villages stand close to the water, with long bamboo houses raised on stilts above the monsoon floods. Under each house is space for looms, firewood and animals, and the women of the household weave fine cloth in bright geometric patterns.
With a guide from the community, we walk through a village, visit a family house and see how rice beer, apong, is brewed. If you are invited to try it, it is polite to accept a little. Weavers are usually happy to show their work, and you can buy cloth directly.
Salmora, at the eastern end of the island, is a village of potters who shape clay by beating and coiling rather than throwing on a wheel, a technique with very old roots. The village has lost much land to river erosion, and its potters are part of the story of an island that is gradually shrinking.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
Who are the Mising people of Majuli?
The Mising are a riverine tribal community of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and one of the largest communities on Majuli. They live in bamboo houses on stilts, practise wet rice farming and fishing, and are known for handwoven textiles and rice beer. Many still follow traditional festivals such as Ali-Aye-Ligang.
What is Salmora pottery?
Salmora is a village on Majuli where potters shape clay by hand, beating and coiling it rather than using a wheel. The pots are fired in open kilns and traded along the river. It is one of the oldest continuing pottery traditions in Assam.
Can I stay in a Mising village?
Some Mising families and community projects offer simple homestays in stilted bamboo houses. Rooms are basic, with shared facilities in some cases. They suit adventurous travellers. Most of our guests stay in the island's better cottages and visit villages with a guide.
Also in Majuli
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