Hurjyudoy Borah
The name ‘Dhemaji’ is derived from the Deori-Chutia word dema-ji which means great water, indicating it to be a flood-prone region. It is located to the north of the mighty Brahmaputra. To its north lies the Arunachal Himalayas, to its east lies Arunachal Pradesh, and, to the west is Lakhimpur. It had been more than five years since I last visited my grandparents residing in Dhemaji. Hence, I was very excited to travel to this beautiful place.
We boarded an early morning bus to Dhemaji. While passing through Kaziranga, I managed to spot a rhino! Soon, we stopped for a night in Jorhat. The next day, Tutu dada came to pick us up. After six hours of rigorous driving, we finally reached Dhemaji. It was a delight to see anai and putha (grandma and grandpa) after such a long time. The next day, we planned to visit Moina mahi’s farmhouse. It was really interesting to travel on the village roads – the fresh, cold breeze, the calm atmosphere, the beautiful mountains of Arunachal at a distance, and, the golden paddy fields. I was speechless as I never expected it to be so beautiful. After the spectacular ride, we reached mahi’s farmhouse near the Jiadhal River. Mahi’s farmhouse had stilt houses as well as a small cottage where she and her colleagues teach underprivileged kids. I was delighted to explore the treeless grasslands on a bicycle and was able to ride to my heart’s content.
The next day, we woke up to a gloomy sky and couldn’t go out, but Moina mahi came up with a brilliant idea of organising a bhuj (feast). Soon, all the guests started arriving for lunch, and, everyone started helping us in preparing a great feast. Jinsu mama and Phehu mahi arrived and gave me and my brother a tour of the city, after which, we all sat down for the bhuj.
Gerukamukh
The next day, the sky had cleared and we planned to visit the Subansiri Dam. The Lower Subansiri Dam is a gravity dam on the Subansiri River, located on the outskirts of Gerukamukh, which is an hour’s drive from Dhemaji. It would be the largest hydroelectric project in India, once completed. It was set to be completed by 2018, but, due to drawbacks like redesigns and opposition from certain sections, the project is yet to be completed.
There was also a prominent suspension bridge which helps in the transportation of materials. The river was a vibrant turquoise hue. After spending some time there, we headed back for dinner.
The next day, we woke up early, as we were to travel backto Guwahati. We bade goodbye to all the family members, relatives, and beautiful Dhemaji. It was a beautiful place, where everyone is generous, irrespective of their economic condition. On our way back, we passed a stunning, yellow mustard field. Tutu dada spotted a bogori tree and helped us pluck juicy bogoris, a nice way to end a trip!
