my soliloquy

The Brahmaputra river has a east to west stretch of approximately 728 kilometres in Assam. During its early stages and as a young river, it brings with it a lot of eroded materials. The speed of the river somewhat slows down after it enters Assam through Arunachal Pradesh. The sandbars or the small sandy islands along the river's stretch  account for about 5 per cent of the total area of the state. They are locally called char/sor. Suspended particles and the bed load often combine during floods to create these char formations. Their rich alluvial soil is ideal for crops such as mustard, sugarcane, jute, potatoes and other vegetables.  But these chars are at a perpetual risk of destruction during the next flood. I had an opportunity to visit the char areas of North Salmara in connection with polling station inspection of Assembly Elections, 2020. The pictures were taken during those visits.

Sutal/Sotal - Assamese for front porch. Strange how the term is almost non-existent in construction planning these days. I spent a good time of my childhood in my granny's place. Although many households in Guwahati at that time had elaborate front porches with gardens or just vacant space to sit and pass the time, the sutal of my grandparents was rather limited in area. Despite that, I have had wonderful memories associated with it. There were many a games and folk tales I learnt from my aunts sitting on that sutal. My grandfather would park his black Ambassador in the adjoining garage. Sitting on the stairs, my grandmother would often point out to the distant mountain and help me identify a familiar landscape.   Times changed. Road expansion and the trend of compact housing have eaten into the 'sutal' concept in Guwahati. I was glad to see some elaborate and neatly maintained sutals in North Salmara, especially in the hinterlands.