Brahmaputra and the Assam Valley

Description

The Brahmaputra, call it by any name you will, Luit, Lohit, Sriluit, is at the heart of the Assam valley. For its people, the Brahmaputra is more than a geographical entity. Their very lives revolve around it and its many tributaries and streams. Brahmaputra and the Assam Valley is an illustrated journey in the company of the Brahmaputra as it intertwines itself with the life of Assam. As it enters the land through the eastern Himalayan foothills and flows into the sea in the west, it tells many stories: of kings and queens, of heroism and poetry, and of festivals and dance, elements that coalesce to form a colourful identity. The river is looked up to with love and respect in this land. After all, it is the ‘Burha Luit’ or old river Luit for the people of Assam.

Ranjita Biswas

Ranjita Biswas is an independent journalist, fiction and travel writer, and translator. She contributes to national and international publications on gender issues, development, health, film, travel, and art and culture. She researches widely on various aspects of North East India for her journalistic work and creative writing. Ranjita is also an award winning writer of children’s fiction, including for Children’s Book Trust. Her most recent work is Music of the Hills, an adventure story for young adults, published by the National Book Trust. Folktales from Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh is her collection of retold stories from the rich folktale tradition of North East India.