In the middle of the Brahmaputra, where the river widens into a shimmering sea of silt and sky, lies Majuli—the world’s largest river island and the spiritual heart of Assam. Here, faith has taken root in the satras, centuries-old Vaishnavite monasteries founded in the 15th century by the saint and reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, who brought a vision of devotion through song, dance, and collective worship.

The monks of Majuli live lives bound to this tradition. Their days begin with chants that rise like mist from the river, voices weaving verses of the Bhagavata Purana. Clad in simple white robes, they tend to the satra’s courtyards, care for manuscripts, and prepare for performances of bhaona—vivid plays that retell epics through music, dance, and masks. These rituals are not staged for spectacle, but as acts of devotion, keeping alive a centuries-old theatre of faith.

Life here flows with the rhythm of the river. Young novices sweep the satra floors before dawn; elders lead prayers that echo through bamboo halls. The monks’ austerity is softened by their art: hand-painted masks, rhythmic drumming, graceful movements that turn myth into living experience.

Majuli is fragile, threatened each year by the floods that erode its banks. Yet in its monasteries, the Vaishnavite spirit endures—quiet, steadfast, luminous. This photo feature captures that spirit: the monks who carry devotion like a torch across generations, an island where prayer and river breathe as one.