Documentary on the Raas (Raax)Mahotsava of Majuli, Assam

An audio-visual documentation project, Raas (Raax)Mahotsavaof Majuli, was undertaken by theINTACH Assam Chapter and ICH Division. The detailed documentation outlines aspects of the Raas (Raax)festival held at Majuli in Assam, and its significance in the life of the people of the world’s largest river island. The film looks at four Satras—Uttar KamalabariSatra,DakshinpatSatra, SamaguriSatra and GaramurSatra—as well as the Mising Community’scelebration of this festival. While the ingenious use of masks is one of the primary aspects ofthe SamaguriSatra, contemporary mass cultural elements have made inroads into the GaramurSatra presentation. The Mising celebrate the Raas in their individual style, not so much as an extension of religious influence, but as an adaptation of borrowed elements from the mainstream celebrations of various Satras. The film has been directed by filmmaker Reema Bora.