The searing hot sun bearing down upon us and the cold wind blowing on our faces, making us feel both hot and cold at the same time. The intense blue water and the white sand reflecting the sunlight and blinding us. A ripple here and a ripple there. It was not an ocean, it was not a sea. It was a river. And not just any river, but the Brahmaputra, also known as the Padma in Bangladesh and Tsang-Po in Tibet, its place of origin. The only river in India, that is considered to be masculine (Brahma– the Hindu God of creation, putra-son). Brahmaputra and his fresh water dolphins.
Having studied about Brahmaputra all my life in geography, it was an incredible moment when I set my eyes on the river itself for the first time. The river bed was so huge and so wide, that the opposite bank was just a haze, far far away, visible clearly only when viewed through a pair of binoculars. It certainly lived up to its image of being one of the mightiest rivers in the history of mighty rivers.
We drove down to the bed of the river (yes, the bed itself!) as it was the dry season, just before the onset of the destructive floods that the river is famous for. Most of the parts were dry and sandy with sparse growth, and we zoomed forward leaving a whirlwind of sand in our wake. And there, just a little away from the shore, was anchored an old streamer. Huge and rusted in places, it had a large, open deck at the top, with a few chairs scattered around, for viewing. As they pumped the motor, the boat wheezed and coughed before finally starting with a huge roar, and chugging out copious amounts of jet black smoke. The environmental-conscious part in me protested immediately, but when I thought about the sights and lifers that were in store for me, I silently swallowed down the protest.
We chugged our way, at a really slow pace, to the spot where the dolphins are often sighted. We kept our eyes peeled to the banks, hoping against hope to spot a predator, or at least a rhino or two, but unfortunately, we had to be satisfied with just a few monkeys and langurs. Our skin had just begun to peel and protest, when the streamer jolted to a halt. It was a very short wait.
There in the quiet, with the wind flicking the tree branches and distorting the water’s mirror, the river dolphins frolicked in the water, playing and chasing one another, offering us just fleeting glimpses of their shiny backs and their long snouts. It was a real ordeal to film and photograph them, as we did not know where they would surface next. Jumping up and going under water in just a fraction of a second, resurfacing about a hundred feet away for another fraction of a second, these cheeky little mammals led us on a wild goose chase. By noon, the sun had sucked up all our energy, and the dolphins, the little that was left. We made our way wearily back to the starting point, fully appreciating the distance that we had travelled. The banks shimmered through the heat waves and our lips steadily became blacker. Finally ashore, we jumped down from the streamer, our eyes automatically searching for the long awaited shade from the cruel sun. After a hearty and homely meal by the river, we were on our way back to our resort, on another bumpy and weary ride.
As we moved away, I took one last long look at this mighty river, the provider and the destroyer, the water that is much longed for during the summers and detested during the floods, and I was just glad that I was blessed enough to have touched this holy water and to have witnessed the Gangetic dolphins at play, both things that not many people in this world can boast about…
Wow, what an adventure! I certainly envy you and thanks for sharing!
It certainly is one of my favourite trips… Thank you… 🙂
Hugs,
Sumithra.
You have a beautiful way with words, Sumithra. You add a poetic dimension to creating your word images. What a memorable experience. Dolphins are indeed playful and so hard to catch on camera. Lovely post.
Thank you so much for these kind words… You have made my day!! 🙂
Hugs,
Sumithra.
I get such peace from your posts. And I would love to know the story of the Brahmaputra (as in, the mythology – if that’s the right word)… 🙂
Thank you… 🙂 And will definitely post about the mythological history of this river soon!!
Hugs,
Sumithra.
Dear Sumithra,
Awarding a Super-Sweet Blogging award to your super-sweet blog.
Pick it up from here: http://ashaseth.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/sorry-thanks/
Share your thoughts. Share happiness. 🙂
-Asha Seth
Thank you so much!! Truly honoured!! 🙂 🙂
Enjoy 🙂
-Asha
Enjoyed your guided tour of the masculine river.
Thank you so much sir!! 🙂
Ummmmmmmm! I would have loved to be there! Lovely description ~ and thanks for visiting my blog!
Thank you!! And lived your blog, and the way you play with words!! 🙂 🙂
Love your beautiful description and photos of the masculine river and of the river dolphin.
By the way, what is that thing on the side of your blog? I’ve been trying to figure it out. No luck.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Thank you!! And that is a snail!! Thought it went well with my title “Hearing with the eye”! 🙂
I did think it was a snail. Thanks for clearing up that mystery and providing the connection to it.
Hi. Thanks for looking in on my blog. Your writing is wonderful. I look forward to reading more from next week. Cheers.
Thank you so much!! And you are doing an amazing job too!! Kudos to you and your team!! Looking forward to reading more about your venture… 🙂
Cheers,
Sumithra.
I’m glad I chanced upon you here – your photos and descriptions of a great river I don’t expect to ever see in person are fantastic. And I love how you referred to a blogging friend as a book dragon. I’ll be calling my daughter that now.
Thank you so much, sir!! And yes, I thought “book-worms”was an understatement for the book lovers that we are… 🙂
Loved this blog…I have been crossing him every year in the winter in the last couple of years ..All your clicks are really beautiful …
Thank you so much mam…. And the pictures are by my dad… You can check his blog at : http://sriramjanak.wordpress.com/
Sure I will Sumithra ..Thanks for the link
Travelerlynne expressed my feelings exactly. You paint beauty with words to add to your beautiful photos. I’m interested in your choice of title, “The Masculine River.” It sounds so…masculine!
Ha ha ha!! Thank you so much!! 🙂
I am from Assam and had been to the riverside a couple of times. Made me nostalgic. Thanks.
Thank you so much for dropping by!! 🙂