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Across India, rivers are revered as divine mothers, sacred, life-giving, and deeply woven into cultural identity. Yet among these thousands of water bodies, only two major rivers are traditionally regarded as male: one is Son River, which flows through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, and the mighty and the most iconic Brahmaputra in the northeast. Of the two, the Brahmaputra stands out not only for its rare masculine identity but also for its extraordinary scale, power, and influence. Flowing across three countries and nurturing one of India’s richest ecological belts, the Brahmaputra remains a river like no other.

Here are five incredible things that make the Brahmaputra truly exceptional.



A river with a rare male identity
While almost all major Indian rivers are worshipped as goddesses, the Brahmaputra carries a distinctive masculine persona. The name “ Brahma-putra” literally translates to “Son of Brahma.” This rare identity influences the folklore, rituals, and river-worship traditions along its banks. Even today, many communities in Northeast India revere the Brahmaputra as a powerful male deity whose moods, calm, fierce, or unpredictable, shape life around it.


One of the widest and most unpredictable rivers on Earth
The Brahmaputra is known worldwide for its sheer magnitude. During the monsoon, it can expand to an astonishing 20 kilometres in width, earning a place among the widest rivers not only in the region, not even in India, but on the planet. The river’s channels constantly shift, and villages, sandbars, and farmlands can appear or disappear depending on the river’s changing course. This dynamism is especially evident around Majuli, which we are going to see next.




What created Majuli? Brahmaputra River did. Majuli, the cultural jewel of Assam, exists because of the Brahmaputra’s ever-changing flow. Majuli is recognised as the world’s largest river island, a living repository of Assam’s Vaishnavite heritage. The island is home to centuries-old satras (monastic institutions), traditional mask-making art, vibrant festivals, and a rich birding ecosystem. Yet Majuli’s beauty is deeply influenced by the Brahmaputra’s mood.


A transnational river with an epic journey
The Brahmaputra’s voyage across Asia is one of the most remarkable river journeys in the world. It begins as the Yarlung Tsangpo in the icy Tibetan Plateau, one of the highest-altitude rivers on Earth. It then travels eastward before making a dramatic hairpin bend around the towering Namcha Barwa, plunging into one of the deepest gorges in the world. As it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh, it becomes the Siang and later the Brahmaputra in Assam. From here, the river flows into Bangladesh as the Jamuna, merging with the Ganga to form the massive Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, the world’s largest. No other Indian river undertakes such a diverse, dramatic, and international journey.


Home to some of the strongest currents and richest ecosystems
The Brahmaputra is often described as a river of raw power. With massive water discharge and fast-moving currents, it is one of the strongest rivers on the planet. Each year, its monsoon floods replenish the fertile plains of Assam, supporting agriculture, fisheries, and wildlife. Brahmaputra is also one of the few places in India where (if lucky), one will get to see the endangered Gangetic river dolphin. The river traverses the rich grasslands of Kaziranga National Park, and is also home to numerous migratory birds, and other aquatic species.


Although India has two rivers with a male identity, the Brahmaputra remains the most iconic, a river that commands respect, awe, and devotion. Its immense width, powerful currents, dramatic journey across countries, and role in shaping cultures and ecosystems make it one of the most extraordinary rivers in the world.