River Traveller — A Majestic Journey Along the Brahmaputra
Speaking Tiger Books brings forth a remarkable new work by acclaimed journalist and author Sanjoy Hazarika — River Traveller, an epic narrative that traces the life, history, and mysteries of one of the world’s great rivers: the Brahmaputra.
The Brahmaputra is no ordinary river. Rising in the Tibetan plateau, sweeping across three nations, and travelling more than 2,900 kilometres before emptying into the Bay of Bengal, it stands among the longest and widest rivers on Earth. For centuries, it has nurtured civilizations, shaped cultures, and sustained agrarian systems — while its unparalleled force has also reshaped landscapes and humbled human ambition.
In River Traveller, Hazarika draws on over two decades of journeys along and across the river, documenting its power, its beauty, and the diverse worlds it touches. Part reportage, part travel narrative, and part historical reflection, the book captures the river as both a living entity and a silent witness to the passage of empires, conflicts, and communities.
Hazarika’s chronicle takes readers through:
Tibet’s cultural resilience, as communities confront modern pressures under Chinese rule
Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, where the river’s shifting channels shape both daily life and regional identity
Bangladesh, where the Brahmaputra’s vastness meets the delta’s delicate ecosystem
Stories of explorers, map-makers, spies, kings, and colonial administrators who sought to understand and command the river
Accounts of natural disasters, political turmoil, and environmental challenges that continue to define the region
Balancing a journalist’s sharp eye with a storyteller’s depth, Hazarika examines everything from extremism to ecological stewardship, from ethnography to the river’s enduring cultural symbolism.
River Traveller is ultimately a sweeping study of human life intertwined with one of the planet’s greatest waterways — a portrait as expansive and powerful as the Brahmaputra itself.
For readers interested in travel writing, South Asian history, environmental studies, or the complex interplay between nature and society, this book is an essential addition to the shelf.
Learn more or get your copy: https://speakingtigerbooks.com/product/river-traveller/