Molai forest: Difference between revisions

{{GeoboxShort description|Forest in Assam, India}}

'''Molai forest''' is a forest on [[Majuli]] Islanddistrict in the [[Brahmaputra]] River near Kokilamukh, [[Jorhat districtAssam]], [[AssamIndia]],. It is named after [[IndiaJadav Payeng]], Indian environmental activist and forestry worker.

Molai forest is named after [[Padma Shri]] [[Jadav Payeng | Jadav "'Molai"' Payeng]], Indian [[Environmental movement|environmental]] activist and forestry worker. After an initial [[Jadav Payeng#Career|200 hectare (500 acre) planting]] by the social forestry division of [[Golaghat district]] was abandoned in 1983,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2014/11/one-man-plants-forest-larger-than-central-park/|title=One man plants forest larger than Central Park|last=Joshi|first=Apoorva|date=13 November 2014|work=Mongabay News|access-date=20 August 2017|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=}}</ref> the forest was single-handedly attended by Payeng for 30 years and now encompasses an area of about 1,360 acres / 550 [[hectares]].<ref name="huffingtonpost2012">{{cite web | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/indian-man-jadav-molai-pa_n_1399930.html?src=sp&comm_ref=false | title=Indian Man, Jadav "Molai" Payeng, Single-Handedly Plants A 1,360 Acre Forest In Assam | publisher=[[The Huffington Post]] | accessdate=1 April 2014 | date=4 March 2012}}</ref> Payeng planted and tended trees on a [[sandbar]] of [[Majuli]] island in the [[Brahmaputra]] River, eventually becoming a forest reserve.

Molai forest now houses [[Bengal tiger]]s, [[Indian rhinoceros]], over 100 [[deer]] and [[rabbit]]s besides [[apemonkey]]s and several varieties of birds, including a large number of [[vulture]]s.<ref name="huffingtonpost2012"/> There are several thousand trees, including valcol, arjun (''[[Terminalia arjuna]]''), Pride of India (''[[Lagerstroemia speciosa]]''), royal poinciana (''[[Delonix regia]]''), silk trees (''[[Albizia]] procera''), moj (''[[Archidendron bigeminum]]'') and cotton trees (''[[Bombax ceiba]]''). Bamboo covers an area of over 300 hectares (700 acres).<ref name="asianagearchive">{{cite web | url=https://archive.asianage.com/india/man-creates-forest-single-handedly-brahmaputra-sand-bar-972 | title=Man creates forest single-handedly on Brahmaputra sand bar | publisher=[[The Asian Age]] | accessdate=1 April 2014 | date=25 March 2012}}</ref>

A herd of around 100 [[elephant]]s regularly visits the forest every year and generally stays for around six months. They have given birth to 10 calves in the forest in recent years.<ref name="asianagearchive" />

==FilmographyMedia==

Molai forest and Payeng have been the subject of a number of documentaries in the recent years. A locally made film documentary, produced by Jitu Kalita in 2012 ''[[The Molai Forest (film)|The Molai Forest]]'',<ref>{{IMDb title|2678376qid=Q123750278|title=The Molai forest|description=2012}}</ref> was screened at the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]]. Jitu Kalita, who lives near Payeng's house, has also been featured and given recognition foron goodhis reporting by projectingof the life of Payeng through his documentary. Molai forest was also featured in a 2013 documentary ''[[Foresting life]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.humanitywatchdog.org/films/foresting-life-2013/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823002040/https://www.humanitywatchdog.org:80/films/foresting-life-2013/ |dead-url-status=yesdead |archive-date=23 August 2013 |title=Foresting life |publisher=Humanity Watchdog |accessdate=1 April 2014 }} </ref> directed by the Indian documentary filmmaker [[Aarti Shrivastava]],<ref>{{IMDb title|3101404qid=Q123750279|title=Foresting life|description=2013}}</ref> and in [[William Douglas McMaster]]'s 2013 film documentary ''[[Forest Man (film)|Forest Man]]''.<ref>{{IMDb title|2939244qid=Q123750276|title=Forest Man|description=2013}}</ref> People have pledged 8,327 USD on the [[Kickstarter]] campaign<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/59012691/forest-man-post-production|title=Forest Man post production|publisher=[[Kickstarter]]|date=14 February 2013|accessdate=29 April 2014}}</ref> for the [[post-production]] of this documentary in early 2013, which was displayedshown at [[2014 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Payeng film gets Cannes award|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1140527/jsp/northeast/story_18384889.jsp#.U8fZSvmSySq|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726111126/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1140527/jsp/northeast/story_18384889.jsp#.U8fZSvmSySq|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2014|accessdate=17 July 2014|work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph, Calcutta, India]]|date=26 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The American Pavilion 2014 Finalists Emerging Filmmaker Showcase:|publisher=The American Pavilion|url=https://www.ampav.com/index.php/student-programs/cannes-emerging-filmmaker-showcase/2014-finalists-emerging-filmmaker-showcase-presented-by-american-express/|accessdate=17 July 2014}}</ref>

[[Category:Islands of the River Brahmaputra River]]

[[Category:Tourism in North EastNortheast India]]