About my last trip to Majuli Island, Assam I happened to go inside a room in the mask making centre (Samaguri Satra) full of decapitated heads from the various mythological characters. It is the home of the craftsmen - making figures out of bamboo and clay.  Majuli has numerous Satras (Assamese Vaishnava monasteries), which preserve the culture and traditional artforms. These clay figures come to life on the stage during performances to depict the avatars of fictional characters.