Living Heritages of Sundarbans

The Sundarbans, consisting of 10,200 sq.kms of mangrove forest across India and Bangladesh, is the largest biodiversity ecosystem of its kind, and the world’s largest delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. The mangroves unique to this region are naturally resilient to coastal erosion and regular cyclonic storms typical of this place. Transected with rivers and creeks, the landscape is home to diverse and endangered flora and fauna, most famously the Royal Bengal Tiger. Because of its unique ecosystem, the Sundarbans enjoys the status of a Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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It is also traditionally home to millions of forest-dependent people, although this has not always been the case. The colonial period witnessed large-scale deforestation of the mangroves and waves of human in-migration from different regions of the country, starting from 1783, driven by various factors: the desire for more farmlands to generate revenue, development of a port township in Canning, the Bengal famine, and the Bengal partition during independence. The outcome has been increased vulnerability of the region to catastrophic tropical storms.

Even so, people living here for generations consider the Sundarbans their sacred abode and a provider of their sustainable livelihood, although accessing resources from the forests— fishing, collection of honey, crabs, prawn-seeds and fuelwood — are fraught with the risk of falling prey to tigers, crocodiles and poisonous snakes that abound in the marshes. Particularly vulnerable are the forest fringe dwellers who do not have their own land for agriculture and live in abject poverty. The region is also threatened by cyclones, tidal waves, lack of fresh water, and increasing anthropogenic activities.

The inhabitants of such a high-risk habitat naturally have developed a deep-rooted relationship of reverence with nature that is reflected in their cultural and ritualistic practices. From time immemorial, mythical stories and folk legends in the Sundarbans have spoken of local gods and goddesses who would protect the local people, and help them survive with faith and hope. Historically, these legends have been shaped and nurtured through various indigenous and hereditary cultural traditions of songs, theatre, dance, and social customs. Such popular intangible cultural heritages (ICH) of Sundarbans include Jhumur (songs and dance), Bonbibir Pala (theatre), and Bhatiyali (songs). These folk forms are integral to and manifest the local ways of life, with the Bengal tiger often appearing as an iconic character which is exotic, beautiful and dangerous. The mighty glory of the Tiger is everlasting, as without it the forest will have no meaning and protection. It evokes fear and awe and is celebrated through the local ICH forms.

Jhumur is a tribal performing art. Although introduced by migrants from other regions, Sundarbans Jhumur songs have unique tunes and lyrics. They convey the local belief systems in the power of the forest, express the hardships of the natives, and narrate their daily interactions with nature, associated with natural disasters, tides and tiger-attacks. Traditionally linked to the harvest ritual known as ‘Tusu Pujo’ (Tusu Goddess worship) held in January, Jhumur has also become an entertainment product for various government events and tourism offerings. It provides a livelihood option for the rural womenfolk, as the men have mostly migrated to other cities for jobs. Like all ICH, Jhumur has also evolved to add new compositions to their traditional repertoire.

Bhatiyali is a folk music tradition, originally from Bangladesh, that describes the life of boatmen and fishermen who brace the dangers of thunderstorms, cyclones, rough weather, and tiger-attacks to make both ends meet. They also transport the local people from island to island, across the waterways. Bhatiyali songs often include names and characteristics of the rivers, streams and islands that the boatmen pass, the high and low tides, and the life risks that they face daily. The songs have lingering tunes usually matching the rhythm of the oars. Previously, there used to be many music-based plays on various local legends that sustained the practice of a much larger repertoire of Bhatiyali songs, but with time, most of these traditional stories and songs have died out. The two most popular plays that still continue to be performed are Manasa Mangal and Bonbibir Pala, practised to appease Manasa, the ubiquitous indigenous goddess of snakes, and Bonbibi.

The age-old tradition of Bonbibi (Lady of the Forest) is a fascinating local ICH. Bonbibi, a local deity, is the supreme protector of the forest-dependent people, the goddess they pray to for safe-return after collecting honey or wood or fishing. Bonbibi’s idol is installed in village households, and innumerable small shrines are found across the forest. As the sole protector of the forest dwellers, both Hindus and Muslims venerate her with the same devotion and submission, creating a common areligious identity and establishing their sustainable relationship with nature as fundamental to their being. This tradition is thus considered a syncretic Bengali folk religion of this region.

Bonbibir Pala (Bonbibi’s theatre), celebrating the goddess’s guardianship over Sundarbans and its inhabitants, is an essential ritual. The play narrates the story of Sundarbans, how Bonbibi and her brother Shahjangali came to rule over it, and how she established her supremacy over the other native godly characters such as Dakshin Ray (Tiger God) and his mother Narayani. The play upholds the mercy and kindness of Bonbibi, and emphasizes the need to maintain a delicate ecological balance by establishing the divine rules of sustainably sharing the forest resources among all inhabitants and creatures living here. The villagers also believe that they will be punished by Bonbibi if they use the forest indiscriminately for profit.

An annual festival celebrating Bonbibi takes place during January to demonstrate the profound respect for the goddess. In addition to its entertainment value, the performers feel that the shows must continue to create awareness and establish the sovereign authority of Bonbibi through generations. The performances are elaborate, colourful and dramatic in nature, full of songs of which many are from the Jhumur and Bhatiyali traditions. In recent times, this folk theatre has also become popular among tourists visiting the Sundarbans. The government also engages the theatre groups to disseminate social messages and inform people about cyclones, floods and ways of minimizing damage and ensuring safety during natural disasters.

The Sundarbans have been a major focus for nature conservators for many years. Its fragile ecology has been under serious threat due to climate change, as well as severe exploitation of its natural resources through tiger-poaching, cutting of mangroves, illegal fishing, human encroachment, increased use of motor boats polluting water and disturbing aquatic life, decrease in fresh water supply due to construction of upstream embankments, increased water salinity, and waste water pollution from nearby cities and towns. These activities are gravely impacting the local physiology, lifestyle, and ecological sustainability of the place. In recent times, it has faced some devastating cyclones and tidal surges— Aila (2009), Fani and Bulbul (2019), Amphan (2020), and Yaas (2021)— causing severe damages, loss of lives, loss of endangered fauna, and loss of cultivable land further pushing the local people into destitution. As a result, its unique ICH forms are also dying or moving away from their authentic traditions with changing environment, customary practices and contexts.