Sufia M. Uddin

The life of the people in the Sundarbans is filled with constant connection to Bonbibi. It is through this relationship with her that the forest continues to be the source of livelihood for so many people of the region. There is a direct correlation between the level of dependency on the forest and the relationship maintained with Bonbibi… that divine power can be communicated with in terms that fit within both Hindu and Muslim worldviews. There is a prevalent attitude of respect toward the forest and its most dangerous inhabitants in the Sundarbans. Residents understand that they share this space with nonhuman entities that have rights to the region as well. Workers do not enter the forest recklessly; they enter with a sense of the awesome power of their environment and formidable creatures such as tigers, crocodiles, and snakes.

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Originally published in Asian Ethnology 78/2, 2019. Republished here with thanks.