Hydrocultural Histories and Narratives

Abstract

This article focuses on water-centric quotidian-actualities by bringing to the fore collected oral histories from the field and their relation to the local religious literature—Bonbibi’r Johuranama, Raimangal, Manasa Mangal. When asked about the water history of the region, the narratives of the locals reflect the desire to shift the attention from terrestrial–aquatic tyranny to climatic despotism. To put this into perspective, the islanders, at present, are conscious about how climate change holistically affects their deltaic ecosystem. The realization does not stop the community from engaging in age-old religious practices that have acquired habitual existence in the lower Bengal delta. This provides an entry point to a new cultural system re-centred on historical imaginations and novel spatialities, which in every aspect is exemplary for contemporary policy-makers.

Keywords

• hydroculture
• water
• culture
• Bonbibi
• Sundarbans