Reviving Traditional Music & Art

In the remote riverine belt of Lower Hingalganj, tradition still breathes — quietly resilient, yet profoundly rich. Where the rivers of Bengal meet the sea, this land holds within its people a deep cultural memory — of migration, survival, and a heritage of song, story, and ritual.

Many art forms that once flourished across the undivided Bengal delta still find refuge here — preserved in oral traditions, ritual spaces, and seasonal festivals of rural communities. Though the trauma of Partition displaced many, and modern development bypassed the region, Hingalganj remains a rare cultural enclave where fragments of Bengal’s fading folk arts survive in daily life.

For example, ballads from the Mymensingh Geetika, such as the epic of Kajal Rekha, are still performed here by elder performers — a living trace of cross-border oral literature that once united the delta. Similarly, traditions like Palkir Gaan (songs of palanquin bearers), Bhatiali (songs of boatmen), and Bonbibi'r Palagaan (narrative performance honouring the forest goddess) are not just remembered — they are still sung.

Breathing Roots works closely with these cultural bearers to document, support, and revitalise their traditions — not as nostalgia, but as a living resource for resilience, dignity, and identity.

Our Actions (2020–2024)

• Partnered with over 400+ folk artist families across the Sundarbans fringe.
• Created platforms for unheard and hidden talents through the Bon Bibi & Dakshin Ray Festival — a 3-day annual celebration linking folklore with environmental consciousness.
• Revived and documented endangered art forms: ballads, Bhatiali, Palkir Gaan, Manik Peerer Gaan, Geetinatya, Pally Geeti and Putul Naach (puppet dance).
• Fostered intergenerational dialogue to pass down oral traditions, preventing their disappearance.
• Integrated folk music into climate education and community mobilisation, transforming art into action.

Through this cultural revival, Breathing Roots ensures that the voices of Bengal’s forgotten artists continue to sing — across rivers, generations, and borders.