A captivating tale from the Sundarbans, this Puthi text explores the legend of Bonobibi, the guardian spirit of the forests. It’s a powerful narrative about the delicate balance between humanity and nature, the fight against demonic forces, and the triumph of faith. This story is a cornerstone of Sundarbans culture.

Stories of courage, strength, and defiance featuring powerful female protagonists.

Maimansingha Gitika is a celebrated collection of traditional ballads from the Mymensingh region of present-day Bangladesh. These folk narratives, passed down orally for generations, capture the loves, struggles, and adventures of rural life, blending myth, romance, and heroism with deep cultural roots. Compiled and published in the early 20th century by folklorists like Dinesh Chandra Sen and Chandra Kumar De, the Gitika includes legendary tales such as Mahua, Malua, and Chandravati. Together, these ballads offer a vivid window into the beliefs, values, and imagination of the people of eastern Bengal, preserving a rich tradition of storytelling that continues to inspire literature, theater, and music today.

Rangpur Geetika is a major collection of folk songs and ballads from the Rangpur region of present-day Bangladesh, reflecting the area’s rich oral traditions. The earliest scholarly work on Rangpur’s folklore was done by George Abraham Grierson, who, while serving as a magistrate between 1873 and 1877, collected a ballad titled The Song of Manik Chandra, totaling 701 lines gathered directly from rural peasants. He published the original Bengali text in Devanagari script with an English translation in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1878), marking the first systematic documentation of Rangpur’s oral literature. In modern times, S. M. Samiul Islam, working under the Bangla Academy, has greatly expanded this effort. A native of Rangpur, Samiul Islam traveled extensively across the region, living among local communities to record their songs with authenticity and care. His work reflects not only meticulous collection but also deep curiosity and scholarship, uncovering new and unexplored themes while highlighting Rangpur’s unique cultural identity. Together, these contributions have shaped Rangpur Geetika into a vital archive of northern Bengal’s history, beliefs, and artistic heritage.

Thakurmar Jhuli is a classic collection of Bengali folk and fairy tales that has enchanted children and adults for over a century. Compiled by Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder and first published in 1907, the book brings together stories of kings and queens, talking animals, demons, magical beings, and clever tricksters, all told in the warm, familiar voice of a grandmother by the fireside. Deeply rooted in the oral storytelling traditions of Bengal, Thakurmar Jhuli blends fantasy with moral lessons, capturing the cultural essence of rural Bengal. Its timeless tales, like Lalkamal-Nilkamal and Kiranmala, have become a cornerstone of Bengali literature, shaping childhood memories and inspiring countless adaptations in theater, television, and film.