Vanishing Waters : Cultural Histories of the Rivers of West Bengal

This book explores the complex socio-cultural histories of the rivers of West Bengal in India. It goes beyond the ‘seeing’ of a river geo-spatially, to unearth its ‘signifying’ presence in the making of a regional culture. The volume analyses myths, rituals, cultural practices, metaphysical and mystical symbolisms in folktales, oral literature and other literary representations generated by the interactions between the rivers and the communities that have lived alongside them. It explores how water histories are embedded in the collective cultural/racial memory and underscores the importance of viewing rivers as the indices of cultural transformations symptomatic of a livelihood developed from/ due to the rivers. The book archives, analyses and offers narratives on a vital ecosystem to provide a holistic take on ‘river futures’. It creates an authentic framework of socio-cultural narratives to supplement the current ecological strategies towards the survival and sustenance of rivers and their communities. This book will be of immense interest to scholars and researchers of cultural studies, human geography, river and water studies, environmental and ecological studies, cultural anthropology, comparative literary studies, race and ethnic studies, and South Asia studies.