The book is about the colonization of the Sunderbans that began with the coming of the British. For two centuries, land-hungry peasants strove to transform the tidal forest vegetation into an agro- ecosystem dominated by paddy fields and fish culture. The construction of a permanent railroad led to the spreading of the co- operative movement, the formation of peasant organizations, and finally culminated in open rebellion by the peasants (tebhaga).

The tourists of Sundarbans including the researchers are always interested to know more about the unknown fact with regard to the people of these amazing forests and tiger-land of Sundarbans, their daily struggle for survival, their cultural heritage and also about the forests and wild life in particular. But, hardly the find all the information available to their satisfaction and need. Obviously, at the end of their journey over Sundarbans the tourists or the researchers get disappointed. On the other hand, its true that the numerous and vast islands of Sundarbans located at the remotest corners of Sundarban delta hold certain historical, ecological and anthropological back ground which are still untold or even unexplored. Hence, It is also equally essential to bring about all these hidden treasure of information attached to this unique ‘world heritage site’ to the knowledge of all concerned, tourists and foreigners as well. A continual & detailed search over a period of last 18 years conducted through the Indian and Bangladesh parts of Sundarbans on the various aspects/issues could reveal probably a part of such untold and unexplored treasure of information. As a result, the proposed Hand Book or the Tourist Guide will surely provide a fair idea to the tourists, foreigners and researchers about the most fascinating subject matters of different aspects of Sundarbans concerning history, people, life, wild life and mangrove-brakish water-marine ecology of Sundarbans through informative as well as vivid pictorial presentation.

This book brings together 45 years’ worth of experience-derived information about more than 7,000 micro- and macro- species, which form the unique bio-diversity of the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem, as it struggles against the natural and anthropogenic threats. Up to 1770, the estimated area of Sundarbans was around 36,000 km2, but has reduced over time to 25,000 km2, due to reclamation. This loss and the related degradation of habitats has caused historical species extinction and population decline. Whereas biodiversity conservation within and beyond the protected areas has been the watchword since the 1990s (“biodiversity, aesthetic values and integrity”), the initial two hundred years of imperial and post-colonial forest management focused primarily on revenue and production forestry, to the detriment of the ecology of the area. It will be of interest to researchers, in zoology, botany, ecology and conservation, as well as professionals, such as foresters, environmentalists, conservationists, resource managers, planners, government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs and naturalists.

Acclaimed for its unique ecosystem and Royal Bengal tigers, the mangrove islands that comprise the Sundarbans area of the Bengal delta are the setting for this pioneering anthropological work. The key question that the author explores is: what do tigers mean for the islanders of the Sundarbans? The diverse origins and current occupations of the local population produce different answers to this question – but for all, ‘the tiger question’ is a significant social marker. Far more than through caste, tribe or religion, the Sundarbans islanders articulate their social locations and interactions by reference to the non-human world – the forest and its terrifying protagonist, the man-eating tiger. The book combines rich ethnography on a little-known region with contemporary theoretical insights to provide a new frame of reference to understand social relations in the Indian subcontinent. It will be of interest to scholars and students of anthropology, sociology, development studies, religion and cultural studies, as well as those working on environment, conservation, the state and issues relating to discrimination and marginality.

From the author of The Soul of an Octopus and bestselling memoir The Good Good Pig, a book that earned Sy Montgomery her status as one of the most celebrated wildlife writers of our time, Spell of the Tiger brings readers to the Sundarbans, a vast tangle of mangrove swamp and tidal delta that lies between India and Bangladesh. It is the only spot on earth where tigers routinely eat people—swimming silently behind small boats at night to drag away fishermen, snatching honey collectors and woodcutters from the forest. But, unlike in other parts of Asia where tigers are rapidly being hunted to extinction, tigers in the Sundarbans are revered. With the skill of a naturalist and the spirit of a mystic, Montgomery reveals the delicate balance of Sundarbans life, explores the mix of worship and fear that offers tigers unique protection there, and unlocks some surprising answers about why people at risk of becoming prey might consider their predator a god.

The success of the renewable energy programme, which was initiated in the islands in the early 1990s, has been so remarkable that the Sundarbans may be considered a rather unique hub of stand-alone renewable energy systems. Renewable energy in the Sundarbans provides a detailed insight into this programme.