Across the Bengal delta—stretching across Bangladesh and eastern India—several Islamic shrines are home to “sacred” aquatic beings. In Bagerhat, Rajshahi, Chittagong, and Sylhet (all in Bangladesh) and in Ghutiary Sharif (in West Bengal, India), shrine tanks shelter crocodiles, endangered soft-shelled turtles, and “miraculous” fish that communities have long believed to channel the blessings of saints. People from different religious backgrounds trust in the healing power of these waters and the non-humans who live in those waters. This talk explores what these human–nonhuman relationships reveal about religious life, ecological care, and community in the Bengal delta.

Turzo Nicholas Mondal is an anthropologist and historian with a profound interest in ritual studies and performance. He is currently delving into the complex dynamics of human-animal interactions at religious sites across India and Bangladesh as a part of his doctoral research on the Bengali identity of 21st Century. Turzo’s work focuses on the rituals associated with sacred non-human animals, exploring their cultural, ecological, and historical implications. Before joining the doctoral program at Krea, he conducted research on early human migration in Bhimbetka, based on rhino representations in Urden Cave, and examined the ritualistic use of Kerala’s Megalithic rock-cut burial caves.