UNESCO, in collaboration with the Department of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises & Textiles (MSME&T), Government of West Be...
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Department of
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises & Textiles (MSME&T), Government
of West Bengal, hosted the SundeRhythm Festival 2025 at Sajnekhali in the
Sundarbans on 20 and 21st December 2025. The festival was organized by the
Kolkata Society for Cultural Heritage (KSCH), an implementation partner of
UNESCO for the Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs (RCCH) project.
The SundeRhythmFestival 2025 brought together
artisans, cultural practitioners, educators and community leaders to celebrate
West Bengal’s living cultural heritage. More than 100 artisans and performing
artists from across the state participated, presenting enduring folk traditions
including Chhau, Jhumur, Baul and Fakiri, Bhatiyali, Raibenshe, Gambhira and
Bhawaiya, while encouraging dialogue on cultural rights, identity and
intergenerational responsibility.
Set in the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve, the
festival underscored the close relationship between culture, nature and
community resilience in one of the world’s most ecologically sensitive regions.
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997, the Sundarbans is among
the largest and most biologically rich mangrove ecosystems globally, yet
increasingly vulnerable to cyclones, saline water intrusion, siltation and
pressures from human activity. In this fragile environment, cultural practices
and traditional knowledge have evolved in close relationship with nature,
reinforcing that safeguarding is not a static act of preservation but a living
process sustained by communities who continue to practice, adapt and transmit
their heritage.
A curated handicraft and handloom exhibition
showcased traditional crafts and textiles from across the state, strengthening
market access for rural artisans while reinforcing culture as a driver of
inclusive local development. A special highlight of the programme was Banabibi
Pala, a traditional musical drama deeply rooted in the Sundarbans, centred on
coexistence between humans, nature and belief systems. The festival was
designed to strengthen rural cultural ecosystems by supporting traditional artists,
artisans and community practitioners; creating sustainable platforms where
heritage and livelihoods intersect; and encouraging the transmission of
knowledge and skills across generations. As reflected throughout the festival,
culture survives not because it is inherited, but because it is actively
protected, practiced and taught.
Across West Bengal, tens of thousands of artisans
and cultural practitioners depend on traditional knowledge systems for their
livelihoods, yet many face declining incomes, limited market access and weak
institutional support. The RCCH initiative responds by positioning culture as a
productive economic resource, capable of generating decent work, supporting
micro-enterprises and strengthening local economies while safeguarding
intangible cultural heritage. Implemented through UNESCO’s Art for Life approach,
the initiative places communities at the centre of decision-making, recognising
artists and artisans as custodians of heritage and contributors to sustainable
development.
Through the SundeRhythm Festival, UNESCO and
its partners reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding intangible cultural
heritage, in line with the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage, while also supporting implementation of the 2005
Convention on the diversity of cultural expressions, particularly its emphasis
on integrating culture within sustainable development frameworks.
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