1. Introduction: The Melancholic Music of the River
As with many forms of art which brightly colour the diversity of Bengal’s heritage, Bhatiyali Gaan is a very soul-stirring, deep-rooted performance tradition that has been described as musical and ethereal. Bhatiyali arose from solitude of the boatman, the sound of rivers and separated identity. Bhatiyali is a music as much as it is a feeling, a floating sensation that moves through the air carried by the winds across the rivers like Ganga, Padma, and Brahmaputra.
It’s the musical diary of the boatman, the solitary soul whose life is spent navigating the winding rivers of Bengal. It is as much a conversation with the river as it is with the self. These songs aren’t performed with grandeur, they emerge from silence, like a whisper of the water, echoing the quiet ache of the human heart.
2. Origin: Songs of the Rivers
Most popular argument regarding the origin of the word ‘Bhatiyali’, associates it with ‘bhata’, the ebb tide. That alone tells you something: these songs are sung not during struggle or storm, but when the river is calm, and the boat glides downstream. It’s a time of reflection, of solitude, of watching the world slip slowly by.
Another notion connects ‘Bhatiyali’ with the word ‘Bhati’, used to describe the lower plain area of rivers. Specifically, some areas of lower Brahmaputra plain, are termed as the ‘Bhati’ area, which is now in Bangladesh. Some scholars also argue that the origin of Bhatiyali song also lies here.
The earliest mention of Bhatiyali is found in Charayapada, the oldest precedent of Bengali language. There a composition is tuned in Raag ‘Bhatiyar’, most likely the tune of Bhatiyali. Some portions of later compositions in Bengali language, for instance, ‘Sek Shubhodaya’ of Halayudh Mishra or ‘Shrikrishnakirtana’ of Boru Chandidas, are also tuned in Raag ‘Bhatiyali’. Some scholars suggest that from this tune, Bhatiyali songs emerged.
Beyond the arguments, it is accepted that Bhatiyali began with the boatmen of Bengal, irrespective of any particular region. They spent their lives on the water, their days filled with long, quiet hours and their nights under open skies. To pass the time, and perhaps to speak to something greater than themselves, they sang. No stage, no spotlight—just their voice, the oar, and the endless horizon.
These early songs weren’t written down. They lived in the air and the water, passed from voice to voice, from father to son. Over time, they became a tradition—a quiet, flowing legacy.
3. How It Flourished: From Riverbanks to Radios
For generations, Bhatiyali remained where it began—on the rivers. However, something changed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. People began observing, noticing, and appreciating this sincere and earnest music. Collectors, musicians, and poets realized that these simple songs held immense beauty and cultural value.
Artists who offered a wider audience to Bhatiyali, were Abbasuddin Ahmed, Nirmalendu Chaudhury, Jasimuddin, Ukil Munsi, Felu Shekh, Shah Abdul Karim, Hemanga Biswas, Sachin Dev Burman, Kanailal Shil and many others. With a voice full of feeling and a deep love for folk traditions, they recorded Bhatiyali songs, composed their own, collected for the future generations. Gradually, it reached far beyond Bengal’s riverbanks. The records of Bhatiyali were played in homes and on radios, introducing this humble art form to urban audiences.
From there, Bhatiyali found its place in modern culture. It was sung on stages, featured in films, and taught in curriculums. But despite the new platforms, the heart of Bhatiyali remained unchanged: deeply personal, filled with yearning, and always tied to the river.
4. Variations: Spirituality and the Mundane Life
Bhatiyali is distinct in its own slow pace, long drawn words and a great emphasis on human emotions. Unlike other river-songs, which are generally performed in chorus, Bhatiyali is a solitary one, not even for performances. It connects emotions of an unaccompanied soul with the divine, or sometimes describes the mundane life of a boatman. Thus, Bhatiyali can be divided into two distinct variations, one is spiritual and the second is humane.
4.1 Songs of Spirituality
With the influence of Vaishnavite movement in Bengal, under the leadership of Shri Chaitanya, the elements of spirituality made their entrance into Bhatiyali songs, sometimes using the allegory of Radha and Krishna, the two divine lovers. Later on, Sufi influence also shaped Bhatiyali, which gave birth to a new genre of river song, ‘Murshidi’, comprising the tune of Bhatiyali and the words of Islamic spirituality.
4.2 Depiction of Human Life
This variation of Bhatiyali song is the most popular one. Here the boatman describes his own mundane life, his strong connection with the river, the pain of the distance between his family and him, his love, separation and many other themes, all connected with humane life.
These songs have a strange character. Because they are born on a living river with all its moods, they are not always full of praise for the river, unlike classical shlokas or paeans. They are honest and real. They also talk of the drudgery of the journey, the treacherous river and its storms and floods.
5. Bhatiyali in Popular Culture: From Boats to Big Screens
Bhatiyali traveled from rivers to radios, but it did not stop there. As Bengali cinema developed, filmmakers began to integrate Bhatiyali soundtracks into their films in order to create emotional depth, nostalgia or sense of place. Bhatiyali was also used to give a feeling of dislocation in post-Partition Bengal by filmmakers like Ritwik Ghatak.
Bhatiyali has also appeared in Bollywood. Music directors such as Sachin Dev Burman had seamlessly merged the sounds of Bhatiyali. In some of his songs like ‘Sun More Bandhu Re’ or ‘Wahan Kaun Hai Tera’, Burman has brought the river’s voice into cinema halls and living rooms across India.
In literature, Bhatiyali continued to be the background music to complement themes of love, longing and separation. Luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam also took influence from Bhatiyali in some of there compositions. For instance, the famous Rabindra Sangeet, ‘Gram Chara Oi Ranga Matir Path’ and Nazrul’s ‘Kul Chere Cholilam Bhese’ are tuned in the melancholic tone of Bhatiyali.
In more recent times, several folk bands and artists have reimagined Bhatiyali for today’s audiences while retaining its fusion elements as they relate it to their audiences today. Musical reality shows feature Bhatiyali as a distinct folk song performance. With fusion elements, they’ve kept the spirit alive while making it relevant for today’s listeners. These renditions don’t just remix the music, they reintroduce the emotions behind it to new generations.
6. Current Status: At a Crossroads, Still Flowing
Bhatiyali finds itself in a bittersweet position today. On one hand, the world is faster, louder, and more digital. The slow, introspective nature of Bhatiyali feels almost out of place. Boatmen are fewer, and rivers are quieter. Many Bhatiyali songs have been lost already, due to the lack of proper documentation.
On the other hand, there’s a renewed interest in preserving and celebrating folk traditions. Cultural institutions in both West Bengal and Bangladesh are archiving old songs, hosting festivals, and supporting young artists.
And then there’s the internet. YouTube channels, Spotify playlists, and Instagram reels have breathed new life into this old tradition.
But there the soul of Bhatiyali has been changed. Originally, Bhatiyali was sung solo, with no instruments or sometimes just with a dotara (two-string musical instrument). But in recent performances, musical instruments are widely used, even they are sung in chorus. There’s also experimentation. Young musicians are blending Bhatiyali with jazz, or electronic beats. Purists may raise their eyebrows, but these innovations might be the reason Bhatiyali continues to live—not just in memory, but in music.
7. Conclusion: A River That Never Truly Stops
Bhatiyali Gaan is more than just boats and rivers. It is about being human. It is about feeling insignificant in the face of something greater than you, be it the river, or love, or life itself.
It started out as a means of someone to fill the silence of water, and now it fills a different kind of silence, that quietness that happens when longing, when remembering, when feeling alone.
As long as there is a feeling of ache, as long as there are people wondering what is around the bend, Bhatiyali will persist. And it will not only persist as music, Bhatiyali is a live being that is part of who we are.
Some Popular Bhatiyali Songs:
1. https://youtu.be/TgaXW2eRo4M?si=7of2sYHuKvahpfqa
2. https://youtu.be/TgaXW2eRo4M?si=7of2sYHuKvahpfqa
3. https://youtu.be/G1OTaT0JOuQ?si=s6x8_9_pyPtlZEb-
4. https://youtu.be/Ogk22OG1TIs?si=llbX8cwsxkMVZcGr
REFERENCES:
BOOK
1. Ahmad, Wakil, “Bangla Lokosangeet: Bhatiyali Gaan”, Lekhok Samabay, Dhaka, 2009.
JOURNAL ARTICLE
1. Bhattacharyya, Sreemoyee, “Traditional Sari and Bhatiali Songs of Bengal.” International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research 7, no. 1 (2025).
2. Matin, Abdul, “Culture and Tradition of Bhatiyali of Bengal: Sekal and Ekal.” Insight 2, no.4 (2022): 90-98.
NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE ARTICLE
1. Maitra Chakraborty, Barnini, “From ‘Bhadu’ to ‘Kobi Gaan’: The folk music traditions of Bengal”, The Telegraph, June 28, 2022. https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/bengali-folk-music-you-need-to-explore-like-aalkap-bhadu-gombhira-kobi-gaan-and-more/cid/1872215
2. Shreyan. “Bhati Anchaler Majhimallader Gan Bhatiyali”, Bongodorshon, July 2, 2019. https://www.bongodorshon.com/home/story_detail/bhatiali-folk-song-of-bangladesh
WEB PAGE
1. Banglapedia. “Bhatiyali”. Last modified June 17, 2021. https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Bhatiyali
2. Calcutta Television Network. “Aitijjha o Itihaser Melbandhan: Bhatiyali Sangeeter Amar Pratidhwani.” Last modified May 12, 2024. https://calcuttatelevisionnetwork.in/category/music/beauty-of-bhatiali-music
3. Folk and Tribal Cultural Center. “Folk Forms of West Bengal”. Last accessed August 26, 2025. https://ftcc.wbicad.in/folk-forms/
4. India Netzone. “Bhatiali Song.” Last accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.indianetzone.com/bhatiali
5. India Netzone. “Folk Music of West Bengal.” Last accessed August 26, 2025. https://www.indianetzone.com/folk_music_west_bengal
6. Mukto Arts. Hom Chowdhury, Guruprasad. “Bhatiyali Gaan O Bhati Banglar Jibon Darshan.” April 19, 2021. https://www.muktoarts.org/more-publication/%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2/
7. News Mania. Chatterjee, Piyal. “Drifting with the Current: The Enduring Legacy of Bhatiyali Songs.” Last modified July 14, 2025. https://www.newsmania.co.in/drifting-with-the-current-the-enduring-legacy-of-bhatiyali-songs/
8. Scroll.in. Dandekar, Parineeta. “Bhatiyali: A short survey of the subcontinent’s eternal river songs”. Last modified May 10, 2016. https://amp.scroll.in/article/801679/bhatiyali-a-short-survey-of-the-subcontinent-s-eternal-river-songs
9. Sobbanglay. “Bhatiyali Gaan.” Last accessed August 26, 2025. https://sobbanglay.com/sob/bhatiali-song/