Bangalir Jounobilash

Sexual behavior, attitudes, and perspectives have long been an intrinsic—yet often overlooked—aspect of Bengali culture. Together, these elements form the sexual discourse of the Bengali identity.
 

In the pre-colonial era, literature, folklore, and everyday customs painted a vivid picture of Bengali sexuality. But with the onset of European influence, that landscape began to shift. Like many other facets of culture, sexuality too evolved—taking on complex, layered forms, particularly from the latter half of the 19th century onward.
 

By the 1950s and ’60s, Bengal witnessed a rapid transformation in sexual awareness, which only intensified with the wave of globalization in the early ’90s. This period saw the Bengali mind grappling with a newly globalized definition of sexuality while simultaneously engaging with emerging discourses around gender politics.
 

Drawing from rare magazines, books, vintage visuals, and a series of original essays, 'Bangalir Jounobilash' by renowned scholar and researcher Arnab Saha offers a compelling glimpse into the changing contours of Bengali sexual consciousness—thoughtful, nuanced, and rooted in history.