In the public imagination, Sundarbans conjures visions of tigers, dense forests and tourism. But not many know, or perhaps care, that this region spread out in West Bengal and adjacent Bangladesh,  is home to over 50 lakh people on the Indian side alone and has its unique history and politics. In this three-part series on the Indian Sundarbans, we look at various factors that are of consequence to this region- recurring climate disasters, human-wildlife conflict and the role of development.

 In the first episode of this series, reporter Urvashi Sarkar talks with Annu Jalais about the geographic, historical and social processes which make up the Sundarbans. We explore myth and legend, the inescapable role of tigers and the fragile ecological balance of this region.