The queen is back: Why Bengalis are going gaga over Sunderban hilsa festival

West Bengal forest department has imposed a ban on tourist activities in the core mating areas of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve between June 15 and September 15. The rest of the delta, however, is anything but quiet, thanks to one fish species — the queen hilsa — and the Bengali community’s love for her.

Every year, between late June and September, parts of the Sunderbans turn into a gastronomic haven with the Sunderbans Hilsa Festival — a three- month long celebration of Bengal’s favourite fish, organised jointly by private bodies, hoteliers, and local resorts.

“This is not like any other festival with fixed dates. The ilish decides when we celebrate,” Nirmalya Bose, senior marketing and operations official of the Sunderban Wild Camp told My Kolkata.

“We start as soon as the catch begins arriving from Canning, Medinipur, and the riverine zones near the delta,” she added.

Bose’s organisation runs two-night-three-day food-focused packages that start at Rs 6,500 and go up to Rs 12,500 per person, with pick-up points in Kolkata’s Science City and Indian Museum.

“This is a non-vegetarian seafood tour. We do keep vegetarian dishes for those who request in advance, but the main attraction is ilish in its authentic forms — paturi, bhapa, shorshe ilish. We don’t do ilish biryani. That’s overkill and makes no sense,” Bose clarified.

Despite the partial forest closure, tourism has not been significantly affected in the Sunderbans. “The core breeding areas are off-limits, but the buffer zones are open. Cruises still happen. You may not spot a tiger, but crocodiles and birds are common sights,” Bose said.

The fish that defined a region

The hilsa or ilish is more than just a monsoon delicacy in Bengal — It is a marker of culture and diplomacy.

In 1996, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gifted hilsa to then West Bengal’s CM Jyoti Basu just days before the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed between the two nations.

Hasina’s gift of hilsa to Jyoti Basu in 1996 marked the beginning of what has since been referred to as ‘hilsa diplomacy’ by many.

Over the next several years, Hasina continued the ilish-driven diplomacy. In 2010, she brought hilsa for chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was then the Union railways minister.

In 2013, when President Pranab Mukherjee visited Dhaka, Hasina had famously laid out a five-course meal of fish, including, of course, the hilsa.

The gesture wasn’t lost on either side. Ilish is politics, nostalgia, and pride all rolled into one.

What the Sunderbans Ilish Festival offers

While the ilish is the festival’s centrepiece, the experiences built around it are multi-sensory.

Most tour operators, including government-backed IRCTC and private platforms like Sunderbans National Park Online, curate comprehensive weekend itineraries.

The IRCTC’s 1N-2D Sundarban Ilish Utsav starts from Kolkata’s Priya Cinema at 7.30am with AC bus service to Gadkhali, followed by a cruise to Dayapur. Guests enjoy a lineup of ilish-centric meals at local restaurants.

Prices range from Rs 8,950 to Rs 15,650, depending on occupancy.

Apart from multiple-course hilsa meals featuring regional variations, the packages also include boat cruises through the mangroves and guided village walks

Sourav Taran, operations executive at Sunderbans National Park Online, noted a rise in interest among international tourists as well.

“We stick to traditional recipes but also experiment with things like ilish biryani. Our packages, priced at Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,500, include two nights and three days, and meals that showcase dishes like ilish jhol, bhapa ilish, and yes, the controversial biryani,” he said.

But for many, the joy is in the simplicity. “You’re eating fish caught just hours before, in the place it comes from, surrounded by the mangroves. That’s the experience,” Taran added.

What to keep in mind

Tour operators strongly advise pre-booking since most packages are sold out weeks in advance. Here are a few things to remember if you're planning to attend the 2025 edition:

Pack light but carry rain essentials: umbrellas, waterproof shoes, mosquito repellent.

Expect monsoon humidity. Stay hydrated and choose accommodation with proper ventilation or air-conditioning.

Respect local customs.

Avoid plastic and follow all eco-tourism guidelines. Sunderbans is a fragile ecosystem.

Not just a food festival...

“This is not just a festival,” says Bose. “It’s a seasonal love that every Bengali feels in their heart. When the rains come, the ilish follows. And we follow the ilish.”

And in the following, the hilsa becomes a food memory.