Malda district, also spelt Maldah or Maldaha, is a district in West Bengal, India. The capital of the Bengal Sultanate, Gauda and Pandua, was situated in this district. Mango, jute and silk are the most notable products of this district. The special variety of mango, Fazli, produced in this region is popularly known by the name of the district and is exported across the world and is internationally acclaimed. The folk culture of gombhira is a feature of the district, being a unique way of representation of joy and sorrow in daily life of the common people, as well as the unique medium of presentation on national and international matters.
In a heart-wrenching account from Murshidabad’s Shamserganj, Kanchan Mondal-a widow and bidi worker from Bedabnagram—recounts..