The scope of this project is vast, and in order that the task be given an immediate focus, it is proposed that we begin by emphasising on the technology of boat building in Bengal.

It will be convenient to begin our studies in Balagarh, a small town in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. Located on the banks of the Hooghly River, close to and upstream from Kolkata, Balagarh is a place where wooden boats are still hand-made using techniques that do not employ modern technology. Documenting these age-old techniques and comparing them to those used elsewhere in Bengal, while collating them with other references to boats and rivers in songs, myths, epics, and art, could provide indicators to the study of cross-cultural dynamics in the region.

Resident artists will have access to the entire body of information, and trips and short stays in Balagarh will be facilitated for first-hand understanding of the subject. Needless to say, artists will be given limitless freedom to interpret and create their artworks.