Until a few decades ago, at a time when electricity and television were not so widespread in rural Bangladesh, puthi, a traditional form of handwritten book, used to be a major source of entertainment. Be it a feudal lord or a farmer, the mesmerising recitation of a rhythmic puthi could make one cry, laugh and dream about faraway lands.

Today puthi as a form of literature is facing extinction. But thankfully, few people in rural Bangladesh are practicing the oral form of the Puthi recitation. In some places across Bangladesh, puthi recitation is still a part of everyday religious piety.

Here we present to you a recitation of a popular puthi named Padma Puran.