Bay of Bengal

The Bay of Bengal is a prominent marine region forming the northeastern extension of the Indian Ocean. Positioned between the Indian subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia, it has historically served as a significant arena for navigation, trade, cultural exchange and maritime activity. The bay forms a vital ecological, economic and geopolitical zone influencing the nations lying along its vast coastline.

Geographical Setting and Extent

Geographically, the Bay of Bengal lies below the Bengal region and is bordered by several South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. To the west and northwest it is bounded by India, to the north by Bangladesh, and to the east by Myanmar together with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is traditionally described as the line connecting Sangaman Kanda in Sri Lanka with the north-westernmost point of Sumatra in Indonesia.
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the eastern limits through a line running from Cape Negrais in Myanmar across the Andaman Islands such that the narrow waters between the islands lie to the east and are thus excluded. The line continues to Little Andaman Island and follows the south-west limit of the Burma Sea. On the southern side, Adams Bridge between India and Sri Lanka and the stretch from Dondra Head in southern Sri Lanka to Poeloe Bras in Sumatra create the bay’s southern boundary. The bay receives substantial freshwater inflow from major river systems, including the Ganges–Hooghly, Padma, Brahmaputra–Jamuna, Surma–Meghna, Irrawaddy, Godavari, Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Krishna, Kaveri and Penna rivers.
Cox’s Bazar, recognised as the world’s longest natural sea beach, and the Sundarbans, the planet’s largest mangrove forest and the habitat of the Bengal tiger, are major coastal features associated with the bay. The coastal environments and riverine systems collectively shape its biodiversity and marine ecology.

Etymology and Cultural Significance

The name “Bay of Bengal” derives from the historical Bengal region, corresponding to modern Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and the Barak Valley of southern Assam. Ancient Indian texts referred to this water body as Mahodadhi. Classical Roman writers used the term Sinus Gangeticus, while ancient Greek scholars described it as the “Gulf of the Ganges”. Early European cartographers continued this nomenclature for centuries.
In ancient Indian tradition, the bay bore names reflecting regional identities. In Classical India, it was known as Vagasgara or the Sea of the Vanga Kingdom. Tamil literature often referred to it as Vanga Kadal, while in the Kalinga region it was called Kalinga Sagar. During the Chola period, when the Chola Navy exerted control over large parts of the bay between the ninth and twelfth centuries, it was also termed the Chola Sea or Chola Lake, reflecting the maritime prowess of the dynasty.

Historical Perspective

The Bay of Bengal has long been pivotal to the history of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The western coastal region, historically known as the Northern Circars, corresponds to modern Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Ancient empires such as the Mauryas, Kushans and later the Kakatiyas extended their domains to the coastline, indicating the strategic value of the bay. Chola rulers Rajaraja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I developed a powerful maritime force that operated extensively across the region.
By the sixteenth century, the bay evolved into a significant trading hub for European powers. Portuguese merchants established trading settlements at Chittagong, Saptagram and other northern points along the coast. Diamond Harbour, near present-day Kolkata, became a noted Portuguese stronghold. The movement of Arabs and Persians along east–west maritime routes facilitated early Islamic influence in coastal Bengal through mercantile interactions.
During the Second World War, the bay served as an important naval theatre. India used several of its ports and island bases, including the Andaman Islands, for naval operations. The twentieth century saw notable maritime incidents such as the sinking of the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi near Visakhapatnam in 1971.

Historic Sites Along the Bay

The shoreline of the Bay of Bengal hosts significant religious, cultural and archaeological sites. The Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Konaseema district stands near a Godavari distributary meeting the sea. Arikamedu, near Puducherry, is an archaeological site evidencing ancient Indo-Roman trade. The Cellular Jail on Ross Island in the Andaman Archipelago stands as a former British penal settlement for political prisoners.
Important Buddhist heritage sites such as Pavurallakonda, Thotlakonda and Bavikonda lie near Visakhapatnam. Konark, featuring the renowned Sun Temple built of black granite in the thirteenth century, and Puri, one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimage sites, are situated along the Odisha coast. Mahabalipuram’s Shore Temple, dating to the eighth century, remains a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Underwater features include the Sri Vaisakheswara Swamy Temple site off the Visakhapatnam coast, explored through marine archaeological studies.

Marine Archaeology and Shipwrecks

The Bay of Bengal presents favourable conditions for marine archaeology, owing to its long history as a maritime crossroads. Scholars have uncovered stone anchors, amphorae, ceramic pottery, elephant tusks, hippopotamus teeth and remnants of ships such as wooden masts and lead ingots. These finds illustrate the extent of ancient maritime trade.
Natural phenomena such as cyclones, tsunamis, and the dense mangrove environment, together with historical naval battles and piracy, contributed to numerous shipwrecks. Notable maritime events include the burning of the ship Mornington in the late eighteenth century, the sinking of the American clipper Eagle in 1850, the damage to the Star of India during a gale in 1865, the capture and scuttling of SS Indus in 1914, and Japanese naval attacks in 1942.

Economic Importance

The bay has historically supported extensive maritime commerce. Early ventures by the Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies, generally known as the British East India Company, were concentrated along this coastline, with settlements such as Gopalpur-on-Sea serving as trading centres. Other European trading initiatives followed similar patterns along the bay.
In modern times, BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) fosters economic integration among neighbouring nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The proposed Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project seeks to enhance navigability between the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal, potentially shortening east–west maritime routes within India.
Fishing remains a major livelihood along the bay, with traditional vessels such as thoni and catamarans widely used. The bay yields between two to four million tonnes of marine fish annually, representing a substantial proportion of the global coastal fishing population’s activity. Approximately one-third of the world’s coastal fishermen live and work around the bay.

Geostrategic Significance

Strategically positioned between South and Southeast Asia, the Bay of Bengal holds increasing relevance in contemporary geopolitics. It occupies a central location between the major economic blocs of SAARC and ASEAN, providing maritime access to densely populated and rapidly developing regions. Its sea lanes influence trade routes connected to China’s southern landlocked territories, and its waters serve as crucial conduits for energy supplies, maritime security operations and regional cooperation mechanisms. As global maritime dynamics evolve, the bay continues to serve as a focal point of strategic interest for regional and extra-regional powers.