Traditional
The local goddess, Banbibi, saves a child named Dukhe from tigers after he is offered as a sacrifice by Dhana, a trader from Bangladesh. The trader does this to appease Dakshin Rai, the god of the tigers so that he can collect honey from the forest without any hindrance. While the duration varies from three to four hours, the dialogues are in the local dialect, songs in the Bhatiyali folk form and the music is composed with dhol, tabla and cymbals as well as keyboards.Goddess Banbibi gained prominence as people venturing into the forests prayed to her to save them from tiger attacks.
Contemporary
There has been little change in Banbibir Pala over the years except the pronunciation of the artists. Also, unlike in the past when men used to play women characters, women themselves play the roles now. The duration has also shortened to 45-70 minutes, keeping the tourist audience in mind, and the language has changed from the local dialect to urban Bengali.
