Panchali is an oral narrative form of songs and stories in Assamese and Bengali culture.
[1](panchali gaan collectively refers to the Bengali ballad songs) During a panchali recitation, the singer walks among the listeners making gestures to accompany the story.
[3] The themes are typically religious and reflect a variety of impacts on the culture through a period of several centuries.
[1] Interspersed in the presentation of Bengali folk opera, there are frequently breaks which are filled with panchali and other forms of songs.
[5] The panchali is followed by the singing of a religious song in Assam.