Balagarh is the heart of Bengal’s indigenous boat manufacture. The center where the boat makers and workshops still uphold a centuries-old tradition is centered around Sripur market. The craft is at least 500 years old, with the boat makers of Sripur getting a mention in the writings of even Abul Fazal (1551-1602). The demand for boats was immense and Balagarh’s craft plied every part of the Mughal Empire’s richest province, which included today’s Bihar and Odisha along with the old undivided Bengal. In 1952, Balagarh rolled out its first motor-boat and next year, the first motor vessel. Today it is an industry in decline but there are some 25 small workshops providing livelihood to about 150 families.