The circulation in the interior of the Bay of Bengal and of its western boundary current, the East Indian Coastal Current, is inferred from historical ship drift data and from TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter data. The boundary current shows a strong seasonal variability with reversals twice per year that lead the reversal of the local monsoon wind field by several months. On the basis of model simulations it has been suggested that this unusual behavior can be explained by the influence of remotely forced planetary waves. Our data analysis confirms and refines this view by showing the role of topography in the northern bay. We also give an estimate of the relative importance of the different contributions. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union