It is rumoured that a man under training to be a Baul was not allowed to stay in the same place for more than 3 days. All that a man needs to do is to adhere to a path of love and reject material wealth and take the road.A number of foreign nationals who visited the Bauls for their research stayed back and has taken Bauls way of life.That was how the Assamese Bauls found a Japanese Guru and lives in her Akhara. They explained that God is not found in a church or temple but in the body of an individual who seeks truth. Indifference to material wealth is the key to salvation. They are of the opinion that the mantra to inner peace lies in self-realization. The young stars gave up their studies from renowned institutions of India to convert into Baul. Recently I had an opportunity to watch an interview of three Assamese Bauls. They sing and dance all through the night. Hundreds of Bauls gather every year and celebrate Kenduli Mela near the banks of Ajoy River. ‘When can I meet the men of my heart?’ĭuring the Bengali calendar month of Poush ,Kenduli mela is held every year in Birbhum District of West Bengal. He dances to the beat of his drum by enquiring: Their songs reflect a love for Universal Brotherhood.
The Bauls are known to meditate over years without food and water and after attaining enlightenment they write verses in praise of Lord Krishna: The Bauls defy the caste system and taunt the Brahmins with their songs, often starting with a question and ending in an answer in a lyrical form: I remember my Grandmother humming to the tunes of Baul songs: Today the Baul tradition encompasses together the philosophy from Buddhism, Turkish Sufism and Hinduism.īaul songs are intricately linked to a Bengali’s cultural life.
A Baul teacher teaches his chela how to meditate, asceticism, techniques of sex and spirituality. Throughout their history the Bauls have refused to conform to the Brahmanical system of society and hence have developed their own way of life. They are a group of wondering music cult, their songs mainly reflect the ills of society like caste system, materialism, religious war etc.īaul is a powerful musical form recognised by UNESCO as ‘Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ and dates back to the early 8th century AD. After watching the solo performance by one of the famous Bauls of Bengal,I came back home promising myself to know more about the Bauls and their life.īauls of Bengal are a group of Mystic minstrels who are found mainly in Bangladesh, West Bengal, Tripura and Barak Valley of Assam. Her knotted flowing tresses, which reached below her waist, seemed to give her an aura of mystery. Playing various musical instruments at the same time while singing, like the Ektara with one hand, beating the Dugi ,a drumming instrument tied to her waist with another, she danced making sound with her anklet as well. Dressed in a Jhula, Parvathy Baul enthralled her audience with one song after another.
As the mystic danced and sang, the stage reverberated with her deep, full throated voice.