Baul, a folk sect, are associated with devotional songs known as Baul songs. They practice secret devotional rites, centering on the belief that the human body is the seat of all truths. They have faith bin religious cult which is hidden and obscure. Bauls are the part of our cultural heritage. The most famous Baul singer we have ever heard is none other than Lalon Shah. One of the greatest mystic singers the Indian subcontinent has ever produced, Lalon Fakir was perhaps the most radical voice in India during British colonial rule. He had no formal education and lived in extreme poverty, but he made profound contribution in poetic Bengali during nineteenth century. Lalon is one of the most brilliant and philosophically insightful minds born in oral and textual traditions who expressed his ideas in beautiful songs and wonderful musical compositions using instruments that could be made by any rural households from materials available at home: an Ektara (a one string musical instrument) and a dugdugi (a hand drum).
Fakir Lalon Shah is unique in that he had blended different traditions of devotional rites such as Shahajia of Buddhism, Shahajia of Vaishnavism, Sufism of Islam and several other traditional beliefs and thereby interpreted dehotatta in his own way. For his followers, Lalon in many of his verses on dehotatta has implicitly given guideline on physical analysis to be beyond ‘physical state’ to the metaphysical. Perhaps that’s why Lalon, in his verses suggested to search for a Moner Manush and who will guide one to be a Shahoj Manush (simple man) for sahajasadhana (worship of the simple). Because of his craftsmanship of his dehotatta songs common readers can not unveil the inner meaning, but these songs are the base of secret devotional rites, centering on the belief that the human body is the seat of all truths.
Lalon composed numerous songs, which still provide spiritual and political inspiration to the Bengali rural peasant, a class from which Lalon himself came, and also to freedom lovers all over the world. He celebrates the freedom of body, soul, and even language from all repressive and divisive forces. Lalon was against all forms of socio-economic hierarchy, caste, class, and gender and any forms of politics on identity based on race, nationality etc. He did not believe in divisions according to jat (caste), path (hierarchies by which who can accept food and water from whom), class, patriarchy, religion and nation. Always opposed to castes, sectarianism, and colonialism, Lalon represents and exemplifies the true revolutionary and secular nature of his community known as ‘Baul’, a community of low class, illiterate, wandering singers whose wisdom and knowledge do not come from academic training, but an active contact with a life intensely lived.
More importantly, Lalon raised the difficult methodological question od addressing the biological difference between men and women and the social meaning they produce in different social contexts constituting various forms of patriarchal hierarchies between men and women. The famous song mayere bhajile hoy tar baper thikana is a brilliant example. To Lalon, mother signifies the origin of all beings. Lalon is definitely going to be occupying a central position in various ecological, feminist and politics of care and responsibility aiming radical transformation of the society. In recent years, Lalon has inspired Nayakrishi Andolon (New agricultural movement), the well known bio-diversity based ecological movements of the Bangladesh as well as inspiring young musical generations to build upon his oral and musical foundations.
The text of the songs was explicitly written to engage in philosophical discourse of Bengal, continuing Tantric traditions of the subcontinent, particularly in Nepal, Bengal and the Gangetic plains. In Lalon one finds critical expression of the various philosophical positions emanating from the legacies of Hindu, Jaina, Buddha, and Islamic traditions developing into a coherent discourse. Lalon has composed numerous songs and poems which depicts his philosophy. Among his favorite songs are khachar bhitor ochin pakhi, jat gelo, dekhna mon jhokmariay duniyadari, pare loye jao amay, milon hobe koto dine, dhonno boli tare, aar aamre m,arishne maa etc. Lalon Shah had a perceptible influence on the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who introduced the Baul tradition of Bengal to the world. His music had been influenced by the diversity of Baul tradition.
Lalon was a humanist, who completely rejected all distinctions of caste and creed. He was also a fine poet and lyricist, whose songs are sung not only by his followers but also by non-Bauls. Among the modern singers Farida Parvin is definitely the most notable one as she has recorded so far 2300 songs composed by Lalon Shah. In 1963, a mausoleum and a research center were built at the site of his shrine, the place of knowledge practices. Thousands of people come to the shrine known in Bengali as akhra twice a year, Dol purnima, in the month of Falgun (February-March) and in October, on the occasion of the anniversary of his death. During these tree day song melas, people, particularly fakirs and bauls pay tributes to this great mind the subcontinent has ever produced.
The mysticism of Lalons songs largely remains unrevealed and unexplored till date. This is because Lalon’s songs are countless, and were passed on orally through his disciples and were mostly unwritten. Only a limited number of songs that could be preserved were later transcribed by his followers. The inner meaning of Lalon’s songs caters for peace and tranquility, and is akin to Sufism for the purity of soul. It highlights the intricate relation between the body and soul. It glorifies humanity in secular beat. The song shob lokey koy lol ki jat shonshare indicates his strong in humanity. His songs were a unique example of ascetics, mysticism and divinity.