Everyone asks: "Lalan,
what's your religion in this world?"
Lalan answers: "How does religion look?"
I've never laid eyes on it.
Some wear malas [Hindu rosaries] around their necks,
some tasbis [Muslim rosaries], and so people say
they've got different religions.
But do you bear the sign of your religion
when you come or when you go?
Lalan answers: "How does religion look?"
I've never laid eyes on it.
Some wear malas [Hindu rosaries] around their necks,
some tasbis [Muslim rosaries], and so people say
they've got different religions.
But do you bear the sign of your religion
when you come or when you go?
The Bauls of Bengal: The Bauls of Bengal are spiritual sect of traveling
minstrelswhose songs of joy, love, and
longing for a mystical union with the divine havecaptivated audiences for the past century. They are saffron-clad folk
singers whotraditionally live in the huts of rural Bengal though they
can be found traveling,dancing, and singing
their way around the world. Their livelihood dependsentirely on
donations which have been given to them freely over the centuries.They are
teachers and spiritual gurus and they are a peace loving people
that embrace all and quarrel with none. In fact, Bengalis are known to be
among themost friendly and intelligent
people in Indian Subcontinent. The Bouls are the folk heroes of Bengal. The popular romantic
imagination everywhere seeksexpression through its chosen bard. The
Americans have their Bob Dylans and Jim Morrisons, the English have their
Beatles Led Zeppelins, and we have our Bauls. These wandering minstrels
carry with them from village to city the soul of Bengal, perhaps of India, and every Bengali knows it even if today he isbecoming uncertain what that soul really is.Baul is almost exclusively performed by Bauls
(hermits) who are followers of Sufism in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh,
in the early days of Bauls who claimed tobe Muslims and followers of the
VAishnav tradition, with greater focus on love of the society and harmony with nature. Baul geeti had to go through a
major struggle of survival as did the Bauls themselves. Bauls were
subjected to harshteasing and isolation. However, with time, Islamists were
forced by the general population
to accept the Bauls and their spiritual music as part of the society.Current day Bauls in Bangladesh are Sufis. Most
live simple lives on an absoluteminimum,
earned mainly from performing their music. Baul songs alwaysincorporate simple words expressing songs with
deeper meanings involving Creation, society, lifestyle and human
emotions. The songs are performed withvery
little musical support to the main carrier, the vocal. Bauls, bohemian by nature
and belief, leave on grand expeditions, writing and performing music ontheir entire trip to earn living and disseminate
notion of love and spirituality
.
The Word Baul
The word Baul comes from the Sanskrit word batul, which
means mad,but not in a pejorative sense. In
fact, their madness stems from love of the`Infinite Self' they believe
to be present in every human being. They are a kind of grassroots mystics. The origin of the word is Baul
is debated. Some modernscholars, like Shashibhusan Das Gupta have suggested
that it may be comefrom the Sanskrit word vatula, which means (divinely
inspired) insane or fromvyakula, which means impatiently eager and both this
derivations are consistent
with the modern sense of the word, which denotes the
inspired people with anecstatic eagerness for a spiritual life, where a person
can realise his union withthe eternal
beloved - the Maner Manush (the man of the heart).
The Impact of Baul Geeti
The impact of these singers/songwriters is not restricted to
rural Bengal.Through their simple tunes, rudimentary instruments and allegorical
lyrics, they have captured the imagination of the world and have made a
major impact onthe international cultural scene. The most famous living Baul,
Purna Das, evenfound a place on the cover
of Bob Dylan's 1968 album John Wesley Harding.
Rabindranath Tagore and the Baul Effect
The famous Bengali poet Rabindranath
Tagore was greatly influenced and inspired by Bauls. Here is a famous Rabindrasangeet
(Tagore song), heavily influenced by Baul theme:
Amar praner manush achhé pranéTai heri taye sakol
khane Achhe shé nayōntaray, alōk-dharay, tai na haraye-- Ogo tai
dekhi taye jethay sethay Taka-i ami jé dik-panéThe man of my heart dwells
inside me.Everywhere I behold, it's Him! In my every sight, in the sparkle
of light Oh I can never lose Him -- Here, there and
everywhere,Wherever I turn, right in front is He! The Lyrics
The lyrics often use an esoteric language called `sandhya
bhasa' (wordswith hidden meaning). Besides,
Bauls come from both the Hindu and Muslimcommunities; their object of
worship is no conventional God or Allah, but `moner manush' (the man within) who can be reached by
anyone through love and devotion.
The Roots of Baulism and Its Philosophies
Scholars have traced the roots of the Baul tradition and its
popularity tothe Bhakti Movement of Kabir,
Nanak, Meerabai, Gondol, and so on, whichswept the cultural scene of India in the Middle Ages, drawing upon themonotheism
and egalitarianism of Islam, the love songs of Sufi mystics and, of course, the Hindu Vaishnav tradition.Bauls defy
all social conventions, religious dogmas and caste taboos; they do
not recognise traditional deities or conventional rituals. For instance, LalonFakir, in one of his oft-quoted songs, talks
about the futility of caste distinctions:
“Everyone asks what is your caste, Lalon? Says Lalan,
what test to apply?” “A Muslim man can be told apart from HindusBecause of
circumcision.But what about the women folk? A Brahmin you can
identify by his sacred thread But what about a Brahmin woman?”
The words strike at the root of religious
bigotry and fundamentalism, caste prejudices and gender biases, and uphold the unity
of humankind. This is acommon trait of
all sects of Bauls, differently known as Bairiagi, Sahajiya,Darbesh, Sain, and so on. All of them
believe in the `God within' and to approachHim they need a guide, called a
guru.
A Musical Community
Bauls live like a community, and their
main occupation is the propagationof Baul music. But they are the most
non-communal of all communities: They have no religion, for they only
believe in the religion of music, brotherhood and peace.
Predominantly a Hindu movement, the Baul philosophy weaves
together different Islamic and Buddhist strains as well.
The Baulanis
Women have a significant role in the religious and
metaphysical sadhana(seeking) of Bauls. They
are inseparable companions of the men, and Baulsinsist on love and
respect for their women. "He who does not know the feeling of tender love, must be avoided always," goes
one song, and another says: "Awoman is not a treasure to be trifled
with." BUT gender bias dies hard. Baul women (Baulanis, as
they are called), though constant companions of the men,have almost always
remained in the background - dancing, providing the rhythmand lending their voices to the chorus. In other
words, always playing second fiddle to the men. It is only recently
that they have come to the forefront. It is inthis
context that a recent musical soiree, Baulanir Gaan (songs by female Bauls),organised
in Kolkata by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in collaboration withMuktashilpa, a cultural organisation, assumes
significance. Solo performers suchas Sandhya Dasi, Subhadra Sharma, Uma
Dasi, Krishna Dasi and Sumitra Dasi kept the audience enthralled through
the evening. Their male companions were present, but not on stage. Hailing
from different districts of West Bengal, such asBirbhum, Nadia and Bankura,
some of them initially started performing with their fathers, husbands or male companions, and later
branched out on their own.Some of them have even travelled abroad. In many
cases, they are the solebreadwinners
for their families. But the two magazines, Hriday and Raktamangsha,
which have taken up the laudable task of bringing their songs tothe limelight,
lamented that despite their professional excellence, Baulanis werestill accorded the second place.
The Celebration of Baul Music and the Baul Religion
Baul music celebrates celestial love,
but does this in very earthy terms, asin declarations of love by the Baul for his boshTomi or
lifemate. With such aliberal interpretation
of love, it is only natural that Baul devotional music transcends religion. The famous Bengali poet Rabindranath
Tagore was greatly influenced and
inspired by Bauls.Their religion is
based on an expression of the body, which they call deho-sadhona and an expression of the mind, which they
call mana-sadhona. Some of their rituals are kept mostly hidden
from the mainstream, as they are thought
tobe repulsive by many, and hedonistic by others. They
concentrate much of their mystic energies on the chaar-chand (bengali for
four-moons), i.e. the four body fluids,
on the nine-doors or naba-dwar, i.e. the openings of the body, prakriti which
implies both the woman and the nature, and a control of breathing, knownas domo-sadhona.
Types of Bauls
There are two classes of Bauls: ascetic Bauls who reject
family life and Bauls who live with their families. Ascetic Bauls renounce
family life and society and survive on
alms. They have no fixed dwelling place, but move from one Akhda to
another. Men wear white lungis and long, white tunics; women wear white saris. They carry a jhola or shoulder bag
for alms. They do not beget or rear children. They are treated as
jyante mara or outcastes. Women, dedicated to the service of ascetics, are known as sevadasis (seva, service+dasi,maidservant). A male Baul can have one or more
sevadasis, who are associated with him in the act of devotion.
Until 1976 the district of Kushtia had 252 ascetic Bauls. In 1982-83 the
number rose to 905; in 2000, they numbered about 5,000.Those who choose family life live with their wives, children and
relations in asecluded part of a village. They do not mix freely with other members
of thecommunity. Unlike ascetic Bauls, their rituals are less strict. In
order to becomeBauls, they recite some
mystic verses and observe certain rituals.
The Presentation of Baul Songs and Their Tunes
Baul songs may be sung at Baul akhdas
or in the open air. At akhdas,songs are
sung in the style of hamd, Ghazal or nat, in a mellow voice and to asoft beat. Baul songs at open-air functions are
sung at a high pitchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baul, to theaccompaniment
of instruments. The singers dance as they sing. Baul songssung in the
akhda are not accompanied by dancing. Bauls may present songssingly or in groups. There is usually one main
presenter; others join him for achorus or dhuya. Baul songs generally
have two tunes, one for the first part of the song and another for the second.
Towards the end, part of the second staveis
rendered again at a quick tempo. The first and middle staves are very important. The first stave is often called dhuya,
mukh or mahada. In songs with afast
tempo, the first stave is repeated after every second stave. Some songshave
ascending and descending rhythms, while others are accompanied by dancing, believed to have originated from the
rural Panchali.
To
be Continue………
