Baul (Bengali: বাউল, are a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal. Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims.[1][2] They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. Not much is known of their origin. Lalon Fakir is regarded as the most important poet-practitioner of the Baul tradition.[3][4][5] Baul music had a great influence on Rabindranath Tagore's poetry and on his music (Rabindra Sangeet).[6]
Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.[7]
Baul is not just one of the many things unique to Bengal. This wandering music cult has a special place in the history of world music. The word Baul has its etymological origin in the Sanskrit words Vatula (madcap) and used for someone who is possessed or crazy. Bauls are an extension of the Sahajiya philosophy, which has been derived from the Nath tradition.They believe in living the world as a half-sanyasi.[8]
The origin of the word is Baul is debated. Some modern scholars, like Shashibhusan Das Gupta have suggested that it may be derived either from Sanskrit word vatula, which means "enlightened, lashed by the wind to the point of losing one's sanity, god's madcap, detached from the world, and seeker of truth", or from vyakula, which means "restless, agitated" and both of these derivations are consistent with the modern sense of the word, which denotes the inspired people with an ecstatic eagerness for a spiritual life, where a person can realise his union with the eternal beloved - the Maner Manush (the man of the heart).[9]
The origin of Bauls is not known exactly, but the word "Baul" has appeared in Bengali texts as old as the 15th century. The word is found in the Chaitanya Bhagavata of Vrindavana Dasa Thakura as well as in the Chaitanya Charitamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja.[10] Some scholars maintain that it is not clear when the word took its sectarian significance, as opposed to being a synonym for the word madcap, agitated. The beginning of the Baul movement was attributed to Birbhadra, the son of the Vaishnavite saint Nityananda, or alternatively to the 8th century Persian minstrels called Ba'al. Bauls are a part of the culture of rural Bengal. Whatever their origin, Baul thought has mixed elements of Tantra, Sufi Islam, Vaishnavism and Buddhism. They are thought to have been influenced by the Hindu tantric sect of the Kartabhajas, as well as Tantric Buddhist schools like the Vaishnava-Sahajiya. Some scholars find traces of these thoughts in the ancient practices of Yoga as well as the Charyapadas, which are Buddhist hymns that are the first known example of written Bengali. The Bauls themselves attribute their lack of historical records to their reluctance to leave traces behind. Dr. Jeanne Openshaw writes that the music of the Bauls appears to have been passed down entirely in oral form until the end of the 19th century, when it was first transcribed by outside observers.[11]
The Bauls were recorded as a major sect as early as mid 18th century.
Regarding the origins of the sect, one recent theory suggests that Bauls are descendants of a branch of Sufism called ba'al. Votaries of this sect of Sufism in Iran, dating back to the 8th-9th centuries, were fond of music and participated in secret devotional practices. They used to roam about the desert singing. Like other Sufis, they also entered the South Asian subcontinent and spread out in various directions. It is also suggested that the term derives from the Sanskrit words vatul (mad, devoid of senses) and vyakul (wild, bewildered) which Bauls are often considered.
Like the ba'al who rejects family life and all ties and roams the desert, singing in search of his beloved, the Baul too wanders about searching for his maner manus (the ideal being). The madness of the Baul may be compared to the frenzy or intoxication of the Sufi diwana. Like the Sufi, the Baul searches for the divine beloved and finds him housed in the human body. Bauls call the beloved sain (lord), murshid (guide), or guru (preceptor), and it is in his search that they go 'mad'.
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 a secluded part of a village. They do not mix freely with other members of the community. Unlike ascetic Bauls, their rituals are less strict. In order to become Bauls, they recite some mystic verses and observe certain rituals.[12]
Baul music celebrates celestial love, but does this in very earthy terms, as in declarations of love by the Baul for his bosh-tomi or lifemate. With such a liberal interpretation of love, it is only natural that Baul devotional music transcends religion and some of the most famous baul composers, such as Lalon Fakir, criticized the superficiality of religious divisions:
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?[13]
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 paner manush achhe prane
tai here taye shokol khane
Achhe she noyōn-taray, alōk-dharay, tai na haraye--
ogo tai dekhi taye Jethay shethay
taka-i ami je dik-pane
The man of my heart dwells inside me.
Everywhere I look, it is he.
In my every sight, in the sparkle of light
Oh, I can never lose him --
Here, there and everywhere,
Wherever I turn, he is right there!
Their religion is based on an expression of the body (Deho Sadhana), and an expression of the mind (Mana Sadhana). Some of their rituals are kept hidden[citation needed] from outsiders, as they might be thought to be repulsive or hedonistic. Bauls concentrate much of their mystic energies on the four body fluids, on the nine-doors (openings of the body), on prakriti as "nature" or "primal motive force", and on breath Sadhana.
Ektara, common accompaniment of
Baul Gaan, (Songs of Baul)
The music of the Bauls, Baul Sangeet, is a particular type of folk song. It carries influences of Hindu bhakti movements as well as the suphi, a form of Sufi song exemplified by the songs of Kabir. Their music represents a long heritage of preaching mysticism through songs in Bengal, like Shahebdhoni or Bolahadi sects. Bauls croon from their hearts and pour out their feelings and emotions in their songs. But they never bother to write down their songs. Theirs is essentially an oral tradition, and it is said of Lalan Fakir (1774 -1890), the greatest of all Bauls, that he continued to compose and sing songs for decades without ever stopping to correct them or put them on paper. It was only after his death that people thought of collecting and compiling his rich repertoire.The lyrics of their song intertwine a deep sense of mysticism and an inspired longing for oneness with the divine entity. An important part of their philosophy is “Deha tatta” which means thoughts related to the body rather than the classic spirituality of the mind. In plain terms, they seek the divinity in human beings through their songs and rhymes. Several Metaphysical topics are dwelled upon in a very humble fashion and simple words. They stress upon the fact of remaining unattached and unconsumed by the pleasures of life even while enjoying them. They also do not mean that the body is the focus of everything. To them we are all a gift of divine power and the body is a temple, the music being the path to connect to that power.[14][15]
Baul Gadgets: Bauls use a number of musical instruments to embellish their compositions. The "ektara" is a one-stringed “plucked drum” drone instrument, and by far the most common instrument used by a Baul singer. It is carved from the epicarp of a gourd, and made of bamboo and goatskin. Other commonly used musical instruments include the dotara, a long-necked fretless lute (while the name literally means “two stringed” it usually has four metal strings) and this multi-stringed instrument made of the wood of a jackfruit or neem tree ; drums like the duggi, a small hand-held earthen drum, and dhol and khol; small cymbals called "khartal" and "manjira", and the bamboo flute. Ghungur and nupurs are anklets with bells that ring melodiously while the person wearing them dances. family played on stage in London for the Rolling Stone’s concerts in 1971, 72 and 78 in Hyde Park in front of thousands.[16]
The songs of the Bauls and their lifestyle influenced a large swath of Bengali culture, but nowhere did it leave its imprint more powerfully than on the work of Rabindranath Tagore, who talked of Bauls in a number of speeches in Europe in the 1930s. An essay based on these was compiled into his English book The Religion of Man:
The Bauls are an ancient group of wandering minstrels from Bengal, who believe in simplicity in life and love. They are similar to the Buddhists in their belief in a fulfillment which is reached by love's emancipating us from the dominance of self.
Where shall I meet him, the Man of my Heart?
He is lost to me and I seek him wandering from land to land.
- I am listless for that moonrise of beauty,
- which is to light my life,
- which I long to see in the fullness of vision
- in gladness of heart. [p.524]
The above is a translation of the famous Baul song by Gagan Harkara: Ami kothai pabo tare, amar moner manush je re. The following extract is a translation of another song:
My longing is to meet you in play of love, my Lover;
But this longing is not only mine, but also yours.
For your lips can have their smile, and your flute
- its music, only in your delight in my love;
- and therefore you importunate, even as I am.
The poet proudly says: 'Your flute could not have its music of beauty if your delight were not in my love. Your power is great—and there I am not equal to you—but it lies even in me to make you smile and if you and I never meet, then this play of love remains incomplete.'
The great distinguished people of the world do not know that these beggars—deprived of education, honour and wealth—can, in the pride of their souls, look down upon them as the unfortunate ones who are left on the shore for their worldly uses but whose life ever misses the touch of the Lover's arms.
This feeling that man is not a mere casual visitor at the palace-gate of the world, but the invited guest whose presence is needed to give the royal banquet its sole meaning, is not confined to any particular sect in India.
A large tradition in medieval devotional poetry from Rajasthan and other parts of India also bear the same message of unity in celestial and romantic love and that divine love can be fulfilled only through its human beloved.
Tagore's own compositions were powerfully influenced by Baul ideology. His music also bears the stamp of many Baul tunes. Other Bengali poets, such as Kazi Nazrul Islam, have also been influenced by Baul music and its message of non-sectarian devotion through love.
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 prané
Tai heri taye sakol khane
Achhe shé nayōntaray, alōk-dharay, tai na haraye--
- Ogo tai dekhi taye jethay sethay
- Taka-i ami jé dik-pané
The 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!
[17]
From page 513 of the Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita:
"According to the Sakti cult the siddha is called a koul, and according to the Vedanta, a paramahamsa. The Bauls call him a sai. They say, "No one is greater than a sai." The sai is a man of supreme perfection. He doesn't see any differentiation in the world. He wears a necklace, one half made of cow bones and the other of the sacred tulsi-plant. He calls the Ultimate Truth "Alekh", the "Incomprehensible One". The Vedas call it "Brahman". About the jivas the Bauls say, "They come from Alekh and they go unto Alekh." That is to say, the individual soul has come from the Unmanifest and goes back to the Unmanifest. The Bauls will ask you, "Do you know about the wind?" The "wind" means the great current that one feels in the subtle nerves, Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, when the Kundalini is awakened. They will ask you further, "In which station are you dwelling?" According to them there are six "stations", corresponding to the six psychic centers of Yoga. If they say that a man dwells in the "fifth station", it means that his mind has climbed to the fifth centre, known as the Visuddha chakra. (To Mahendranath Gupta) At that time he sees the Formless."
Bauls are found in the Indian state of West Bengal and the eastern parts of Bihar and Jharkhand and the country of Bangladesh. The Baul movement was at its peak in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but even today one comes across the occasional Baul with his Ektara (one-stringed musical instrument) and begging bowl, singing across the farflung villages of rural Bengal. Travelling in local trains and attending village fairs are good ways to encounter Bauls.
In the village of Jaydev Kenduli, a Mela (fair) is organized in memory of the poet Jayadeva on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in the month of Poush. So many Bauls assemble for the mela that it is also referred to as "Baul Fair".
In the village of Shantiniketan during Poush Mela, a large number of Bauls also come together to enthrall people with their music.
For the last five years a unique show has been organised in Kolkata, called "Baul Fakir Utsav". Bauls from several districts of Bengal as well as Bangladesh come to perform. The 6th Baul fakir Utsav will be held on 8th and 9 January 2011. The Utsav is a continuous 48 hour musical experience.
There are also the Western Bauls in America and Europe under the spiritual direction of Lee Lozowick, a student of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Their music is quite different (rock /gospel/ blues) but the essence of the spiritual practices of the East is well maintained.[18]
- ^ "Baul" Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 4 Dec. 2007.
- ^ "Bauled over". The Times of India. Feb 6, 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/Bauled-over-/articleshow/5542041.cms.
- ^ Multiple editors (2007). World and its People: Eastern and Southern Asia. New York: Marshal Cavendish Corporation. pp. 480. ISBN 978-0-7614-7631-3.
- ^ Khan, Shamsuzzaman (editor) (1987). Folklore of Bangladesh V-1. Dhaka: Bangla Academy. pp. 257.
- ^ Chowdhury, Kabir (1985). Folk Poems From Bangladesh. Dhaka: Bangla Academy. pp. ii.
- ^ Hoiberg, Dale; Indu Ramchandani (2000), Students' Britannica, Popular Prakashan, p. 172, ISBN 0-85229-760-2, http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Kpd9lLY_0-IC&pg=PA172&dq=Baul&cd=4#v=onepage&q=Baul&f=false
- ^ Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO. 25 September 2005.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Das Gupta, Shashibhusan (1946, reprint 1995). Obscure Religious Cults, Calcutta: Firma KLM, ISBN 81-7102-020-8, pp.160-1
- ^ Das Gupta, Shashibhusan (1946, reprint 1995). Obscure Religious Cults, Calcutta: Firma KLM, ISBN 81-7102-020-8, p.160ff
- ^ Openshaw, Jeanne. Seeking Bāuls of Bengal p.56
- ^ [2]
- ^ Lopez, Donald (1995). Religions in India in Practice - "Baul Songs". Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 187–208. ISBN 0-691-04324-8. http://www.globalwebpost.com/farooqm/study_res/bangladesh/carol_baul.html.
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6] "Bauls of Bangladesh". www.scribd.com
- ^ Helen Crovetto, “Embodied Knowledge and Divinity: The Hohm Community as Western-style Bāuls,” Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions 10, no. 1 (August 2006): pp. 69-95.
- Enamul Haq, Muhammad(1975), A history of Sufism in Bangla, Asiatic Society, Dhaka.
- Qureshi, Mahmud Shah(1977), Poems Mystiques Bengalis. Chants Bauls Unesco. Paris.
- Siddiqi, Ashraf(1977), Our Folklore Our Heritage, Dhaka.
- Karim, Anwarul(1980), The Bauls of Bangladesh. Lalon Academy, Kushtia.
- Capwell, Charles(1986), The Music of the Bauls of Bengla. Kent State University Press, USA 1986. ISBN 0-87338-317-6.
- Dimock, Edward C. (1989), The Place of the Hidden Moon: Erotic Mysticism in the Vaisnava-Sahajiya Cult of Bengal, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. ISBN 0-226-15237-5 ISBN 978-0-226-15237-0
- Bandyopadhyay, Pranab(1989), Bauls of Bengal. Firma KLM Pvt, Ltd., calcutta.
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- Sen, Mimlu (6 May 2010), The Honey Gatherers, Rider Books, ISBN 978-1-84604-189-1
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