The Bauls of Bengal - How A Group Of Minstrels Paved The Way For A Progressive Bengal
The Indian subcontinent had been witness to multiple invasions by foreigners since its varied history. This has contributed to the diversity of its people in terms of religion, language, ethnicity and race. Other than these, it has also given rise to schools of thought derived from philosophies of various religions, all of which had by then become an integral part of society.
One such philosophy was those of the Bauls, or the singing minstrels from the states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam’s Barak Valley. Their philosophy or outlook on life is largely based on ideas from Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism, all of which are prominent religions in the subcontinent. Yet it is distinctly different from all three considered individually. It is an unorthodox devotional tradition practised by the economically and socially marginalized section of society. They identify themselves with no organized belief system entangled in societal constraints. There is no room for stringent rules and regulations, idol worship, ritualistic practices or sacred places in Baul ideology, for which it had come under attack by both Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists in recent times.
The basis of the Baul ideology was the spiritual goal of liberation, which they believed was akin to the objective of attaining the divine that rests within every human being. They felt that exercising the faculty of reasoning for such purposes was not enough. Rather, the path to the ultimate was through the human body, which they held to be a microcosm of the universe in which the Divine resided. Hence, the physical body must be kept in a state which is exceedingly pure.
Sexuality played an important part in Baul philosophy. They believed that the means to experiencing divine love was through human love, or more prominently, through the sexual union of man and woman. This is a far cry and a departure from the orthodox beliefs of the majorly Christian, occidental world, which still looks upon sexuality as a sin to be refrained from.
The Bauls also rejected the caste system, to the discomfiture of the upper caste Hindus residing in the state. Their philosophy also carried a certain disregard for the written word and scriptures, and instead, placed a lot of importance on human instinct.Sharing an uncanny similarity with the 20th century philosophy of Deconstruction, the Bauls believed that truth cannot be found in anything that has been written, and is rather something that eludes us perpetually. The bauls breaking into song and dance is essentially a culmination of their striving to reach the truth.
Bauls go from one village to the other with their ‘ektaras’ (a one-stringed instrument) and ‘dubkis’ (drums). It is mainly through these songs that they give expression to their ideas and beliefs. Baul songs are primarily transmitted from guru to disciple, as well as from one singer to another. Brajendranath Seal, a humanist philosopher, feels that the birth of the ‘bauls’ took place round about the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. It spread far and wide through the 16th and 17th centuries.
Baul songs were never used for propaganda. Baul devotional music transcends religion and the artificial constructs of caste and class. The lyrics of their songs carry the influences of the Hindu Bhakti movement and Sufism.
The Nobel laureate for literature, Rabindranath Tagore, is credited to have brought the Baul tradition into limelight, and introduced it to middle-class Bengali society. It was mostly Tagore and his associate Ksitimohan Sen, who elevated the Bauls to the status of a cultural symbol.
Lalon Fakir, also called Lalon Shah, is the most famous of the Baul poets, and has had a great impact on Bengali literature, as well as on the Baul tradition. Having been non-conformists in the true sense of the term, the bauls were far ahead of their time. They influenced musicians like Bon Dylan, Joan Baez, Paul Robeson, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and many others. Dubbed “India’s Bob Dylan” by the New York Times in 1984, Purna Das Baul has played with Bob Marley, Gordon Lightfoot, Mahalia Jackson and the likes.
A progressive cult from the Middle ages, the bauls have been able to spread their philosophy far and wide.
If you enjoyed reading this article, here's more from Homegrown:
