Selfless wanderers, minstrels in
brightly coloured clothes carrying with them, only the soul of Bengal. The
Bauls, as their name suggests, appear restless as though they have been
possessed by the wind, having forsaken for centuries the binds of social
traditions, they are the hippies of Bengal who sing about nature, intoxication
and beautiful women. |
| Paban Das Baul |
The Bauls, do not believe in
religion, in fact their cult is based on music and the search for God that
everyone must carry out for their own selves. Much like the patchworked robes
that a lot of them wear (as captivating as a psychedelic wallpaper), the roots
of their belief is a fusion of Buddhism, Shakti-ism (believers of Kali) and
Sufi Islam. The expression of one’s body is an integral part of what they
believe in, of finding one’s soul mate, not a marriage partner, but one whose
physicality will forever be in tune with your own. Their heritage preaches
mysticism and the force of “Prakriti” (nature), never having bothered to write
their songs down.
 |
| Parvathy Baul |
Dressed in beads with a shock of
unkempt hair and an ektara in his arms (a one stringed instrument), a Baul sits
alone or surrounded by a group of those enchanted by him and sings from his heart,
he booms out his voice, you might not follow his language but the very rhythm
and tune might remind you of a past life, or take you on a journey of ecstasy.
I suggest you take a train to
Shantinektan, find a quiet spot under a tree by yourself and listen to a Baul
sing in the distance, it would be a lifetime’s worth of soul-searching.
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