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2008
“Bauls of
Bangladesh”
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 modern
scholars, like Shashibhusan Das Gupta have suggested that it may be come
from the Sanskrit word vatula, which means (divinely inspired) insane or from
vyakula, which means impatiently eager and both this 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).
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:
The Lyrics
The lyrics often use an esoteric language called `sandhya bhasa' (words
with hidden meaning). Besides, Bauls come from both the Hindu and Muslim
communities; 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.
Bauls defy all social conventions, religious dogmas and caste taboos; they
do not recognise traditional deities or conventional rituals. For instance, Lalon
Fakir, in one of his oft-quoted songs, talks about the futility of caste distinctions:
The words strike at the root of religious bigotry and fundamentalism, caste
prejudices and gender biases, and uphold the unity of humankind. This is a
common 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 approach
Him they need a guide, called a guru.
A Musical Community
Bauls live like a community, and their main occupation is the propagation
of 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 Bauls
insist 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: "A
woman 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 rhythm
and 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 in
this context that a recent musical soiree, Baulanir Gaan (songs by female Bauls),
organised in Kolkata by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in collaboration with
Muktashilpa, a cultural organisation, assumes significance. Solo performers such
as 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 as
Birbhum, 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 sole
breadwinners for their families. But the two magazines, Hriday and
Raktamangsha, which have taken up the laudable task of bringing their songs to
the limelight, lamented that despite their professional excellence, Baulanis were
still accorded the second place.
Baul music celebrates celestial love, but does this in very earthy terms, as
in declarations of love by the Baul for his boshTomi or lifemate. With such a
liberal 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 to
be 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, known
as 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 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.
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 a
soft beat. Baul songs at open-air functions are sung at a high pitch, to the
accompaniment of instruments. The singers dance as they sing. Baul songs
sung in the akhda are not accompanied by dancing. Bauls may present songs
singly or in groups. There is usually one main presenter; others join him for a
chorus 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 stave
is 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 a
fast tempo, the first stave is repeated after every second stave. Some songs
have ascending and descending rhythms, while others are accompanied by
dancing, believed to have originated from the rural Panchali.
Tabla - A pair traditional Indian drums called 'baya' (the left hand drum)
and the 'daina' (the right hand drum). The left drum has a clay based shell whilst
the right drum has a wooden shell. Heads of both drums are covered in animal
hide, the centre of which is applied with a layer of (dry) pulp mix. Tonal variation
are achieved by adjusting tension of the skin head
.
Mridanga or Khol - A barrel-shaped clay drum with two heads - sort of a
combination of the baya and daina of tabla as described above.
Harmonium - A small keyboard instrument with hand-worked bellows - not unlike
accordian.
Ektara - A plucked single string drone - fingers and thumb are used.
References:
1. www.wikipedia.org
2. www.bangla-net.com
3. www.sciencedirect.com
4. www.visitbangladesh.com
5. www.india.org
6. www.loving-bengal.net