During Baul Mela, a festival at the Moslem of Lalon Shah Fakir in Kustia, a woman performs a ceremony with smoke called “loban” to purify people of their sin. During this festival hundreds of Baul singer come from all over Bangladesh as well as from some parts of India, to celebrate and sing Lalon Shah’s songs, a sufi who said to have influenced the great Bengali Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Baul singers usually use Ek Tara, a simple musical instrument with one string.

At first glance, the Baul mela appears like any other country fairs. Stalls are set up selling various curios, clay figurines such as fruit-shaped banks, religious books, snacks and cold drinks such as bael juice, etc., but the main difference here is that there are many groups of devotees and musicians in various groups clustered on cloth blankets on the ground, where they each sing spiritual songs of Lalon Shah.

The Bauls believe in the Spirit within. The central idea in Bauls songs is that God is in the heart of man.

During Baul Mela, a festival at the Moslem of Lalon Shah Fakir in Kustia, a woman performs a ceremony with smoke called “loban” to purify people of their sin. During this festival hundreds of Baul singer come from all over Bangladesh as well as from some parts of India, to celebrate and sing Lalon Shah’s songs, a sufi who said to have influenced the great Bengali Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Baul singers usually use Ek Tara, a simple musical instrument with one string.

At first glance, the Baul mela appears like any other country fairs. Stalls are set up selling various curios, clay figurines such as fruit-shaped banks, religious books, snacks and cold drinks such as bael juice, etc., but the main difference here is that there are many groups of devotees and musicians in various groups clustered on cloth blankets on the ground, where they each sing spiritual songs of Lalon Shah.

The Bauls believe in the Spirit within. The central idea in Bauls songs is that God is in the heart of man.