Fakir Lalon Shah (1774-1890) is the main pioneer and the
greatest spoke-person of the marginalized Baul tradition of the undivided
Bengal. Rejecting the religious institutions and their constitutional dogma,
Fakir Lalon Shah has created a world which is based on human and humanity. This
multifaceted personality was a social-minded persona and the-then society’s
problem had touched him deeply. So, through his songs he has raised his voice
against class, caste, religious malice and so many social issues which we can
still observe in our Pan-Indian society. This self-learned folk-poet’s
conscious outlook towards society and poetic power was amazing. For the
uniqueness of theme, language, music and rhetoric of his songs, it attracts the
great minds like Rabindranath Tagore. The main contribution of Lalon Shah is,
that, he has given a lower class’s folk-religion’s songs to the height of a
literature. The voice of Fakir Lalon Shah, his songs and philosophy are now not
limited within Bengal and Bengali speaking area, rather these have spread all
over the world. Now Lalon Shah has become the symbol of world fraternity,
humanity, equality and peace.
Lalon had no institutional education. By his devotion he
acquired deep knowledge on the religious doctrines of the Hindus and Muslims,
the manifestation of which is found in the songs composed by him. He composed
nearly two thousand five hundred devotional songs. His songs are rich in mystic
trend of thought and in artistic skill. Composed in simple language his songs
are significant and impressive, and are indicative of ideal of human life,
humanism and non-sectarian attitude. His disciples used to sing his songs. Even
in his life time, a colossal Baul community developed consisting of his
disciples and of their disciples. His disciples like Kangal Harinath Majumder,
Dudu Shah, Pagla Kanai etc earned reputation as composer of Baul songs.
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