Our culture and Baul Songs
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The Bangladeshi culture is much wide and deep-rooted. The essence of our Nationalism is nourished by our cultural heritage. One of the branches of this juice is our Baul Song.
Baul Song is the main popular song of the Bangladeshis with religions emotions. There is an art in the method of this musical song. The origin of Baul Song is not without aim ana object. It can be said that the Baul Songs are aimed at surveying the body of the singer while walking/travelling on a long road passing through a forest to search his own self.
The origin of the Baul Song leads us far back to the age of the Buddhist Shohjia. Its spirit is hidden in the chorjapad discovered in a temple of Nepal. This devotional popular song flourished in Bengal during the seventeenth century A.D.
The Baul Song is a mixture of the Buddist Shohjia movement with Islami Sufism and the Vaishnov movement. Reverend Lalon Shai (1774-1890) pursued the Baul Song to a climax by his endeavours. Lalon has been the champion of the Baul Song. He earned International fame. Not only as a Baul singer, but as a philosopher also Lalon got familiarity through his songs. There are places where researches are done on Lalon.
Bangladesh is successful in her trial on religious harmony and tolerance. Simplicity of mind of her people is expressed in their conversation, daily life, daily activities and songs. Here the Hindus, the Christians, the Buddhists and the Muslims live together with their religious performances. Those are successions from the Vaishnov ideology, the Sufism of the Muslims and the monasticism in Christianity. In this way a single unit of spiritual songs has developed, known as Faqri having a guide with his disciples on the context of efforts to come close to the Almighty. The known and renowned figures are Lalon Shah, Seraj Shai, Abdul Karim Shai, Hassan Raza and Wakil Munshi, Voba Pagla and Bijoy Shorkar are genius among the other persons who follow the course of their pioneers mentioned above.
Poet Rabindranath Togore, winner of the Nobel Award, visited the durbar of Lalon Shah. He was charmed at the devotion of Reverend Lalon.
All the regional Baul singers scattered in 64 districts of Bangladesh are united in following the same system of Baul ideology. They compose songs and apply tunes in those. Students and teachers of BangIa literature are not yet eager to collect and preserve the poems and songs composed by these intellectual personalities.
The intellectuals of Bangladesh (in this age of radio & television through satellites) strive hard to achieve the closeness of the Almighty day and night in remote corners of the society. They also wish to save the culture and tradition of Bangladesh through their uncounted activities. They cultovate a system of prayer wherein there are groups of devotees under spiritual guides. Their subsidiary object is earning the confidence of the respective Ustad. Orders and instructions of the Guru is the provision for disciples in their journey to reach the throne of the Almighty. Love and devotion for such thought and ideology in the minds of the inhabitants of Bangladesh is everlasting. The disciples are charmed when they pay attention to the advices in songs sung by their Ustad. In this way this Baul Song lives as a strong cultural media among the rural inhabitants of Bangladesh. The Bangladeshis feel that this system is a characteristic of their national identity. Therefore it should be nourished by cultivation.
We need to refresh our national characteristics by giving importance to people’s feeling. The tie of our tradition with philosophy is about to be lost due to negligence. That to should be tightened again. Many among us feel that no system has been developed in our country to preserve and preach the Beul culture. If we properly understand the inner significances of Baul songs sung by the Safi devotees of Bangla and preserve those with care then it is supposed to be a new addition to the Bangla literature. This philosophy is expected to be a part of the universal literature. Therefore, Baul culture is required to be nourished by the support, co-operation and encouragement of all members of this society. The Baul Songs having potential powers should be preserved in modern scientific method for our coming generations. We are also required to underhand the inner significances of these songs. Contributions made by the authors of the Baul culture should be compared and examined. It is expected that we become able to discover and chalk out some ideas in songs whose application to our society can bring good results specially in the fields of communal harmony and national unity. Among us those who love their motherland including its culture and heritage are required to come forward and save this thoughtful Baul section of the society with their contributions. The Baul song is meant not only for singing, but also it is for ponderance and analysis. Therefore, it is expected that a system will devel for realisation and analysis of Baul songs by a group among the intelligentsia. Let the people having a good sense approach.
The following measures must be adopted which will make the Baul song part of next generation’s national heritage:
A) A research centre for Baul culture should be established in the Dhaka Metropolis for preservation of songs composed by them having arrangements for imparting training on the same. There will be on expert to trace out. It will be a part of national history.
B) Branch offices will be required in all the 64 districts of Bangladesh gradually.
C) The central committee is expected to arrange On annual conference or seminar on that theme.
D) The Committee will preserve songs in CD.
E) Annual magazine is expected to be published on Baul Culture.
It is expected that the Ministry of Education and Culture will come forward to give this idea a reality. United Nations Educational, Cultural and Social Organisation should be approached for help & co-operation. If the Public Works Department bestows a building abandoned by the Beharis (now in possession of the ministry) to the Bauls to make a centre in the metropolis then the above idea will get an impetus to be formulated.
Uttam Kumar Chakraborty
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