The Baul Tantra

In the evening of March 31, the heavy splash of rain made it impossible for the invited bauls to commence their shadhu shanga on the bed of the crater-like dry ditch of the Institute of Fine Arts. The organisers had to come up with an alternative plan, as the ditch floor was flooded with rainwater. Under the big krishnochura tree, at the backyard of the Institute, the uplifted ground hemmed with bricks provided the dais. More than 40 bauls took their turn to bring the magic of Chheuria, the birth place of Lalon -- the most revered baul of all time -- to the threshold of the Dhakaites.

Although nature's caprice intervened and forced the mystic singers to move the usual venue, the enchantment of baul songs worked its spell on the listeners until the sunrise next morning. The event formally came to a halt at 11.30, but the informal singing with the sound system turned off kept the interested audience entranced all night long.

PHOTOGRAPHS: MILON ROB

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