Songs of the soul enchant at Baul mela

Mystic ambience, soulful music and a slight nip in the air perfectly summed up the mood at the Baul Fakir Utsav in Shaktigarh Ground recently. This annual event brings together bauls from rural Bengal, of international acclaim and those beyond Bengal.

“It’s my third year at the mela. I come from Bangladesh, which was home to Lalon Fakir. I’m a regular at most such gatherings in India and Bangladesh.I keep running after such longings for music and mysticism. I have never been able to stand still. The unadulterated ambience of fun and magic make this an ethereal experience,” said Tutul Bhero, a baul.

The organisers are a happy bunch for being able to continue the tradition year after year. It’s a time for festivity for the people in this area every year when the utsav takes place. Helming the affair as an organising committee member is not an easy task.

“I love to associate myself with this fair. I’ve grown up celebrating the event. The celebration extends from the fairground to the houses nearby. The bauls are welcomed into homes and music remains an integral part of such bondings,” said Samrat Singh, one of the organisers of the fair, an ardent lover of Lalon Fakir songs and a painter.

The fairground was buzzing with young baul gaan lovers. Also in attendance were Parambrata Chatterjee,
Pata and Chaiti Ghoshal. It’s now a one-year wait again for such deeply enchanting evenings.