Culture Desk
Remembering the legendary Baul Lalon Shah, a three-day long Lalon Festival has started from yesterday at the Lalon Akhra in Chheuria, Kushtia.The Lalon Academy, in association with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, is the organiser of the event. The festival features Lalon Fair, open discussion and cultural programme. Artistes of Lalon Academy and bauls from both home and abroad have taken part at the annual festival.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid MP inaugurated the event as the chief guest. Besides, Lawmaker of Kushtia-1 constituency AKM Sarwar Jahan, lawmaker of Kushtia-4 constituency Selim Altaf George, superintendent of police in Kushtia SM Tanvir Arafat and others were present as the special guests. Pro vice-chancellor of Islamic University Professor M Shahinoor Rahman was present as the chief discussant at the inaugural session, chaired by Kushtia district commissioner Aslam Hossain.
The festival will continue till March 10.
Lalon, also known as Lalon Sain, Lalon Shah, or Lalon Fakir, was a Bengali Baul saint, mystic, songwriter, social reformer and thinker. In Bengali culture he has become an icon of religious tolerance whose songs inspired and influenced many poets, social and religious thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Allen Ginsberg though he rejected all distinctions of caste and creed.
Fakir Lalon Shah, the most prominent figure in the Baul tradition, is unique as he blended different traditions of devotional rites such as Shahajia of Buddhism, Shahajia of Vaishnavism, Sufism of Islam and several other traditional beliefs, raising some universal questions through simple craftsmanship. Lalon songs have attracted widespread attention for their mystical approach to humanism as well as their melodious tunes.
