Copyright 2018 to 2030
All rights reserved
All rights reserved
A message from Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das to New Baul Singers:
www.babukishan.org
Today 2017 people love Baul song due to my family and our dedicated lifetime work of pioneering Baul around the world for over 70 years before there was Facebook, can you even imagine how difficult it was.
Before my family nobody knew who and what Baul was, we are the only lineage of Baul going back thousands of years. We have always been around and in the villages of Bengal as Guru's and teachers the spiritual newspaper before the newspaper. The original Das and Dasi Hare Krishna singers and dancer. My Grandfather and Guru Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was part of the Freedom Movement in India singing before Nehru gave his speeches as Baul has always been known as the biggest attention intoxicating through the honey of their song.
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul sang for Nehru before all his talk all over India. Then my parents (Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi) and myself (Krishnendu Das aka Babu Kishan) did the same for Indira Gandhi and her son's Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. We sang on thousands of stages all around India hundreds of times.
My parents and the women in my lineage were legendary, they are the first and we are the only Lineage of Baul. Nobody in Baul every said Lineage except me and now there are others making up stories that are not true.
"So please go in a smooth flow like a trance of river and sing for Moner Manush, just saying because I am watching someone's youtube who is singing my Grandfather poetry but naming a different poet? Don't be fake, we know you are, don't make people stupid or saying you and setting up for preservation. Baul is already preserved my dear, that is why you are singing the songs from my Lineage.
Even though people are liking but they mostly do not have any training in Baul music or musical ability, of course they are screwing the wonderful lineage of Baul!
We didn’t have internet back then and it was so difficult to communicate and travel around the world. The hard time we had to make a road very easier for new comers!! I always encouraged every new Baul singer.
From what I hear they (the new Baul singers) are not Baul Masters and need voice lessons, beyond voice lessons, development of voice quality, you cannot even sing in a cord or track!!
Just singing Sakhi re…… then what, or trying be more tourist attractions spinning hair around and theatrical Bauls then Sadhana? They need more and more practise, all my life I composed music for World's top musicians and recorded singer like Lata Mangaskar and Asha Bhosle and many other. You can call me egotistical but it is my lineage I am an award winning music composer. I know tone and pitch and you are way, way out of tune and tone.
Be a Baul do great work, help people and inspire people but don’t make up 4 generations and sing the songs from my lineage giving other poets names it has already been recorded and documented before you were born. If someone gave you miss information that is not my problem it is yours.
Please do the practise and don't makeup stories and drama, just be true Baul!!
Love u all, my blessing with all my brothers and sisters, don't try to be Nabani Das Khyapa Baul or Baul Samrat Purna Das, just salute them have a great respect for them they are the one who gave you a chance to be Baul!!
Joy Guru!! Don't even try to be them, you cannot even dream!! You don't even know how was hard to making this Baul from a village to International platform!! Not easy, and ofcourse only are one which is the last oldest BaulLineage in Bengal and World!!
Don't make stories, first learn how to sing and do Sadhna of Baul!! Just keep focus on what you are doing!! Who can sing like Purna Das Baul, Manju Dasi, Radharani Dasi, Brajabala Dasi or any of my lineage? We are the only lineage, I can tell you who everybody is and where they came from except for the new Bauls who are young and now I am seeing these bizarre stories.
"Kichhu Din Mone Mone"
Kichchu Din Mone Mone was written by the one and only
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul.
Nabani was Rabindranath Tagore's friend and the only Baul to initiate Tagore into this Baul lineage, he gave Tagore the Baul name Ravi (Robi) Das Baul.Paul
One of the best Baul kirtan written and tuned by my Grandfather and Guru Nabani Das khyapa Baul. It was officially recorded by my father Purna Das Baul in the 1960's at India's First Record company, Hindustan Records.
Kicchu Din Mone Mone was written by Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and it is part of this lineage Baul.
Lineage Baul Parampara Sampradaya the only Baul lineage.
This is a very simple recording of my Grandfather Nabani Das Khyappa Baul song, singing by me his grandson Babukishan, aka Krishnendu Das Baul. The sound is not great but it was recorded in 2002 in California on a simple recorder.
This song belongs to this lineage and credit to Baul Saint Sri Nabani Das Khyapa Baul. No one would even know about this song if it were not for my family rather than making up new lineages, tell the truth, know the truth.
New Baul singers are making up stories and new lineage that never existed before and leaving out where the songs originated from or putting in different poets names.
Please have respect for our Baul songs if you sing or record songs from this lineage please say who the Baul poet is and if you do not know, do not make it up.
Love song of Radha Krishna
www.babukishan.org
#montrealkabirsociety
#kabir #baul
#baulofbengal
#babukishan
#mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru #osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir #folkdance #folk #folkmusic #baul #bengal #performer # #dance #dancer #baulmusic #music #india #indian #performingarts #musician #ektara #singer #exotic #culture #incredibleindia #indianmusician #sufi #mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru #osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir #kalimandir #baulguru #baul #babukishan #India #baulkirtan #poetroshik
#kabir #kabirsociety #parvathybaul #folkdance #folk #folkmusic #baul #bengal #performer # #dance #dancer #baulmusic #music #india #indian #performingarts #musician #ektara #singer #exotic #culture #incredibleindia #indianmusician #sufi #mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru #osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir
#timesofindia
#purnadasbaul #shantiniketan, #birbhum #kolkata
#bengal
www.babukishan.org
Today 2017 people love Baul song due to my family and our dedicated lifetime work of pioneering Baul around the world for over 70 years before there was Facebook, can you even imagine how difficult it was.
Before my family nobody knew who and what Baul was, we are the only lineage of Baul going back thousands of years. We have always been around and in the villages of Bengal as Guru's and teachers the spiritual newspaper before the newspaper. The original Das and Dasi Hare Krishna singers and dancer. My Grandfather and Guru Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was part of the Freedom Movement in India singing before Nehru gave his speeches as Baul has always been known as the biggest attention intoxicating through the honey of their song.
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul sang for Nehru before all his talk all over India. Then my parents (Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi) and myself (Krishnendu Das aka Babu Kishan) did the same for Indira Gandhi and her son's Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. We sang on thousands of stages all around India hundreds of times.
My parents and the women in my lineage were legendary, they are the first and we are the only Lineage of Baul. Nobody in Baul every said Lineage except me and now there are others making up stories that are not true.
"So please go in a smooth flow like a trance of river and sing for Moner Manush, just saying because I am watching someone's youtube who is singing my Grandfather poetry but naming a different poet? Don't be fake, we know you are, don't make people stupid or saying you and setting up for preservation. Baul is already preserved my dear, that is why you are singing the songs from my Lineage.
Even though people are liking but they mostly do not have any training in Baul music or musical ability, of course they are screwing the wonderful lineage of Baul!
We didn’t have internet back then and it was so difficult to communicate and travel around the world. The hard time we had to make a road very easier for new comers!! I always encouraged every new Baul singer.
From what I hear they (the new Baul singers) are not Baul Masters and need voice lessons, beyond voice lessons, development of voice quality, you cannot even sing in a cord or track!!
Just singing Sakhi re…… then what, or trying be more tourist attractions spinning hair around and theatrical Bauls then Sadhana? They need more and more practise, all my life I composed music for World's top musicians and recorded singer like Lata Mangaskar and Asha Bhosle and many other. You can call me egotistical but it is my lineage I am an award winning music composer. I know tone and pitch and you are way, way out of tune and tone.
Be a Baul do great work, help people and inspire people but don’t make up 4 generations and sing the songs from my lineage giving other poets names it has already been recorded and documented before you were born. If someone gave you miss information that is not my problem it is yours.
Please do the practise and don't makeup stories and drama, just be true Baul!!
Love u all, my blessing with all my brothers and sisters, don't try to be Nabani Das Khyapa Baul or Baul Samrat Purna Das, just salute them have a great respect for them they are the one who gave you a chance to be Baul!!
Joy Guru!! Don't even try to be them, you cannot even dream!! You don't even know how was hard to making this Baul from a village to International platform!! Not easy, and ofcourse only are one which is the last oldest BaulLineage in Bengal and World!!
Don't make stories, first learn how to sing and do Sadhna of Baul!! Just keep focus on what you are doing!! Who can sing like Purna Das Baul, Manju Dasi, Radharani Dasi, Brajabala Dasi or any of my lineage? We are the only lineage, I can tell you who everybody is and where they came from except for the new Bauls who are young and now I am seeing these bizarre stories.
"Kichhu Din Mone Mone"
Kichchu Din Mone Mone was written by the one and only
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul.
Nabani was Rabindranath Tagore's friend and the only Baul to initiate Tagore into this Baul lineage, he gave Tagore the Baul name Ravi (Robi) Das Baul.Paul
One of the best Baul kirtan written and tuned by my Grandfather and Guru Nabani Das khyapa Baul. It was officially recorded by my father Purna Das Baul in the 1960's at India's First Record company, Hindustan Records.
Kicchu Din Mone Mone was written by Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and it is part of this lineage Baul.
Lineage Baul Parampara Sampradaya the only Baul lineage.
This is a very simple recording of my Grandfather Nabani Das Khyappa Baul song, singing by me his grandson Babukishan, aka Krishnendu Das Baul. The sound is not great but it was recorded in 2002 in California on a simple recorder.
This song belongs to this lineage and credit to Baul Saint Sri Nabani Das Khyapa Baul. No one would even know about this song if it were not for my family rather than making up new lineages, tell the truth, know the truth.
New Baul singers are making up stories and new lineage that never existed before and leaving out where the songs originated from or putting in different poets names.
Please have respect for our Baul songs if you sing or record songs from this lineage please say who the Baul poet is and if you do not know, do not make it up.
Love song of Radha Krishna
www.babukishan.org
#montrealkabirsociety
#kabir #baul
#baulofbengal
#babukishan
#mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru #osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir #folkdance #folk #folkmusic #baul #bengal #performer # #dance #dancer #baulmusic #music #india #indian #performingarts #musician #ektara #singer #exotic #culture #incredibleindia #indianmusician #sufi #mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru #osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir #kalimandir #baulguru #baul #babukishan #India #baulkirtan #poetroshik
#kabir #kabirsociety #parvathybaul #folkdance #folk #folkmusic #baul #bengal #performer # #dance #dancer #baulmusic #music #india #indian #performingarts #musician #ektara #singer #exotic #culture #incredibleindia #indianmusician #sufi #mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru #osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir
#timesofindia
#purnadasbaul #shantiniketan, #birbhum #kolkata
#bengal
A rare photo Of Nabani Das Khepa Baul and his Son Purna Das Baul the last of the Authentic Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum. 1940's.
No funny business Nabani was a serious Sadhana (Tantric Baul Yogi).
No funny business Nabani was a serious Sadhana (Tantric Baul Yogi).
Legendary Lineage Bauls 1978 Australia Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi
1982 -
Who is sitting in the audience in the front row, while Babu Kishan's father is performing Authentic the only Lineage Baul music?
Do you see Indira Gandhi in the front row she was a student of Babu's Grandfather Guru Nabani Das Khyapa Baul at Vishva Bharti where Nabani Das Baul.
Nabani Das Khyapa Paul was the first and only Baul Guru (professor appointed) by Rabindranath Tagore to teach Baul at Vishva Bharti and Indira Gandhi was his student because her father Nehru has Nabani Das Khyapa Baul sing all over India for him, Nehru knew the drawing power of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, this is part of the Freedom Movement and History of India.
Later, Babu Kishan's father Purna Das Baul and his wife Manju Dasi sang for Indira Gandhi, then so did Babu Kishan, they sang for Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi before their political talks. There are many stories to be told and the now President of India Pranab Mukerjee was completely devoted to Indira Gandhi. They all were so close and there are many stories to be told.
Sitting in the audience is also, the President of India then Zail Singh seventh President of India, serving from 1982 to 1987. Indira Gandhi and all the Cabinet Ministers of India, including todays President Pranab Mukerjee who is also by the way Babu Kishan's uncle on his mothers side. Indira Gandhi was also, Babu Kishan's family friend his mother Manju Dasi was her great friend. Babu remembers being at their house all the time. One time he was a book beside her bed and he asked her what the book was, she said, the Bhagvada Gita and read it every night.
Purna Das Paul was performing because it was Jawaharlal Nehru birth anniversary in Delhi Teenmurti Bhavana. Hey and Babu Kishan was there too. This was his life, he has been there done that.
This is lineage, mystical and intellectual Baul beyond.
#incredibleindia #indianmusician #sufi #mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru#osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir #baulmusic #baul #indian#babukishan #folkmusic #baulgaan #kabir #ektara
#timesofindia #purnadasbaul #shantiniketan #birbhum #kolkata #bengal#mamatabanerjee #pranabmukerjee #presidentofindia #baulmaster
Who is sitting in the audience in the front row, while Babu Kishan's father is performing Authentic the only Lineage Baul music?
Do you see Indira Gandhi in the front row she was a student of Babu's Grandfather Guru Nabani Das Khyapa Baul at Vishva Bharti where Nabani Das Baul.
Nabani Das Khyapa Paul was the first and only Baul Guru (professor appointed) by Rabindranath Tagore to teach Baul at Vishva Bharti and Indira Gandhi was his student because her father Nehru has Nabani Das Khyapa Baul sing all over India for him, Nehru knew the drawing power of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, this is part of the Freedom Movement and History of India.
Later, Babu Kishan's father Purna Das Baul and his wife Manju Dasi sang for Indira Gandhi, then so did Babu Kishan, they sang for Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi before their political talks. There are many stories to be told and the now President of India Pranab Mukerjee was completely devoted to Indira Gandhi. They all were so close and there are many stories to be told.
Sitting in the audience is also, the President of India then Zail Singh seventh President of India, serving from 1982 to 1987. Indira Gandhi and all the Cabinet Ministers of India, including todays President Pranab Mukerjee who is also by the way Babu Kishan's uncle on his mothers side. Indira Gandhi was also, Babu Kishan's family friend his mother Manju Dasi was her great friend. Babu remembers being at their house all the time. One time he was a book beside her bed and he asked her what the book was, she said, the Bhagvada Gita and read it every night.
Purna Das Paul was performing because it was Jawaharlal Nehru birth anniversary in Delhi Teenmurti Bhavana. Hey and Babu Kishan was there too. This was his life, he has been there done that.
This is lineage, mystical and intellectual Baul beyond.
#incredibleindia #indianmusician #sufi #mystical #bhajan #fusion #baulguru#osho #mystic #esoteric #shakti #lalonfakir #baulmusic #baul #indian#babukishan #folkmusic #baulgaan #kabir #ektara
#timesofindia #purnadasbaul #shantiniketan #birbhum #kolkata #bengal#mamatabanerjee #pranabmukerjee #presidentofindia #baulmaster
A tribute to: The Bauls of Birbhum Bengal
It was 50 years ago the legendary "Bauls of Bengal" came to America
by Trishula Sandra Das as told by
Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul
The only pioneering lineage of Vaishnava Tantric Bauls and the first Tantrics to Arrive in America 50 years ago. These Baul's are the first authentic living lineage of Kirtan and Bhakti Yoga to arrive in America.
Purna Das Baul on the left is the first highly awarded famous Indian vocalist to arrive in America.
All Bauls follow this lineage, if it were not for this lineage nobody would who or what Baul is. This lineage is the only lineage of Baul, today there are people making up lineages using half truths, singing the songs from this lineage but taking the names off and replacing the names of the poets with made up names. Baul is about respect and many are writing about Baul and making up stories this is watering down and reducing Baul.
The legendary brothers Purna Das Baul and the late (2015) Laxman Das Baul arrived in America 50 years ago. They are the first Tantrics and Bauls to come to America. Purna Das Baul is the first accomplished Indian Vocalist to come to America. They are the first and oldest Lineage of Bhakti Yoga and Kirtan to arrive in America.
What people are talking, teaching and writing about Baul is only because of this pioneering Baul family and lineage . This lineage is legendary worldwide and have played on the biggest stages around the world including Royal Albert Hall, CarnegieHall in front of millions of people in India and worldwide .
All credit and respect go to these Bauls and this lineage without them no one would know who or what the Baul are, they have paved a road for a whole new industry to of Baul singers to follow in their footsteps. Babu Kishan a pioneer in bringing Baul to the world is surprised that now these new Baul singers are making up stories which are not accurate. They follow this lineage but they create new stories and never acknowledge the history and names of this history adding in new names and new Guru's that have no connection to Baul? These new Baul singers sing songs that are not Baul they look the part, act the part but sing out of the Baul tune.
This is part of Baul history and many who knew Babukishan will agree he is the pioneer who educated all the Bauls and the world on Baul, he is the one who made the connections with world level Universities including Columbia, Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Chicago, Washington, Washington and Lee, Toronto, Victoria, Cambridge, Oxford, Berlin, all over the world . He is the one who brought Baul to the all the International Festivals and radio and TV stations BBC, Deutsche Welle, newspapers he brought Baul to world class record companies and made movies about Baul. It is Babu who did all the leg work presenting Baul to the world, Babukishan ran the whole show and it was hard work.
The below picture below includes Sally Grossman the wife of the Legendary Albert B Grossman who was manager of Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, The Band, Richie Havens, Purna Das Baul (The Bauls of Bengal) and Bob Dylan.
What people are talking, teaching and writing about Baul is only because of this pioneering Baul family and lineage . This lineage is legendary worldwide and have played on the biggest stages around the world including Royal Albert Hall, CarnegieHall in front of millions of people in India and worldwide .
All credit and respect go to these Bauls and this lineage without them no one would know who or what the Baul are, they have paved a road for a whole new industry to of Baul singers to follow in their footsteps. Babu Kishan a pioneer in bringing Baul to the world is surprised that now these new Baul singers are making up stories which are not accurate. They follow this lineage but they create new stories and never acknowledge the history and names of this history adding in new names and new Guru's that have no connection to Baul? These new Baul singers sing songs that are not Baul they look the part, act the part but sing out of the Baul tune.
This is part of Baul history and many who knew Babukishan will agree he is the pioneer who educated all the Bauls and the world on Baul, he is the one who made the connections with world level Universities including Columbia, Harvard, UCLA, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Chicago, Washington, Washington and Lee, Toronto, Victoria, Cambridge, Oxford, Berlin, all over the world . He is the one who brought Baul to the all the International Festivals and radio and TV stations BBC, Deutsche Welle, newspapers he brought Baul to world class record companies and made movies about Baul. It is Babu who did all the leg work presenting Baul to the world, Babukishan ran the whole show and it was hard work.
The below picture below includes Sally Grossman the wife of the Legendary Albert B Grossman who was manager of Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, The Band, Richie Havens, Purna Das Baul (The Bauls of Bengal) and Bob Dylan.
A story about that first trip to America
It should be noted the Bauls first came to America on request of Allen Ginsberg whose Guru was Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, Ginsberg had requested that the Grossman's bring Nabani Das Khyappa Baul to America. Nabani was not well and did not want to leave India so he sent his two son's Baul Samarat Purna Das Baul and Laxman Das Baul. This is a story as told to Babu Kishan by his late uncle Laxman Das Baul. The Bauls of Bengal as a musical group came to America for the first time in late 1966, early 1967 they stayed at a home studio called "The Big Pink"in Woodstock New York this was the home studio for Bob Dylan and the Band.
As usual upon awakening first thing in the morning the Bauls start their music sadhana playing their Gopi Yantra (ektara) and Khamak (mystic drum) after a few hours Sudhananda Das Baul went to the kitchen to see if they could figure out what to do with this packaged food and frozen food source they were left with and had never seen in their life. They didn't have a clue how to open the packages or what the food was in the freezer even was, probably frozen packaged chunks of meat, they were vegetarians. They were confused wondering we are hungry what do we do and also, wondering when Albert Grossman was coming back, they were just left at the house and told to help themselves? The scariest thing on their mind was if they went outside bears would eat them up, the place was called Bearsville.
As Sudhananda Das Baul was in the kitchen he glanced outside he was shocked to see at least 100 people enjoying and blissfully dancing right there on the lawn in front this house. They were not bears they were humans. The house was in the middle of farm land in a no where land in Woodstock NY. They had no idea what was going on or how these people came to be outside. Where did they come from?
Simultaneously Robbie Robertson was driving by in his car past the property and saw all the people and wondered what heck is all the commotion, he drove in asking the people what are you people doing here? They said, we heard the music I don't know what it is but we just were magically mysteriously drawn here, this sound is different, it is the first time we have heard this divine ecstatic music it has a mystical pulling power and it pulled us here, we were just drawn unconsciously like the pied piper pulled us here.
The very next day on Robbie Robertsons request Bob Dylan and the Band show up with all their instruments. When the Bauls first saw them they were puzzled, they thought wow a new group is coming here I guess they are going to move us to another place. However, Bob Dylan and The Band had only come to the Big Pink at this time to jam with The Bauls of Bengal on Robbie Robertson's advice.
Bob Dylan and the Band recorded the album, "The Bauls at the Big Pink" at this time without the Bauls even knowing they were being recorded. It should be known that the Bauls never knew who Bob Dylan was and only Lakshman Das Baul spoke a few words of English.
After this Bob Dylan was named and started to call himself, "the first Western Baul".
It should be noted the Bauls first came to America on request of Allen Ginsberg whose Guru was Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, Ginsberg had requested that the Grossman's bring Nabani Das Khyappa Baul to America. Nabani was not well and did not want to leave India so he sent his two son's Baul Samarat Purna Das Baul and Laxman Das Baul. This is a story as told to Babu Kishan by his late uncle Laxman Das Baul. The Bauls of Bengal as a musical group came to America for the first time in late 1966, early 1967 they stayed at a home studio called "The Big Pink"in Woodstock New York this was the home studio for Bob Dylan and the Band.
As usual upon awakening first thing in the morning the Bauls start their music sadhana playing their Gopi Yantra (ektara) and Khamak (mystic drum) after a few hours Sudhananda Das Baul went to the kitchen to see if they could figure out what to do with this packaged food and frozen food source they were left with and had never seen in their life. They didn't have a clue how to open the packages or what the food was in the freezer even was, probably frozen packaged chunks of meat, they were vegetarians. They were confused wondering we are hungry what do we do and also, wondering when Albert Grossman was coming back, they were just left at the house and told to help themselves? The scariest thing on their mind was if they went outside bears would eat them up, the place was called Bearsville.
As Sudhananda Das Baul was in the kitchen he glanced outside he was shocked to see at least 100 people enjoying and blissfully dancing right there on the lawn in front this house. They were not bears they were humans. The house was in the middle of farm land in a no where land in Woodstock NY. They had no idea what was going on or how these people came to be outside. Where did they come from?
Simultaneously Robbie Robertson was driving by in his car past the property and saw all the people and wondered what heck is all the commotion, he drove in asking the people what are you people doing here? They said, we heard the music I don't know what it is but we just were magically mysteriously drawn here, this sound is different, it is the first time we have heard this divine ecstatic music it has a mystical pulling power and it pulled us here, we were just drawn unconsciously like the pied piper pulled us here.
The very next day on Robbie Robertsons request Bob Dylan and the Band show up with all their instruments. When the Bauls first saw them they were puzzled, they thought wow a new group is coming here I guess they are going to move us to another place. However, Bob Dylan and The Band had only come to the Big Pink at this time to jam with The Bauls of Bengal on Robbie Robertson's advice.
Bob Dylan and the Band recorded the album, "The Bauls at the Big Pink" at this time without the Bauls even knowing they were being recorded. It should be known that the Bauls never knew who Bob Dylan was and only Lakshman Das Baul spoke a few words of English.
After this Bob Dylan was named and started to call himself, "the first Western Baul".
"Some" Past Lectures"
As a 'paid qualified' Lecturer on Babu Kishan's, one and only Lineage of Baul.
Many scholars wrote their thesis with the help of Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das and many only know him as Krishnendu Das.
Babu Kishan is his Indian Cinema Name.
He is the author of 3 books on Baul, dating back to the 1980's, all out of print.
A new book should be release at the end of 2017 or early 2018 that will be about the Historical Authentic Lineage of Baul originating from Birbhum Bengal India.
He is not only a authentic Lineage Baul, Pandit of Indian Music, Music Composer but a Scholar of Indian Philosophy, Sanskrit and a Baul Poet.
*It should be noted that no one in this world would know about Baul without this Lineage of Paul who brought Baul to India and the world some 80 or 90 years ago.
The Nabani Das Baul Lineage inspired many greats in India they are the pioneers who brought Baul to the world.
They are the indigenous Baul's who are the only lineage of Bauls.
Baul is now close to extinction and please be warned that the new Baul singers who cut the names of the history of Baul off, taking the songs and the stories that belong to this family then warping it into their story without even acknowledging where they got the idea of Baul from. Creating new stories and making themselves look exotic but they have no roots in the original Baul are Tourist Attractions.
It should be noted that just because one calls themselves a Baul and uses this lineages's songs does not mean they are a Baul. Today with the internet anybody can be famous, making up a lineage, it is so simple, all the leg work had been completed decades ago, before the internet. It should also, be noted those that are fundraising in the name of Baul are not Baul. Baul has already been preserved long ago and recorded with all the major record companies in India, including Hindustani Records that is why the new Baul singers have songs to sing but they should give credit where credit is due rather that making up different poets names and adding it to themselves singing the songs. In time this will be qualified in the Media and addressed.
Babu Kishan will be speaking about this in the coming year,
giving context and his opinions on the using and abusing of his lineage.
There is a huge disconnect between the real Baul and these new age singers who are making up lineages.
A Cultural MIS-appropriation of his lineages songs and practices.
Baul is open to all and believes in UNITY however, we live in a different time,
at this and Baul is near extinction. It is time to set the record straight and qualify what and who is Baul. Baul does not have it roots in Buddhism, Baul goes back before Buddhism to a time of Radha and Krishna to a time of Shiva. They include Buddhist thought but the new Bauls singers teachings on this are completely misguided and wrong.
Babu Kishan is the first authentic Baul to lecture and teach authentic Baul tradition he has been traveling and teaching since 1971 around the world.
He also, lectures on Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy &
Indian Music, Folk, Classical, Baul and Indian Cinema.
BA Indian Philosophy Calcutta University
MA Indian Music Calcutta University
Was a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission for 12 years
Born into the one and only Baul Lineage into the lap of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul
In the 1980's he represented Calcutta University
around India, regarding Indian Philosophy,
Sanskrit and Baul.
@ Universities around the world.
UCLA,
Columbia,
Chicago University
Boston University
Pennsylvania Music College
Baltimore Music College,
Philadelphia Arts and Music College
Kansas University Music
St Louis University
Washington and Lee
University of Washington
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
SFU (Simon Fraser University)
Harvard
Mumbai University
Whistling Woods Film Institute in Mumbai
San Francisco College of Arts
Berkeley University Music School
Red Wood University
San Diego University
University of Victoria
Cambridge and Oxford in UK
Berlin Music College
Stuttgart University
Bremen University Germany
Hamburg University
Cologne University
University Germany
Zurich University
Geneva University
Brussels University
Rome University of Fine Arts
University of Honk Kong
University of Bangkok
University of Singapore
Delhi University
University of Mauritius
University of Johannesburg South Africa
Calcutta University
Vishva Bharati in Shantiniketan Birbhum
...
As a 'paid qualified' Lecturer on Babu Kishan's, one and only Lineage of Baul.
Many scholars wrote their thesis with the help of Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das and many only know him as Krishnendu Das.
Babu Kishan is his Indian Cinema Name.
He is the author of 3 books on Baul, dating back to the 1980's, all out of print.
A new book should be release at the end of 2017 or early 2018 that will be about the Historical Authentic Lineage of Baul originating from Birbhum Bengal India.
He is not only a authentic Lineage Baul, Pandit of Indian Music, Music Composer but a Scholar of Indian Philosophy, Sanskrit and a Baul Poet.
*It should be noted that no one in this world would know about Baul without this Lineage of Paul who brought Baul to India and the world some 80 or 90 years ago.
The Nabani Das Baul Lineage inspired many greats in India they are the pioneers who brought Baul to the world.
They are the indigenous Baul's who are the only lineage of Bauls.
Baul is now close to extinction and please be warned that the new Baul singers who cut the names of the history of Baul off, taking the songs and the stories that belong to this family then warping it into their story without even acknowledging where they got the idea of Baul from. Creating new stories and making themselves look exotic but they have no roots in the original Baul are Tourist Attractions.
It should be noted that just because one calls themselves a Baul and uses this lineages's songs does not mean they are a Baul. Today with the internet anybody can be famous, making up a lineage, it is so simple, all the leg work had been completed decades ago, before the internet. It should also, be noted those that are fundraising in the name of Baul are not Baul. Baul has already been preserved long ago and recorded with all the major record companies in India, including Hindustani Records that is why the new Baul singers have songs to sing but they should give credit where credit is due rather that making up different poets names and adding it to themselves singing the songs. In time this will be qualified in the Media and addressed.
Babu Kishan will be speaking about this in the coming year,
giving context and his opinions on the using and abusing of his lineage.
There is a huge disconnect between the real Baul and these new age singers who are making up lineages.
A Cultural MIS-appropriation of his lineages songs and practices.
Baul is open to all and believes in UNITY however, we live in a different time,
at this and Baul is near extinction. It is time to set the record straight and qualify what and who is Baul. Baul does not have it roots in Buddhism, Baul goes back before Buddhism to a time of Radha and Krishna to a time of Shiva. They include Buddhist thought but the new Bauls singers teachings on this are completely misguided and wrong.
Babu Kishan is the first authentic Baul to lecture and teach authentic Baul tradition he has been traveling and teaching since 1971 around the world.
He also, lectures on Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy &
Indian Music, Folk, Classical, Baul and Indian Cinema.
BA Indian Philosophy Calcutta University
MA Indian Music Calcutta University
Was a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission for 12 years
Born into the one and only Baul Lineage into the lap of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul
In the 1980's he represented Calcutta University
around India, regarding Indian Philosophy,
Sanskrit and Baul.
@ Universities around the world.
UCLA,
Columbia,
Chicago University
Boston University
Pennsylvania Music College
Baltimore Music College,
Philadelphia Arts and Music College
Kansas University Music
St Louis University
Washington and Lee
University of Washington
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
SFU (Simon Fraser University)
Harvard
Mumbai University
Whistling Woods Film Institute in Mumbai
San Francisco College of Arts
Berkeley University Music School
Red Wood University
San Diego University
University of Victoria
Cambridge and Oxford in UK
Berlin Music College
Stuttgart University
Bremen University Germany
Hamburg University
Cologne University
University Germany
Zurich University
Geneva University
Brussels University
Rome University of Fine Arts
University of Honk Kong
University of Bangkok
University of Singapore
Delhi University
University of Mauritius
University of Johannesburg South Africa
Calcutta University
Vishva Bharati in Shantiniketan Birbhum
...
The Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum the oldest living lineage of Bauls, An Oral Sanskrit Tradition.
Note* One should understand the oral in the case of the Vaishnava Bauls means Sanskrit, most of the new Bauls do not have any relationship to Sanskrit. Sanskrit was the Baul's indigenous language in the oral tradition.
“That is why, brother, I became a madcap Baul. No master I obey, nor injunctions, canons or custom. Now no men-made distinctions have any hold on me, and I revel only in the gladness of my own welling love. In love there's no separation, but commingling always. So I rejoice in song and dance with each and all."
Rabindra Nath Tagore, The Hibbert Lecture, Oxford, 1930
"the above quote by Rabindranath Tagore is re-quoted from Babukishan's research and first book 1980's, "Banglar Baul" under the name Krishnendu Das. er than Babukishan". ©
Rabindranath Tagore's one and only Baul Guru was Nabani Das Khyappa Baul
Rabindranath Tagore became a Baul when the legendary Sri Nabani (Gosia) Das Khyappa Baul gave Tagore the name Ravi (Robi) Baul and in return Tagore gave Nabani (Noboni) the name Khyappa Baul and named him 'Mirror of the Sky'. Rabindranath Tagore was initiated into Baul by Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. To this very day villagers in Birbhum remember a legendary Tantric Vaishnav Baul Saint Avadhut named Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.
Khyappa or sometimes spelled Kheppa and (Kheppi for women) means sat chit ananda (eternal conscious and blissful), highly mystical, fully awake, aware, divine ecstatic love, wild, free bird, blissful, divine consciousness, magical, mysterious, out of body connected to the divine at a very high level, khyappa is not something that can be faked. It is not a name for everybody it was a name designated for a Avadhut, however, today everybody is calling themselves khyappa as many are calling themselves ‘Baul’ and ‘Baul Guru’.
Rabindranath Tagore the great Bengali Nobel prize winner for literature and the writer of the Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan national anthems, loved Nabani and Nabani is the only Baul who inspired and associated with Tagore, Nabani was Tagores Baul Guru. The Pous Mela in Shantiniketan was created by Rabindranath Tagore in honour of Nabani Das Baul to bring together intellectuals, poets, and creative artists from around the world.
To the untrained eye and ear wandering and singing a song does not make one a Baul. Rabindranath honoured Nabani because he was an ecstatic mystic full of wisdom, he admired his poetry, his tune and his depth in sadhana as a Tantric Yogi and Baul Avadhut. Rabindranath respected Nabani's ancient lineage and its richness, authentic cultural significance and tradition of wisdom, along with the energetic live wire shaktified pure ecstatic love that Nabani embodied. Tagore also, gave land and a special place for Nabani Das Khyappa Baul to sit and be at Tagores own Vishwa Bharati University, they spent much time together and it should be noted that all of the old pictures and the ones at The Royal British Museum in London of Nabani were pictures taken by Tagore himself.
This Baul family and their association with Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi
Tagore appointed Nabani Das Baul as a Professor of Baul music and dance at the Tagore Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan. Nabani is the first and last Baul to teach at Vishwa Bharati University. One of Nabani's students was Indira Gandhi, her father Jawaharlal Nehru had the greatest respect for Nabani. The Indian Independence movement was in full swing. Nehru appointed Nabani a state singer, where Nabani along with Nehru and his contingent traveled all over India, playing for people, sharing the magic of Baul and Nehru's political messages.
Like his grandfather, KD Babukishan also traveled with his parents around India as state singers for Indira Gandhi, with whom Babu's mother was best friends until Indira Gandhi's assassination. Babukishan recalls going to Delhi for Indira Gandhi's state funeral with the Gandhi family. There were millions of people it was an epic historical event the fall out from her death or I should say her murder was catastrophic. This talented family of Bauls were state singers for Rajiv Gandhi until Rajiv's demise.
Often after a day of tourning Babu would sit with Rajiv Gandhi and unwind during their travels through out India. Babukishan has traveled India many times with different people including Sitaram Das Omkarnath, his father, his mentor a Supreme Court judge master Jyotishi who predicted when Babu was 8 years of age that he would meet me a foreigner and we would marry. He also, predicted that Sri Purnab Mukerjee President of India would rule India. Purnab Mukerjee and Babu's family were very close as his mom Manju and Pranab's wife were relatives and best friends, the late Mrs Mukerjee whom Babu called Gita Auntie. I met Mrs Mukerjee at the Mukerjee bhavan in Delhi in 2007 she was very sweet.
Mystical Bards, Guru's, Pandits, Acharya's who are simply called Baul
Baul is a Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya Ancient Mystical Lineage. Bauls are Tantrics, Indian musicians who know the Tantra of Sound, Mystical Bards, Guru's, Pandits, Acharya's who are simply called Baul. Their roots are in Sanatan Dharma not Buddhism or Islam. I repeat again Bauls roots are not in Buddhism.
There are some Bauls who are not from this lineage or a lineage period and it is very interesting how they are changing the face of an ancient living lineage it seems many make it up as they go. Real Bauls are mysterious you will never figure them out all one can do is taste their rasa it is impossible to catch a Baul they are here one minute and gone the next, they do not want to be seen and certainly do not want to collect devotee's but there is something to learn from them if one is patient and as we know there are very few students that are prepared and want to put in the time. It is much easier to pay for a yoga (fitness certification) or now we also, have Kirtan certification.
It is a contradictory paradoxical path of opposites that are meant to confuse as you must be a sincere student it is not meant for the spiritual materialist. One must have one foot in the heavens and one foot firmly on the earth. I have spent 10 years 24/7 trying to put this path into words and have read almost everything ever written about Baul and I will tell you what they write is wrong even what they sing is shortened, and sometimes even they are singing Bollywood songs that people think is Baul? A real Baul is very deep and in some ways not meant for this modern world and of course I do not understand Sanskrit or Bengali, I feel Baul I learn from Babukishan who is so connected to Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.
Sri Chaitanya - Sri Nityanand of Ekkchakra - Bhakti Yoga
Vaishnava Bauls the original indigenous Hare Krishna Hari Ram singers and dancers.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was wise enough to know what the scholar Sri Chaitanya had figured out 500 years before, that Bauls were able to draw people together through their energetic shakti and ecstatic charismatic chanting, singing and dancing. Dry scholarship and talking doesn't awaken people to a new movement. Sri Nityananda of Ekachakra Birbhum was a Vaishnava Baul and an ancestor of this lineage, he was elder to Sri Chaitanya. It was Nityananda who taught his Baul tradition of kirtan, singing and dancing to Sri Chaitanya.
Sri Chaityana started his Hari Krishna movement based on the ecstatic 'Hare Krishna Hare Ram' singing and dancing of the Vaishnava Baul of Birbhum. The Bauls would start with the Hari Krishna chant early in the mornings as a wake up call announcing their presence to the villagers of Bengal, inviting them to listen and learn about spiritual life. Bauls were never beggers they were given Dakshina for their enlightened singing and teachings. They were loved by the villagers, they were the spiritual newspaper before print media and the internet.
Lineage of authentic KIRTAN
Authentic Baul is a rare, ecstatic, supercharged high speed internet super duper highway to ecstatic union, direct blissful Yoga and sweet heart-opening devotional singing and Baul Kirtan is full of ecstatic energy that turns even the hardest of hearts to honey, bringing the rasa of ananda (bliss) alive. There is layer upon layer of the heart Bauls awakens layers that one never thought existed, it is magical. Baul awakens a memory deep within the heart you do not have to understand the words but you must feel the magic, the power of lineage it will take you there is one is a real Baul, if not it is just singing and sometime a high pitched screaming or just nice singing. Baul should transport one to another realm because they draw that power, the deity to earth and make Shiva or Shakti in whatever form they worship alive. Baul is both personal and impersonal a paradox indeed because it seems scholars want to put everything in one box or another when in fact any Sanskrit or Oral Tradition the juice and the between the lines arrives from the Guru without a constant year after year, day after day, close association with the Guru there is no way one can claim to be a Baul. It takes years and more than a one or two day, week, month or year transmission it starts at birth and it used to start in as Oral Sanskrit storytelling. Kirtan is not call response singing it is the telling of the stories and chanting, the chanting call response it a small part not the whole kirtan.
Baul is a secret mystical Tantric esoteric supercharged path.
Baul is a secret esoteric path a Baul will never tell you anything directly you must will learn through the practice of listening deeply. If you are fortunate to be with Baul over a lifetime if one is lucky you may grasp a drop, all the rest is just mere speculation. You will be tested every step of the way on this magical journey, the path is not straight it is crooked to prevent the people who are not prepared. Today everybody wants everything right here and now that is not the path of Baul because it is a super advanced path a way to easily reach God/dess but as we know nothing is really easy. It is not a beginners path, however, one can feel the energy and awaken quickly if the person calling themselves a Baul is actually a Baul.
Baul is the path of everything in the universe as above, so below, the path of poetry, all Bauls produce some kind of poetry, they are poetic storytellers, this is how they distill their teachings in simple poetic songs that hit the heart of everything the universe, there is nothing that is excluded.
Bauls play a one stringed trance inducing instrument called an ‘ektara’ also called the ‘Gopi Chand’ or ‘Gopi Yantra’ which is the Bauls symbol of peace and unity for all. A Baul plays a variety of instruments including a rare one or two stringed instrument called a ‘Gubgubi’ which Nabnai himself named the Ananada Lahari meaning ‘waves of bliss’. Baul is a Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya, they are sadhu's and belong to sadhu sangha which are called Akaras. There used to be 22 such sanghas, now there are only 2, they are almost extinct.
There is a lot of misinformation about the Bauls today, misrepresentations abound among a new generation of Baul singers, scholars, writers, documentary film makers, information found on wikipedia, Gurus from other sects including Osho who wrote many books on the Bauls and was deeply inspired by Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. All of them have completely missed the point of who these sweet devotional people are. They repeat the same thing over and over and it is not accurate. Many fakes are changing this beautiful tradition, they dress the part, singing out of tune trying to copy what can not be copied. Baul is only achieved through sadhana. The fake Bauls say they are sadhakas to attract students, some say they are sexual tantrics as sex always sells. This has gone on for a long time. Unaware foreigners attracted by sexual tantra of the west, and Indians attracted by the dream of sexual freedom, flock to Shantineketan. Yet the real Bauls are now almost extinct, and those that still remain, live marginalized.
Bauls have been described as mad, Sai, Shah, Fakir, Dervish, Aula, Muslim, afflicted by the wind, illiterate, beggars and folk singers, yet they are none of the above. First of all Bauls were never beggars for anything but God/dess. A Baul would received Dakshina from the villagers for their wisdom and teachings. Bauls were farmers. They have survived for thousands and thousands of years, it is amazing that they survived through the British imposed famines in Bengal. which is a story These stories have started to be told regarding the 1940 second world war time of mass starvation's that occurred during the British imposed diversion of food crops to Europe where millions of Bengal's perished.
Sahaja - Sufi - Buddhism - Islam -
their relationship to Baul
Bauls accepted all but that does not mean they became the other, it does NOT mean they became Islamic or Buddhist. I can say this with confidence Bauls are not Islamic or Buddhist they are eclectic however, they are based on Santatn Dharma. Baul is a sect unto its own, they are Sahaja Vaishnava Baul and are some of the first Sufi"s and Baul on the planet.
Sahaja = Sufi Vaishnava Baul (Hindu Tantric Sufi) I am trying to put Baul in a category a box this is what we western's do. Bauls worship the Divine Feminine Shakti.
When I first met Babukishan he would always tell me that he was Sufi Baul or mention the name Sufi, he had some old posters from Sufi Books in New York where he had performed but I knew there was no Islamic Sufi affiliation withe Baul. It was confusing and had taken me a very long time to understand Babukishan was talking about a Sufi way before Islam existed a kind of Sufi that belongs to all the peoples of planet earth a Sufi that has no religious affiliation. Perhaps Sufi is a word like Shamanism and Baul also a term used to describe the earliest teachings of the peoples of planet earth and we can also, call this Sahaja.
It is very difficult to understand and describe Baul, it works directly on the heart of those who listen providing a type of psychic heart surgery lightening the soul.
What is Sahaja?
What Sahaja is not?
Sahaja is similar to Sufi before Islam in meaning, it is an ancient high spiritual reality “Sahaja simply means natural and spontaneous. It not only implies natural spiritual levels, but on the mystic level of the miraculous. It means that easy or natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, striving or intention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.
Thus ‘sahaja’ expresses one who has reverted to his natural state, free from conditioning. It typifies the outlook which belongs to the natural, spontaneous and uninhibited man or women, free from innate or inherited defects.
As such even nakedness of the avadhut is considered to be ‘sahaja’. By his own demeanor a Baul shows man’s instinct for naturalness and primordial perfection not only of the physical and spiritual level but at the mystical level. A parallel is made to plants and trees which do not grow according ‘svadharma’ or rules and obligations incurred at birth.
Nature only has ‘svabhava’ meaning its own inborn self or essence as its guidance. In other words ‘what is to come must come of itself’ to manifest in a state of absolute freedom. Taoism speaks of ‘sahaja’ as a highest virtue – the loss of the peculiar naturalness or unselfconsciousness. I have personal experiences with Taosim and my Master named his place of practice the same word as Sahaja but in Chinese name.
Bauls are considered to be Sahaja which means natural and spontaneous. It implies natural on the spiritual level and on the mystical level of the miraculous. It means that easy natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, or striving for attention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.
Sahaja is NOT, licentious, loose, lustful, lewd, salacious behavior as described by the orthodox Vaishnava coming out of Bengal and in Vrindavan. Sahaja is a Sanskrit word and those translations are completely wrong. To be sahaja is to hear, see, smell beauty in all things naturally, spontaneously. Sahaja is to be love (prema) unconditionally from the soul spontaneously and naturally it is not acting and faking devotion. Sahaja is a inner feminine way of being the "path of Radha" the inner soul. Sahaja is an elevated higher sattvic way of being. It is to move ones focus inward and not get stuck in rhetoric and the mind or of knowledge an opinions of others, especially the othodox who need you to pay for their temples and way of life. Sahaja. It is about having knowledge but not getting caught and hung up on knowledge, more specifically Sahaja is distilled knowledge which has become blissful wisdom.
One finds this state in an innocent child which is always in its ‘sahaja’ state unless interfered to by society. In his semi-naked state an sahaja avadut is just as unconscious of others nakedness as he was of his own.
“The person who has conquered the baser self and has reached to the level of self mastery: he is at peace, whether it be in cold or hot, pleasure or pain, honoured or dishonoured” – Bhagavad Gita. “ This is Sahaja the Bhagavad Gita and Vaishnavism is Sahaja in its pure unorthodox sitting on a throne form. It should be noted pure Gaudiya Vaishnavism always honored this family of Bauls.
There are perhaps hundreds if not thousands of pictures of this family preforming for them raising huge amounts of money for them. There has never been any debate about them not being ancestors of Sri Nityananda of Ekchakra? Their story has never been told and now with the internet many are making up stories. I hope this is sufficient and people start to understand what Sahaja is. Hey no worries Baul is seriously extinct what you see today is something similar to Yoga as modern postural yoga of the west, although much messier with bits and pieces of the puzzle but no authentic Baul left. Bauls were always very clean and sattvic there long hair clean well kept worn on top of their heads. Baul is a shadow of the past like most indigenous peoples of planet earth. Yes, the are indigenous peoples of Birbhum Rarh an ancient land they did not come from somewhere else or even Calcutta.
It is important to understand that Baul arrived before both Buddhism and Islam. Bauls are considered to be original Sufi before Muslim existed and Sufi in this context is Hindu or more appropriately called Sanatan Dharmic Sufi. Some say they are the very earliest Indian Sufi's but I do not like to use the word Sufi because there is so much debate about where Sufi is from and the Bauls of Bengal are not Islamic they sing some Islamic Sufi songs because they love all but that does not make them Islamic or Muslim. However, I must make it perfectly clear Sufi pre-dates Islam and Sufi in the context of Baul is not Islamic it is Sahaja (Sahajaya) Baul Sahaja is Universal Sufi.
The original Das and Dasi Kirtan singers from Rarh, the red soil called Birbhum
The Bauls were not British educated English speaking Christian Bengali's who learned Sanskrit after the fact. Vaishnava Bauls learned Sanskrit in the oral tradition by hearing and remembering from birth, which creates a person with a photo graphic memory. Bauls are the original Das and Dasi singers and dancers of Bengal, the original kirtanists from the red soil called Rarh. Many of their Kirtan's have been taken by the Orthodox New fundamentalist Vaishnava and claimed as their own? They use a degrading language to describe the Bauls and many other sects to raise themselves up higher than any other religion in the world this surely anyone can understand is most certainly not othodox is shows a lack of confidence and heart towards others. Yet they have no clue where their information and kirtan came from or the true stories.
KD Babukishan a Master of Indian Music
Babukishan is a master of India music classical, folk bhajan, kirtan, all music and his job for years was working for the biggest music companies in India categorizing all of the music of India, his description of kirtan is completely different from what is going on in the west. The west is chanting, kirtan is the telling of the stories of Krishna, Ram Shiva and Kali telling their stories in reverence and chanting. Kirtan is worship with reverence it is unheard of in his tradition for people to fall asleep on the floor.
It should be noted that Babukishan has recorded and produced the first recorded Hanuman Chalisa in India that is one of the most successful recordings of the Hanuman Chalisa played in all the temples in India the singer the late Hari Om Sharam. Babukishan has also, produced and recorded music by some of the Islamic Sufi greats including, Abida Parveen, Munni Begam, Allan Fakir, Nusrat Fateh Ali, Karim Khan, Majid Shola, and many more so he understands what is Muslim Sufi and what is Baul Sufi from experience not from books. He has recorded more Lalon Fakir songs than anybody and loves his poetry but still does not consider him to be a Baul. Babukishan has also, produced and recorded the biggest kirtan, bhajan singers in India including ... all those names I can not spell or say I will list them shortly.
Bauls were the biggest peacekeepers accepting all people. It should be understood that Baul is the path of the Avadhut always exploring and learning. They have many teachers but only one Guru. Understanding the history of Bengal is very important to understanding Baul. When Bengal was in strife under Islamic invasion they accepted Sufi into their fold. When Buddhists flowed into Bengal and were challenged by Brahamins, Bauls were the only people who gave them refuge and accepted them saving many from persecution. Baul is a sect onto its own based on Sanatan Dharma with a sprinkle of what are called Sufi and Buddhist practices. Please understand that it is also, said Sufi is based on Sanatan Dharma and was in India way before the Muslim's existed. Bauls have always been natural Indian Tantric Sufi's. A Baul will also say Buddha actually followed Shiva thus Shiva predating Buddha. Many of Baul practices are some of the earliest known before Buddha and before Sufi was ever attached to Islam in modern thought and modern times.
Birbhum W Bengal is the birth place of The Bauls of Bengal.
Stories abound about Bauls being from Persia, Uzbeckistan or Bangladesh, but many of these speculations are coming out of Bangladesh which is a Muslim country. They have somehow appropriated Baul culture and use this as a way to raise huge amount of money, apparently in order to preserve Baul Tradition as their ‘National heritage’. Baul tradition was born thousands of years ago and is indigenous to and originates from Birbhum Bengal. There were no Bauls in Bangledesh, even when Bangaldesh was Bengal they were not from the place now called Bangladesh. Baul has always been based on Sanatan Dharma, the eternal dharma of India as found in the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Puranic and Vedic wisdom. There were no Bauls in Bangladesh prior to the 1970's because Babu's mother Manju was a well know family in that area before it became Bangladesh.
Vaishnava Baul is the lineage of Krishna & Kali Kirtan. The Vaishnava Bauls are the original Kirtanists from the land of Rarh (red soil) which is Birbhum.
Kenduli Birbhum Bengal is the home of the Joy DEV Baul Mela. JOY Dev wrote the Gita Govinda about the love between Radha and Krishna.
This story comes from the oral tradition of the oldest living Baul lineage as told by Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, a ‘Lineage Baul Guru’ and the only Baul Guru Scholar from inside the tradition of the Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum Bengal. Babukishan has lectured all over the world for decades at the University level and has done Baul preformances on some of the biggest stages in the world since the 1970's.
Baul is not only an ocean of devotion but is also, an ocean of Indian Philosophy, Yoga, Tantra, Vedic, Puranic, and Upanishad wisdom. The title 'Baul' implies one is a Guru, Pandit, Acharya, an authority, they were the Shastra before books, they are oral storytellers, spiritual Bards, Bhakti Yogi's, Masters of Nada Yoga, and Vayu Dharma. However, being an oral tradition did not mean they didn't read Bengali and Sanskrit manuscripts and Shastra.
KD Babukishan was born in 1962 in Suri Bhirbhum W Bengal into the lap of Nabani Das Khappa Baul and his wife Brajabala Dasi. KD Babukishan is the birth son of Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi, however and for whatever reason he was left right after his birth to be raised by Sri Nabani, his Sat Guru and grandfather. Nabani and Brajabala raised their little grandson who was born premature with crooked limbs, it was thought he would die the next day. They named him Krishnendu (Krishna in Bengali). The name Babukishan was given to him by Mahesh Bhatt a Hindi film Director and Suraj Sanim one of the biggest Hindi film writers.
Tarapith - Authentic Tantric Sadhana Tara/Kali Maa
Nabani was an adept sadhak at Tarapith who had traveled as a sadhu tantric all over India living in the Himalaya's into Tibet he has lived in caves and was a great Yogi Tantric. Nabani took his sick tiny premature grandson (Krishnendu aka Babukishan) with crooked limbs to Tara Maa right after he was born praying and begging for his life. Ayurvedic medicine, prayers and mantra were used to heal baby Krishnendu. His limbs were straightened through daily Ayurvedic massage given by Nabani and Brajabala Dasi. It should be noted that Nabani was a healer and he had healed thousands of people every where he went, taking their karma and transmuting it. He was an adept at traditional Ayurvedic healing and herbology he was a Baul loaded with siddhi that he never used for his own good. He only helped others, he was the fire and Brajabala Dasi his wife commented that he should stop giving his flame but only let others enjoy the flames but he was a giver and give he did manifesting food for many in other villages while his own family at times struggled. He was extraordinary not your ordinary person or Baul for that matter.
Nabani knew the Tantra of alchemy and traditional herbs, as a close friend of the famed Ayurvedic doctor and healer Dr. Kali Goti who also helped with healing Babu. Nabani was an adept at manifesting siddhi's, he knew all the Guru's, Saints, Siddhas, Yogis, Naths, Swamis, Sadhus, Sadhakas of the time and had them all give dharshan and blessings to his little baby Krishnendu. Babu went everywhere with Nabani and was a regular at Tarapith learning tantric and Baul sadhana. hanging out with the Gurus and Tantrics one could say he owes his life to Tara Maa and Kali Maa. The village Rakha Kali Maa temple where he played, was right beside the Ratha Yatra Cart with Radha and Krishna. The village favoured many gods. Babu saw and experienced a world that does not exist today, those times are gone. I specualate that perhaps this was Babu's karma and a continuation of his past life.
Nabani Das Khyappa Bauls Samadhi 1969
Nabani's samadhi was in 1969, when KD Babukishan was only 8 years old. He thought Nabani was his father, until he learned his real father was Nabani's eldest son Purna Das Baul who had since had two other sons that were raised outside the Baul tradition, in contemporary Calcutta. Most people on a path would agree that our family is not who we are. Guru is our real family if we are lucky to have one, Babu was lucky to have Nabani who left him his spark. Losing Nabani was to be the greatest loss of little KD Babukishan's life and the greatest loss to the whole Baul community. Nabani was not an ordinary Baul he was an extraordinary genius. Babukishan was by his side when he went into samadhi.
On his grandfather’s passing, KD Babukishan recalls, "suddenly my grandpa reached out and gave me his hand at the same time a huge load thunder cracked and filled the air with energy, my grandpa whom I called ' Boro Baba' whole body turned an electric blue whitish the electric current shocked me and ran through my body at the same time automatically the tulsi plant with a small Bhagavad Gita in it fell over and hit Boro Baba directly on his head and he was gone. He held my hand so tight I felt an electric current run through my body my third eye opened, I saw the universe my Boro Baba had given me what is called a Bramhma darshan. I felt a huge force of power and light in my body, I couldn't break free of Boro Baba's grip I was only 8 years old my life had been full of one initiation after the other and this was the biggest gift ever given to me."
The Baul kirtan for Nabani went on for weeks, they chanted HARI KRISHNA HARI RAM for 8 days in a continuous flow, and then 6 more weeks changing kirtan groups and taking short breaks for some food and rest. Kirtan usually goes on for day continuously my Boro Baba would be furious if anybody broke the kirtan, it is meant to flow and done with such worship that one would never dream of falling asleep on the floor. Hundreds of thousands of people came to pay their respects. Nabani was a famous father figure, Baul Guru of Birbhum, a state artist and the whole state of Birbhum was closed. He was burried in traditional Baul way, sitting in a padmasana. Vaishnava Bauls are not burned it is traditional for Vaishnava's to bury.
Some time after Babu's grandfather’s death, his Grandmother Brajabala sent him to live in Calcutta with Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi, his birth parents, as she felt he’d be better off there and that he needed to be educated. KD Babukishan's went from the highest energy and biggest love bliss to a material life in Calcutta and a family where he didn't fit in. He recalls how his mother Manju used to bribe him with cookies to call her Maa. Brajabala Dasi is should be noted was a great Guru and a life long Guru and Mother love to Babukishan.
Those days were hard for a little boy, suddenly surrounded by strangers, in the strange city, and before long, they packed him off to Ramakrishna Mission, where he remained for the following twelve years. Living there was tough, but the Swami’s there respected the Bauls, and often told him the story how Ramakrishna loved the Bauls, and said many times how he wanted to be born a Baul in his next life.
A New life in Calcutta - Ramakrishna Mission
First trip oversee's London 1971
The family in Calcutta sometimes let him stay with them and even travel with them, touring with his father. When he was nine, they went to London and Europe on his first of many overseas trips. They went to perform at the fundraiser for Bangladesh in 1971, 1972, and 1978. There was a big group of Indian musicians who played at Hyde Park at the concert sponsored by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. That is where he first met and became lifelong friends with George Harrison and the Rolling Stones. Later in 1986, George Harrison along with Ravi Shankar helped him publish his 3rd book on Bauls, now out of print. During that trip they traveled to Mick Jaggers place in Nice, France and where his father recorded with them for the album Jai Bangla. Mick Jagger was their limousine driver, and drove them from the airport to his place. In 2004 Babukishan returned the favor picking up Mick Jagger from the airport when The Rolling Stones performed in Mumbai. In 1986 Babukishan performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the South Hall he played there 3 times.
Just as he was in the process of becoming a sanaysin, his father pulled him out of Ramakrishna Mission to work as his tour manager and it should be noted that Babukishan composed most of his fathers music under his birth name Krishnendu Das he was also, the youngest music composer in India at the time and was given awards for being the youngest and has a 40 years of award winning music composer. There were many good times and many difficult times with his Calcutta family and he left them for Mumbai after somethings that Babu didn't agree with but always supported them.
How to pronounce Baul
The easiest way to pronounce Baul is (Bha–oowl). Bauls are known as 'wind catchers' , the Masters of Pranayama which they call Vayu Dharma. Baul comes from the words Vayu (air) and Tula (to raise the vital air). Ba stands for Va in Bengali language. Bauls practice various yogic tantric techniques and their singing and mantric chanting. The aim of the Baul is God Realization & Self Realization in the human body, humanity is first and foremost to the Bauls – to be a good human, to realize God within this body temple.
Bauls practice techniques similar to Daoist Qigong. They are Masters of energy work and mysticism. They are visionary and communicate inward, it is a inner path. Inner ritual, Radha and Krishna reside in the alter of the heart this is where the Rasa Lila takes place. As an example of outer it would be the temple and book business and even sometimes even murti's. Remember a Baul does not reject therefore, they also worship murti's but they do not give much importance to outer it is accepted not rejected. I have been to every type of temple, church and even mosques around the world with Babukishan that is what we do. However it is not Babu's dream to be in the temple business, it is his dream to have an ashram to preserve and educate about Baul and folk music, Indian music. His dream is music, Indian music is born in him, his education is music, his career is music, you can take the Baul out of India but you can not take the MUSIC out of the Baul.
Pioneering only Legendary BAULS
Purna Das Baul is the first famous Indian Vocalist to come to America. First arriving in 1967 on a tour from San Francisco to New York staying in Woodstock NY at Bob Dylan's home as guests of Sally and Albert B Grossman (Bob Dylans manager). The recorded music from that time is called 'Bauls at Big Pink'. Purna Das Baul and his brother the late Laxshman Das Baul who was a much loved Baul a Bob Marley of the Bauls appeared on the cover of Bob Dylan's Legendary album John Westly Harding, Bob Dylan was a super fan of Lakshman Das Baul. Sally Grossman has remained a loyal a very dear friend of the Bauls and Laxshman Das Baul since 1967. At 81 years of age Lashman Das Baul passed away in April 2015 ending a legendary period of Baul history.
Please note it was the early 1950's when Purna Das Baul first traveled outside of India, he went to Russia. This family started the tradition of Bauls traveling outside of India it is not their traditional custom.
The Bauls at Big Pink produced by Al Aronowitz the father of Rock Journalism and another beloved friend of Babu's who passed in 2004, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson of the Band 1967 / The photo of Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was taken by Rabindranath Tagore. The Bauls on this album are Purna Das Baul and Lakshman Das Baul
Baul Samarat (King of the Bauls) Purna Das Baul at 82 years old has recieved the highest awards as a vocalist in India including many President Awards, Padma Shri and a rare award from the JAGANATHA TEMPLE called 'Nada Brahma Award' which only 3 have received including the much celebrated Ravindra Jain and Lata Mangeshakar. This family of Vaishnava Bauls are celebrated at the Jaganatha Temple in Orissa they know they are ancestors of Nityananda, Jai Nitai.
Allen Ginsberg's 'Guru' was Nabani Das Baul, Ginsberg first met Nabani in the early 1960's while traveling in Bengal. Nabani Das Baul is the only Baul Guru that Allen Ginsberg had, I keep reading how Ginsberg was associated with Lalon Fakir which is a complete fabrication his Baul Guru was Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. Ginsberg became a very dear friend of KD Babukishan he knows all the stories about Ginsberg and any association and inner feelings of his relationship between Ginsberg and Nabani Das Baul. Babu visited Ginsberg every year in New York from the 1980's until Ginsberg passed they were great friends perhaps meeting 100's of times, they are both poets and have a love for Nabani Das Baul. Ginsberg is the one who insisted to Sally and Albert B Grossman (Bob Dylan's manager) to bring Nabani to America, however, in 1967 Nabani's health was failing and he sent his two son's Lakshman Das Baul and Purna Das Baul.
Nabani had also spent a lifetime of traveling throughout India, meditating in the Himalaya's and Tibet and associated with many Guru Bai's and high level adepts many miraculous stories to be told. In 1962 when Babukishan was left with Nabani and Brajabala he stopped traveling. He was addicted to his grandson and considered him to be his Bala Krishna, he also called Babu, Prem and kept him with him all the time.
Kshiti Mohan Sen was a well-known scholar of ancient and medieval India and close associate of Rabindranath Tagore served as the Vice Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University in Santineketan for years. Kshiti Mohan Shastri described Nabani Das Baul "the last real true Baul" he wrote a book on Baul and regarded Nabani as the greatest ocean of intelligence he was as a huge admirer of Nabani. Kriti Mohan Sastri is the Grandfather of Armarta Sen a Professor, Economist and Philosopher living in New York.
This lineage are the only Bauls who have associated with The President of India Pranab Mukerjee, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and The Rolling Stone, Indira Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Tara Shankar Bandhypadhya, Kavi Nazrul, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Pankoj Mollick, R. C. Boral, S D Burman, RD Burman, Bimol Roy, Sakti Pado RajGuru, Uday Shankar, Nitish Mukherjee, Nitin Bose, Shantidev Ghosh, Ajit Ganguly, Deben Bhattacharya, Pahari Sanyal, Timir Baran, Allauddin Khan, Dr. Amartya Sen's Grandfather Kshiti Mohan Sen, Ram Kinkar Baij, Sita Ram Omkarnath, Ravi Shakar, Sonja Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta, Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster, Diretor General of India Radio. Dr Bhupeen Hazarika, Mithun Charabhorty, Bapi Lahari, MF Huissen, Chuni Goswami, Shyam Benegal, Amitabha Bachchana, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Zakir Hussain, Ratan Tata and many, many more.
KD Babau Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul
KD Babukishan walks between worlds in a true tantric form with one foot in the spiritual world and one foot firmly on earth, in the world but not of the world. He is a highly awarded Bollywood Indian Cinema Music Composer, Indian Music Producer, a Master of Indian Music, Classical, Folk, Bhajan, and Kirtan composing scores for 150 films, Film Designer, Film Maker, he has recorded and worked with the who is who of Indian music and Western music.
KD Babukisha was raised a Baul and spent 12 years as a Ramakrishna monk in Calcutta, BA in Indian Philosophy, MA of Indian Music from Calcutta University, Poet, the first Baul to be educated in the oral tradition and outside. A Sanskrit Scholar from the Oral Tradition, Sanskrit Education at the Masters level and because of his love of Sanskrit he spent countless years learning from Dr. Roma Chowdhri who was like a mother to Babu she was a legendary world renowned Bengali Sanskrit scholar who dedicated her whole life to Sanskrit.
Babu's life changed dramatically when he was in the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia where he witnessed, tens of thousands of souls leaving Bhumi Maa all at once, one of Maa's biggest smashen grounds. He has lived through the 1971 war between Bengal and Bangladesh, he has lived through many many terrorist attacks in Mumbai and lived many lifetimes in this one lifetime. Babu's main cause has always been to preserve his Baul tradition and it has been proven a difficult task it seems that over many decades his dream, all of his time and energy have been thwarted by his Calcutta family and many other road blocks, but he never gives up.
"The way my braid is, that’s how it will stay.
I’ll get into the water, I’ll splash water around, but I won’t get my hair wet.
I’ll swim about this way, and that way.
I’ll dive into the water, and won’t listen to what people say.
I’ll enjoy myself but not suffer because of it.
Gosain Rasaraj says: “Listen, my friend , that beauty leaves me speechless".
I won’t be chaste; I won’t be unchaste.
I won’t leave my Lord".
Famous Baul song (poetry) by Rasaraj Gosai (Nabani Das Baul's elder brother)
Not getting ones hair wet means to remain unattached do it, do everything but do not remain attached to the event or outcome give your attachments to Krishna.
Bauls songs are metaphorically coded. It is really hard to translate Bengali or Sanskrit into a one worded English translation and sometimes even impossible, there is assumed one knows all of Yoga and Tantra because each song is many discourses all in a simple song and sometimes you do not need to understand, you can listen and just get in it on a very deep level, the songs awaken a person to understanding. It is very subtle but a memory deep within your heart will understand.
The Joy Dev Baul Mela is held here the Vaishnava Bauls attend ever year to do puja to the great poet (kavi) Joy Dev. The bridge going across the Ajoy river is named Nabani Setu after Nabani Das Baul. The mela is completely different today, the Bauls have been marginalized and pushed out by the new kirtan singers. The Bauls honour Joy Deva and the love he had for his soul mate Padmavati because Bauls believe in Soul Mates as Radha and Krishna live and dance in their hearts, this is the real Rasa Lila dance.
Copyright all rights reserved 2017 - 2030
by Trishula Das
PLEASE do not copy and paste, then cut the names off. This is Cultural Appropriation of Baul.
There has been too much Cultural Appropriation of the Baul lineage, taking what is written, rewording and claiming as your own? The theft of Nabani Das Baul and this lineages songs, the theft of their stories. The making up of fake lineages that never existed. A few years back nobody had a lineage now all these lineages are coming out of no-where.
Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum the oldest living lineage of Bauls, An Oral Sanskrit Tradition.
Note* One should understand the oral in the case of the Vaishnava Bauls means Sanskrit, most of the new Bauls do not have any relationship to Sanskrit. Sanskrit was the Baul's indigenous language in the oral tradition.
“That is why, brother, I became a madcap Baul. No master I obey, nor injunctions, canons or custom. Now no men-made distinctions have any hold on me, and I revel only in the gladness of my own welling love. In love there's no separation, but commingling always. So I rejoice in song and dance with each and all."
Rabindra Nath Tagore, The Hibbert Lecture, Oxford, 1930
"the above quote by Rabindranath Tagore is re-quoted from Babukishan's research and first book 1980's, "Banglar Baul" under the name Krishnendu Das. er than Babukishan". ©
Rabindranath Tagore's one and only Baul Guru was Nabani Das Khyappa Baul
Rabindranath Tagore became a Baul when the legendary Sri Nabani (Gosia) Das Khyappa Baul gave Tagore the name Ravi (Robi) Baul and in return Tagore gave Nabani (Noboni) the name Khyappa Baul and named him 'Mirror of the Sky'. Rabindranath Tagore was initiated into Baul by Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. To this very day villagers in Birbhum remember a legendary Tantric Vaishnav Baul Saint Avadhut named Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.
Khyappa or sometimes spelled Kheppa and (Kheppi for women) means sat chit ananda (eternal conscious and blissful), highly mystical, fully awake, aware, divine ecstatic love, wild, free bird, blissful, divine consciousness, magical, mysterious, out of body connected to the divine at a very high level, khyappa is not something that can be faked. It is not a name for everybody it was a name designated for a Avadhut, however, today everybody is calling themselves khyappa as many are calling themselves ‘Baul’ and ‘Baul Guru’.
Rabindranath Tagore the great Bengali Nobel prize winner for literature and the writer of the Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan national anthems, loved Nabani and Nabani is the only Baul who inspired and associated with Tagore, Nabani was Tagores Baul Guru. The Pous Mela in Shantiniketan was created by Rabindranath Tagore in honour of Nabani Das Baul to bring together intellectuals, poets, and creative artists from around the world.
To the untrained eye and ear wandering and singing a song does not make one a Baul. Rabindranath honoured Nabani because he was an ecstatic mystic full of wisdom, he admired his poetry, his tune and his depth in sadhana as a Tantric Yogi and Baul Avadhut. Rabindranath respected Nabani's ancient lineage and its richness, authentic cultural significance and tradition of wisdom, along with the energetic live wire shaktified pure ecstatic love that Nabani embodied. Tagore also, gave land and a special place for Nabani Das Khyappa Baul to sit and be at Tagores own Vishwa Bharati University, they spent much time together and it should be noted that all of the old pictures and the ones at The Royal British Museum in London of Nabani were pictures taken by Tagore himself.
This Baul family and their association with Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi
Tagore appointed Nabani Das Baul as a Professor of Baul music and dance at the Tagore Vishwa Bharati University in Shantiniketan. Nabani is the first and last Baul to teach at Vishwa Bharati University. One of Nabani's students was Indira Gandhi, her father Jawaharlal Nehru had the greatest respect for Nabani. The Indian Independence movement was in full swing. Nehru appointed Nabani a state singer, where Nabani along with Nehru and his contingent traveled all over India, playing for people, sharing the magic of Baul and Nehru's political messages.
Like his grandfather, KD Babukishan also traveled with his parents around India as state singers for Indira Gandhi, with whom Babu's mother was best friends until Indira Gandhi's assassination. Babukishan recalls going to Delhi for Indira Gandhi's state funeral with the Gandhi family. There were millions of people it was an epic historical event the fall out from her death or I should say her murder was catastrophic. This talented family of Bauls were state singers for Rajiv Gandhi until Rajiv's demise.
Often after a day of tourning Babu would sit with Rajiv Gandhi and unwind during their travels through out India. Babukishan has traveled India many times with different people including Sitaram Das Omkarnath, his father, his mentor a Supreme Court judge master Jyotishi who predicted when Babu was 8 years of age that he would meet me a foreigner and we would marry. He also, predicted that Sri Purnab Mukerjee President of India would rule India. Purnab Mukerjee and Babu's family were very close as his mom Manju and Pranab's wife were relatives and best friends, the late Mrs Mukerjee whom Babu called Gita Auntie. I met Mrs Mukerjee at the Mukerjee bhavan in Delhi in 2007 she was very sweet.
Mystical Bards, Guru's, Pandits, Acharya's who are simply called Baul
Baul is a Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya Ancient Mystical Lineage. Bauls are Tantrics, Indian musicians who know the Tantra of Sound, Mystical Bards, Guru's, Pandits, Acharya's who are simply called Baul. Their roots are in Sanatan Dharma not Buddhism or Islam. I repeat again Bauls roots are not in Buddhism.
There are some Bauls who are not from this lineage or a lineage period and it is very interesting how they are changing the face of an ancient living lineage it seems many make it up as they go. Real Bauls are mysterious you will never figure them out all one can do is taste their rasa it is impossible to catch a Baul they are here one minute and gone the next, they do not want to be seen and certainly do not want to collect devotee's but there is something to learn from them if one is patient and as we know there are very few students that are prepared and want to put in the time. It is much easier to pay for a yoga (fitness certification) or now we also, have Kirtan certification.
It is a contradictory paradoxical path of opposites that are meant to confuse as you must be a sincere student it is not meant for the spiritual materialist. One must have one foot in the heavens and one foot firmly on the earth. I have spent 10 years 24/7 trying to put this path into words and have read almost everything ever written about Baul and I will tell you what they write is wrong even what they sing is shortened, and sometimes even they are singing Bollywood songs that people think is Baul? A real Baul is very deep and in some ways not meant for this modern world and of course I do not understand Sanskrit or Bengali, I feel Baul I learn from Babukishan who is so connected to Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.
Sri Chaitanya - Sri Nityanand of Ekkchakra - Bhakti Yoga
Vaishnava Bauls the original indigenous Hare Krishna Hari Ram singers and dancers.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was wise enough to know what the scholar Sri Chaitanya had figured out 500 years before, that Bauls were able to draw people together through their energetic shakti and ecstatic charismatic chanting, singing and dancing. Dry scholarship and talking doesn't awaken people to a new movement. Sri Nityananda of Ekachakra Birbhum was a Vaishnava Baul and an ancestor of this lineage, he was elder to Sri Chaitanya. It was Nityananda who taught his Baul tradition of kirtan, singing and dancing to Sri Chaitanya.
Sri Chaityana started his Hari Krishna movement based on the ecstatic 'Hare Krishna Hare Ram' singing and dancing of the Vaishnava Baul of Birbhum. The Bauls would start with the Hari Krishna chant early in the mornings as a wake up call announcing their presence to the villagers of Bengal, inviting them to listen and learn about spiritual life. Bauls were never beggers they were given Dakshina for their enlightened singing and teachings. They were loved by the villagers, they were the spiritual newspaper before print media and the internet.
Lineage of authentic KIRTAN
Authentic Baul is a rare, ecstatic, supercharged high speed internet super duper highway to ecstatic union, direct blissful Yoga and sweet heart-opening devotional singing and Baul Kirtan is full of ecstatic energy that turns even the hardest of hearts to honey, bringing the rasa of ananda (bliss) alive. There is layer upon layer of the heart Bauls awakens layers that one never thought existed, it is magical. Baul awakens a memory deep within the heart you do not have to understand the words but you must feel the magic, the power of lineage it will take you there is one is a real Baul, if not it is just singing and sometime a high pitched screaming or just nice singing. Baul should transport one to another realm because they draw that power, the deity to earth and make Shiva or Shakti in whatever form they worship alive. Baul is both personal and impersonal a paradox indeed because it seems scholars want to put everything in one box or another when in fact any Sanskrit or Oral Tradition the juice and the between the lines arrives from the Guru without a constant year after year, day after day, close association with the Guru there is no way one can claim to be a Baul. It takes years and more than a one or two day, week, month or year transmission it starts at birth and it used to start in as Oral Sanskrit storytelling. Kirtan is not call response singing it is the telling of the stories and chanting, the chanting call response it a small part not the whole kirtan.
Baul is a secret mystical Tantric esoteric supercharged path.
Baul is a secret esoteric path a Baul will never tell you anything directly you must will learn through the practice of listening deeply. If you are fortunate to be with Baul over a lifetime if one is lucky you may grasp a drop, all the rest is just mere speculation. You will be tested every step of the way on this magical journey, the path is not straight it is crooked to prevent the people who are not prepared. Today everybody wants everything right here and now that is not the path of Baul because it is a super advanced path a way to easily reach God/dess but as we know nothing is really easy. It is not a beginners path, however, one can feel the energy and awaken quickly if the person calling themselves a Baul is actually a Baul.
- The path of Love, Prema
- The path of poetry, deep soul music, trance dance and sadhana
- The path of ecstatic union
- The path of everything as above so below
- The path of humanity
- The mysterious mystical inner path
- The path of GRACE and Divine Love
- The path of the Avadhut
- The Mystic Tantric Path
- The path of higher deep Yoga. The path beyond the Path
- The bliss permeated Path
- The path of Soul mates
- The path of the Divine Feminine
- The path of Shakti Sahana
Baul is the path of everything in the universe as above, so below, the path of poetry, all Bauls produce some kind of poetry, they are poetic storytellers, this is how they distill their teachings in simple poetic songs that hit the heart of everything the universe, there is nothing that is excluded.
Bauls play a one stringed trance inducing instrument called an ‘ektara’ also called the ‘Gopi Chand’ or ‘Gopi Yantra’ which is the Bauls symbol of peace and unity for all. A Baul plays a variety of instruments including a rare one or two stringed instrument called a ‘Gubgubi’ which Nabnai himself named the Ananada Lahari meaning ‘waves of bliss’. Baul is a Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya, they are sadhu's and belong to sadhu sangha which are called Akaras. There used to be 22 such sanghas, now there are only 2, they are almost extinct.
There is a lot of misinformation about the Bauls today, misrepresentations abound among a new generation of Baul singers, scholars, writers, documentary film makers, information found on wikipedia, Gurus from other sects including Osho who wrote many books on the Bauls and was deeply inspired by Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. All of them have completely missed the point of who these sweet devotional people are. They repeat the same thing over and over and it is not accurate. Many fakes are changing this beautiful tradition, they dress the part, singing out of tune trying to copy what can not be copied. Baul is only achieved through sadhana. The fake Bauls say they are sadhakas to attract students, some say they are sexual tantrics as sex always sells. This has gone on for a long time. Unaware foreigners attracted by sexual tantra of the west, and Indians attracted by the dream of sexual freedom, flock to Shantineketan. Yet the real Bauls are now almost extinct, and those that still remain, live marginalized.
Bauls have been described as mad, Sai, Shah, Fakir, Dervish, Aula, Muslim, afflicted by the wind, illiterate, beggars and folk singers, yet they are none of the above. First of all Bauls were never beggars for anything but God/dess. A Baul would received Dakshina from the villagers for their wisdom and teachings. Bauls were farmers. They have survived for thousands and thousands of years, it is amazing that they survived through the British imposed famines in Bengal. which is a story These stories have started to be told regarding the 1940 second world war time of mass starvation's that occurred during the British imposed diversion of food crops to Europe where millions of Bengal's perished.
Sahaja - Sufi - Buddhism - Islam -
their relationship to Baul
Bauls accepted all but that does not mean they became the other, it does NOT mean they became Islamic or Buddhist. I can say this with confidence Bauls are not Islamic or Buddhist they are eclectic however, they are based on Santatn Dharma. Baul is a sect unto its own, they are Sahaja Vaishnava Baul and are some of the first Sufi"s and Baul on the planet.
Sahaja = Sufi Vaishnava Baul (Hindu Tantric Sufi) I am trying to put Baul in a category a box this is what we western's do. Bauls worship the Divine Feminine Shakti.
When I first met Babukishan he would always tell me that he was Sufi Baul or mention the name Sufi, he had some old posters from Sufi Books in New York where he had performed but I knew there was no Islamic Sufi affiliation withe Baul. It was confusing and had taken me a very long time to understand Babukishan was talking about a Sufi way before Islam existed a kind of Sufi that belongs to all the peoples of planet earth a Sufi that has no religious affiliation. Perhaps Sufi is a word like Shamanism and Baul also a term used to describe the earliest teachings of the peoples of planet earth and we can also, call this Sahaja.
It is very difficult to understand and describe Baul, it works directly on the heart of those who listen providing a type of psychic heart surgery lightening the soul.
What is Sahaja?
What Sahaja is not?
Sahaja is similar to Sufi before Islam in meaning, it is an ancient high spiritual reality “Sahaja simply means natural and spontaneous. It not only implies natural spiritual levels, but on the mystic level of the miraculous. It means that easy or natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, striving or intention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.
Thus ‘sahaja’ expresses one who has reverted to his natural state, free from conditioning. It typifies the outlook which belongs to the natural, spontaneous and uninhibited man or women, free from innate or inherited defects.
As such even nakedness of the avadhut is considered to be ‘sahaja’. By his own demeanor a Baul shows man’s instinct for naturalness and primordial perfection not only of the physical and spiritual level but at the mystical level. A parallel is made to plants and trees which do not grow according ‘svadharma’ or rules and obligations incurred at birth.
Nature only has ‘svabhava’ meaning its own inborn self or essence as its guidance. In other words ‘what is to come must come of itself’ to manifest in a state of absolute freedom. Taoism speaks of ‘sahaja’ as a highest virtue – the loss of the peculiar naturalness or unselfconsciousness. I have personal experiences with Taosim and my Master named his place of practice the same word as Sahaja but in Chinese name.
Bauls are considered to be Sahaja which means natural and spontaneous. It implies natural on the spiritual level and on the mystical level of the miraculous. It means that easy natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, or striving for attention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.
Sahaja is NOT, licentious, loose, lustful, lewd, salacious behavior as described by the orthodox Vaishnava coming out of Bengal and in Vrindavan. Sahaja is a Sanskrit word and those translations are completely wrong. To be sahaja is to hear, see, smell beauty in all things naturally, spontaneously. Sahaja is to be love (prema) unconditionally from the soul spontaneously and naturally it is not acting and faking devotion. Sahaja is a inner feminine way of being the "path of Radha" the inner soul. Sahaja is an elevated higher sattvic way of being. It is to move ones focus inward and not get stuck in rhetoric and the mind or of knowledge an opinions of others, especially the othodox who need you to pay for their temples and way of life. Sahaja. It is about having knowledge but not getting caught and hung up on knowledge, more specifically Sahaja is distilled knowledge which has become blissful wisdom.
One finds this state in an innocent child which is always in its ‘sahaja’ state unless interfered to by society. In his semi-naked state an sahaja avadut is just as unconscious of others nakedness as he was of his own.
“The person who has conquered the baser self and has reached to the level of self mastery: he is at peace, whether it be in cold or hot, pleasure or pain, honoured or dishonoured” – Bhagavad Gita. “ This is Sahaja the Bhagavad Gita and Vaishnavism is Sahaja in its pure unorthodox sitting on a throne form. It should be noted pure Gaudiya Vaishnavism always honored this family of Bauls.
There are perhaps hundreds if not thousands of pictures of this family preforming for them raising huge amounts of money for them. There has never been any debate about them not being ancestors of Sri Nityananda of Ekchakra? Their story has never been told and now with the internet many are making up stories. I hope this is sufficient and people start to understand what Sahaja is. Hey no worries Baul is seriously extinct what you see today is something similar to Yoga as modern postural yoga of the west, although much messier with bits and pieces of the puzzle but no authentic Baul left. Bauls were always very clean and sattvic there long hair clean well kept worn on top of their heads. Baul is a shadow of the past like most indigenous peoples of planet earth. Yes, the are indigenous peoples of Birbhum Rarh an ancient land they did not come from somewhere else or even Calcutta.
It is important to understand that Baul arrived before both Buddhism and Islam. Bauls are considered to be original Sufi before Muslim existed and Sufi in this context is Hindu or more appropriately called Sanatan Dharmic Sufi. Some say they are the very earliest Indian Sufi's but I do not like to use the word Sufi because there is so much debate about where Sufi is from and the Bauls of Bengal are not Islamic they sing some Islamic Sufi songs because they love all but that does not make them Islamic or Muslim. However, I must make it perfectly clear Sufi pre-dates Islam and Sufi in the context of Baul is not Islamic it is Sahaja (Sahajaya) Baul Sahaja is Universal Sufi.
The original Das and Dasi Kirtan singers from Rarh, the red soil called Birbhum
The Bauls were not British educated English speaking Christian Bengali's who learned Sanskrit after the fact. Vaishnava Bauls learned Sanskrit in the oral tradition by hearing and remembering from birth, which creates a person with a photo graphic memory. Bauls are the original Das and Dasi singers and dancers of Bengal, the original kirtanists from the red soil called Rarh. Many of their Kirtan's have been taken by the Orthodox New fundamentalist Vaishnava and claimed as their own? They use a degrading language to describe the Bauls and many other sects to raise themselves up higher than any other religion in the world this surely anyone can understand is most certainly not othodox is shows a lack of confidence and heart towards others. Yet they have no clue where their information and kirtan came from or the true stories.
KD Babukishan a Master of Indian Music
Babukishan is a master of India music classical, folk bhajan, kirtan, all music and his job for years was working for the biggest music companies in India categorizing all of the music of India, his description of kirtan is completely different from what is going on in the west. The west is chanting, kirtan is the telling of the stories of Krishna, Ram Shiva and Kali telling their stories in reverence and chanting. Kirtan is worship with reverence it is unheard of in his tradition for people to fall asleep on the floor.
It should be noted that Babukishan has recorded and produced the first recorded Hanuman Chalisa in India that is one of the most successful recordings of the Hanuman Chalisa played in all the temples in India the singer the late Hari Om Sharam. Babukishan has also, produced and recorded music by some of the Islamic Sufi greats including, Abida Parveen, Munni Begam, Allan Fakir, Nusrat Fateh Ali, Karim Khan, Majid Shola, and many more so he understands what is Muslim Sufi and what is Baul Sufi from experience not from books. He has recorded more Lalon Fakir songs than anybody and loves his poetry but still does not consider him to be a Baul. Babukishan has also, produced and recorded the biggest kirtan, bhajan singers in India including ... all those names I can not spell or say I will list them shortly.
Bauls were the biggest peacekeepers accepting all people. It should be understood that Baul is the path of the Avadhut always exploring and learning. They have many teachers but only one Guru. Understanding the history of Bengal is very important to understanding Baul. When Bengal was in strife under Islamic invasion they accepted Sufi into their fold. When Buddhists flowed into Bengal and were challenged by Brahamins, Bauls were the only people who gave them refuge and accepted them saving many from persecution. Baul is a sect onto its own based on Sanatan Dharma with a sprinkle of what are called Sufi and Buddhist practices. Please understand that it is also, said Sufi is based on Sanatan Dharma and was in India way before the Muslim's existed. Bauls have always been natural Indian Tantric Sufi's. A Baul will also say Buddha actually followed Shiva thus Shiva predating Buddha. Many of Baul practices are some of the earliest known before Buddha and before Sufi was ever attached to Islam in modern thought and modern times.
Birbhum W Bengal is the birth place of The Bauls of Bengal.
Stories abound about Bauls being from Persia, Uzbeckistan or Bangladesh, but many of these speculations are coming out of Bangladesh which is a Muslim country. They have somehow appropriated Baul culture and use this as a way to raise huge amount of money, apparently in order to preserve Baul Tradition as their ‘National heritage’. Baul tradition was born thousands of years ago and is indigenous to and originates from Birbhum Bengal. There were no Bauls in Bangledesh, even when Bangaldesh was Bengal they were not from the place now called Bangladesh. Baul has always been based on Sanatan Dharma, the eternal dharma of India as found in the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Puranic and Vedic wisdom. There were no Bauls in Bangladesh prior to the 1970's because Babu's mother Manju was a well know family in that area before it became Bangladesh.
Vaishnava Baul is the lineage of Krishna & Kali Kirtan. The Vaishnava Bauls are the original Kirtanists from the land of Rarh (red soil) which is Birbhum.
Kenduli Birbhum Bengal is the home of the Joy DEV Baul Mela. JOY Dev wrote the Gita Govinda about the love between Radha and Krishna.
This story comes from the oral tradition of the oldest living Baul lineage as told by Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, a ‘Lineage Baul Guru’ and the only Baul Guru Scholar from inside the tradition of the Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum Bengal. Babukishan has lectured all over the world for decades at the University level and has done Baul preformances on some of the biggest stages in the world since the 1970's.
Baul is not only an ocean of devotion but is also, an ocean of Indian Philosophy, Yoga, Tantra, Vedic, Puranic, and Upanishad wisdom. The title 'Baul' implies one is a Guru, Pandit, Acharya, an authority, they were the Shastra before books, they are oral storytellers, spiritual Bards, Bhakti Yogi's, Masters of Nada Yoga, and Vayu Dharma. However, being an oral tradition did not mean they didn't read Bengali and Sanskrit manuscripts and Shastra.
KD Babukishan was born in 1962 in Suri Bhirbhum W Bengal into the lap of Nabani Das Khappa Baul and his wife Brajabala Dasi. KD Babukishan is the birth son of Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi, however and for whatever reason he was left right after his birth to be raised by Sri Nabani, his Sat Guru and grandfather. Nabani and Brajabala raised their little grandson who was born premature with crooked limbs, it was thought he would die the next day. They named him Krishnendu (Krishna in Bengali). The name Babukishan was given to him by Mahesh Bhatt a Hindi film Director and Suraj Sanim one of the biggest Hindi film writers.
Tarapith - Authentic Tantric Sadhana Tara/Kali Maa
Nabani was an adept sadhak at Tarapith who had traveled as a sadhu tantric all over India living in the Himalaya's into Tibet he has lived in caves and was a great Yogi Tantric. Nabani took his sick tiny premature grandson (Krishnendu aka Babukishan) with crooked limbs to Tara Maa right after he was born praying and begging for his life. Ayurvedic medicine, prayers and mantra were used to heal baby Krishnendu. His limbs were straightened through daily Ayurvedic massage given by Nabani and Brajabala Dasi. It should be noted that Nabani was a healer and he had healed thousands of people every where he went, taking their karma and transmuting it. He was an adept at traditional Ayurvedic healing and herbology he was a Baul loaded with siddhi that he never used for his own good. He only helped others, he was the fire and Brajabala Dasi his wife commented that he should stop giving his flame but only let others enjoy the flames but he was a giver and give he did manifesting food for many in other villages while his own family at times struggled. He was extraordinary not your ordinary person or Baul for that matter.
Nabani knew the Tantra of alchemy and traditional herbs, as a close friend of the famed Ayurvedic doctor and healer Dr. Kali Goti who also helped with healing Babu. Nabani was an adept at manifesting siddhi's, he knew all the Guru's, Saints, Siddhas, Yogis, Naths, Swamis, Sadhus, Sadhakas of the time and had them all give dharshan and blessings to his little baby Krishnendu. Babu went everywhere with Nabani and was a regular at Tarapith learning tantric and Baul sadhana. hanging out with the Gurus and Tantrics one could say he owes his life to Tara Maa and Kali Maa. The village Rakha Kali Maa temple where he played, was right beside the Ratha Yatra Cart with Radha and Krishna. The village favoured many gods. Babu saw and experienced a world that does not exist today, those times are gone. I specualate that perhaps this was Babu's karma and a continuation of his past life.
Nabani Das Khyappa Bauls Samadhi 1969
Nabani's samadhi was in 1969, when KD Babukishan was only 8 years old. He thought Nabani was his father, until he learned his real father was Nabani's eldest son Purna Das Baul who had since had two other sons that were raised outside the Baul tradition, in contemporary Calcutta. Most people on a path would agree that our family is not who we are. Guru is our real family if we are lucky to have one, Babu was lucky to have Nabani who left him his spark. Losing Nabani was to be the greatest loss of little KD Babukishan's life and the greatest loss to the whole Baul community. Nabani was not an ordinary Baul he was an extraordinary genius. Babukishan was by his side when he went into samadhi.
On his grandfather’s passing, KD Babukishan recalls, "suddenly my grandpa reached out and gave me his hand at the same time a huge load thunder cracked and filled the air with energy, my grandpa whom I called ' Boro Baba' whole body turned an electric blue whitish the electric current shocked me and ran through my body at the same time automatically the tulsi plant with a small Bhagavad Gita in it fell over and hit Boro Baba directly on his head and he was gone. He held my hand so tight I felt an electric current run through my body my third eye opened, I saw the universe my Boro Baba had given me what is called a Bramhma darshan. I felt a huge force of power and light in my body, I couldn't break free of Boro Baba's grip I was only 8 years old my life had been full of one initiation after the other and this was the biggest gift ever given to me."
The Baul kirtan for Nabani went on for weeks, they chanted HARI KRISHNA HARI RAM for 8 days in a continuous flow, and then 6 more weeks changing kirtan groups and taking short breaks for some food and rest. Kirtan usually goes on for day continuously my Boro Baba would be furious if anybody broke the kirtan, it is meant to flow and done with such worship that one would never dream of falling asleep on the floor. Hundreds of thousands of people came to pay their respects. Nabani was a famous father figure, Baul Guru of Birbhum, a state artist and the whole state of Birbhum was closed. He was burried in traditional Baul way, sitting in a padmasana. Vaishnava Bauls are not burned it is traditional for Vaishnava's to bury.
Some time after Babu's grandfather’s death, his Grandmother Brajabala sent him to live in Calcutta with Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi, his birth parents, as she felt he’d be better off there and that he needed to be educated. KD Babukishan's went from the highest energy and biggest love bliss to a material life in Calcutta and a family where he didn't fit in. He recalls how his mother Manju used to bribe him with cookies to call her Maa. Brajabala Dasi is should be noted was a great Guru and a life long Guru and Mother love to Babukishan.
Those days were hard for a little boy, suddenly surrounded by strangers, in the strange city, and before long, they packed him off to Ramakrishna Mission, where he remained for the following twelve years. Living there was tough, but the Swami’s there respected the Bauls, and often told him the story how Ramakrishna loved the Bauls, and said many times how he wanted to be born a Baul in his next life.
A New life in Calcutta - Ramakrishna Mission
First trip oversee's London 1971
The family in Calcutta sometimes let him stay with them and even travel with them, touring with his father. When he was nine, they went to London and Europe on his first of many overseas trips. They went to perform at the fundraiser for Bangladesh in 1971, 1972, and 1978. There was a big group of Indian musicians who played at Hyde Park at the concert sponsored by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. That is where he first met and became lifelong friends with George Harrison and the Rolling Stones. Later in 1986, George Harrison along with Ravi Shankar helped him publish his 3rd book on Bauls, now out of print. During that trip they traveled to Mick Jaggers place in Nice, France and where his father recorded with them for the album Jai Bangla. Mick Jagger was their limousine driver, and drove them from the airport to his place. In 2004 Babukishan returned the favor picking up Mick Jagger from the airport when The Rolling Stones performed in Mumbai. In 1986 Babukishan performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the South Hall he played there 3 times.
Just as he was in the process of becoming a sanaysin, his father pulled him out of Ramakrishna Mission to work as his tour manager and it should be noted that Babukishan composed most of his fathers music under his birth name Krishnendu Das he was also, the youngest music composer in India at the time and was given awards for being the youngest and has a 40 years of award winning music composer. There were many good times and many difficult times with his Calcutta family and he left them for Mumbai after somethings that Babu didn't agree with but always supported them.
How to pronounce Baul
The easiest way to pronounce Baul is (Bha–oowl). Bauls are known as 'wind catchers' , the Masters of Pranayama which they call Vayu Dharma. Baul comes from the words Vayu (air) and Tula (to raise the vital air). Ba stands for Va in Bengali language. Bauls practice various yogic tantric techniques and their singing and mantric chanting. The aim of the Baul is God Realization & Self Realization in the human body, humanity is first and foremost to the Bauls – to be a good human, to realize God within this body temple.
Bauls practice techniques similar to Daoist Qigong. They are Masters of energy work and mysticism. They are visionary and communicate inward, it is a inner path. Inner ritual, Radha and Krishna reside in the alter of the heart this is where the Rasa Lila takes place. As an example of outer it would be the temple and book business and even sometimes even murti's. Remember a Baul does not reject therefore, they also worship murti's but they do not give much importance to outer it is accepted not rejected. I have been to every type of temple, church and even mosques around the world with Babukishan that is what we do. However it is not Babu's dream to be in the temple business, it is his dream to have an ashram to preserve and educate about Baul and folk music, Indian music. His dream is music, Indian music is born in him, his education is music, his career is music, you can take the Baul out of India but you can not take the MUSIC out of the Baul.
Pioneering only Legendary BAULS
Purna Das Baul is the first famous Indian Vocalist to come to America. First arriving in 1967 on a tour from San Francisco to New York staying in Woodstock NY at Bob Dylan's home as guests of Sally and Albert B Grossman (Bob Dylans manager). The recorded music from that time is called 'Bauls at Big Pink'. Purna Das Baul and his brother the late Laxshman Das Baul who was a much loved Baul a Bob Marley of the Bauls appeared on the cover of Bob Dylan's Legendary album John Westly Harding, Bob Dylan was a super fan of Lakshman Das Baul. Sally Grossman has remained a loyal a very dear friend of the Bauls and Laxshman Das Baul since 1967. At 81 years of age Lashman Das Baul passed away in April 2015 ending a legendary period of Baul history.
Please note it was the early 1950's when Purna Das Baul first traveled outside of India, he went to Russia. This family started the tradition of Bauls traveling outside of India it is not their traditional custom.
The Bauls at Big Pink produced by Al Aronowitz the father of Rock Journalism and another beloved friend of Babu's who passed in 2004, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson of the Band 1967 / The photo of Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was taken by Rabindranath Tagore. The Bauls on this album are Purna Das Baul and Lakshman Das Baul
Baul Samarat (King of the Bauls) Purna Das Baul at 82 years old has recieved the highest awards as a vocalist in India including many President Awards, Padma Shri and a rare award from the JAGANATHA TEMPLE called 'Nada Brahma Award' which only 3 have received including the much celebrated Ravindra Jain and Lata Mangeshakar. This family of Vaishnava Bauls are celebrated at the Jaganatha Temple in Orissa they know they are ancestors of Nityananda, Jai Nitai.
Allen Ginsberg's 'Guru' was Nabani Das Baul, Ginsberg first met Nabani in the early 1960's while traveling in Bengal. Nabani Das Baul is the only Baul Guru that Allen Ginsberg had, I keep reading how Ginsberg was associated with Lalon Fakir which is a complete fabrication his Baul Guru was Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. Ginsberg became a very dear friend of KD Babukishan he knows all the stories about Ginsberg and any association and inner feelings of his relationship between Ginsberg and Nabani Das Baul. Babu visited Ginsberg every year in New York from the 1980's until Ginsberg passed they were great friends perhaps meeting 100's of times, they are both poets and have a love for Nabani Das Baul. Ginsberg is the one who insisted to Sally and Albert B Grossman (Bob Dylan's manager) to bring Nabani to America, however, in 1967 Nabani's health was failing and he sent his two son's Lakshman Das Baul and Purna Das Baul.
Nabani had also spent a lifetime of traveling throughout India, meditating in the Himalaya's and Tibet and associated with many Guru Bai's and high level adepts many miraculous stories to be told. In 1962 when Babukishan was left with Nabani and Brajabala he stopped traveling. He was addicted to his grandson and considered him to be his Bala Krishna, he also called Babu, Prem and kept him with him all the time.
Kshiti Mohan Sen was a well-known scholar of ancient and medieval India and close associate of Rabindranath Tagore served as the Vice Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University in Santineketan for years. Kshiti Mohan Shastri described Nabani Das Baul "the last real true Baul" he wrote a book on Baul and regarded Nabani as the greatest ocean of intelligence he was as a huge admirer of Nabani. Kriti Mohan Sastri is the Grandfather of Armarta Sen a Professor, Economist and Philosopher living in New York.
This lineage are the only Bauls who have associated with The President of India Pranab Mukerjee, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and The Rolling Stone, Indira Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Tara Shankar Bandhypadhya, Kavi Nazrul, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Pankoj Mollick, R. C. Boral, S D Burman, RD Burman, Bimol Roy, Sakti Pado RajGuru, Uday Shankar, Nitish Mukherjee, Nitin Bose, Shantidev Ghosh, Ajit Ganguly, Deben Bhattacharya, Pahari Sanyal, Timir Baran, Allauddin Khan, Dr. Amartya Sen's Grandfather Kshiti Mohan Sen, Ram Kinkar Baij, Sita Ram Omkarnath, Ravi Shakar, Sonja Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta, Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster, Diretor General of India Radio. Dr Bhupeen Hazarika, Mithun Charabhorty, Bapi Lahari, MF Huissen, Chuni Goswami, Shyam Benegal, Amitabha Bachchana, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Zakir Hussain, Ratan Tata and many, many more.
KD Babau Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul
KD Babukishan walks between worlds in a true tantric form with one foot in the spiritual world and one foot firmly on earth, in the world but not of the world. He is a highly awarded Bollywood Indian Cinema Music Composer, Indian Music Producer, a Master of Indian Music, Classical, Folk, Bhajan, and Kirtan composing scores for 150 films, Film Designer, Film Maker, he has recorded and worked with the who is who of Indian music and Western music.
KD Babukisha was raised a Baul and spent 12 years as a Ramakrishna monk in Calcutta, BA in Indian Philosophy, MA of Indian Music from Calcutta University, Poet, the first Baul to be educated in the oral tradition and outside. A Sanskrit Scholar from the Oral Tradition, Sanskrit Education at the Masters level and because of his love of Sanskrit he spent countless years learning from Dr. Roma Chowdhri who was like a mother to Babu she was a legendary world renowned Bengali Sanskrit scholar who dedicated her whole life to Sanskrit.
Babu's life changed dramatically when he was in the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia where he witnessed, tens of thousands of souls leaving Bhumi Maa all at once, one of Maa's biggest smashen grounds. He has lived through the 1971 war between Bengal and Bangladesh, he has lived through many many terrorist attacks in Mumbai and lived many lifetimes in this one lifetime. Babu's main cause has always been to preserve his Baul tradition and it has been proven a difficult task it seems that over many decades his dream, all of his time and energy have been thwarted by his Calcutta family and many other road blocks, but he never gives up.
"The way my braid is, that’s how it will stay.
I’ll get into the water, I’ll splash water around, but I won’t get my hair wet.
I’ll swim about this way, and that way.
I’ll dive into the water, and won’t listen to what people say.
I’ll enjoy myself but not suffer because of it.
Gosain Rasaraj says: “Listen, my friend , that beauty leaves me speechless".
I won’t be chaste; I won’t be unchaste.
I won’t leave my Lord".
Famous Baul song (poetry) by Rasaraj Gosai (Nabani Das Baul's elder brother)
Not getting ones hair wet means to remain unattached do it, do everything but do not remain attached to the event or outcome give your attachments to Krishna.
Bauls songs are metaphorically coded. It is really hard to translate Bengali or Sanskrit into a one worded English translation and sometimes even impossible, there is assumed one knows all of Yoga and Tantra because each song is many discourses all in a simple song and sometimes you do not need to understand, you can listen and just get in it on a very deep level, the songs awaken a person to understanding. It is very subtle but a memory deep within your heart will understand.
The Joy Dev Baul Mela is held here the Vaishnava Bauls attend ever year to do puja to the great poet (kavi) Joy Dev. The bridge going across the Ajoy river is named Nabani Setu after Nabani Das Baul. The mela is completely different today, the Bauls have been marginalized and pushed out by the new kirtan singers. The Bauls honour Joy Deva and the love he had for his soul mate Padmavati because Bauls believe in Soul Mates as Radha and Krishna live and dance in their hearts, this is the real Rasa Lila dance.
Copyright all rights reserved 2017 - 2030
by Trishula Das
PLEASE do not copy and paste, then cut the names off. This is Cultural Appropriation of Baul.
There has been too much Cultural Appropriation of the Baul lineage, taking what is written, rewording and claiming as your own? The theft of Nabani Das Baul and this lineages songs, the theft of their stories. The making up of fake lineages that never existed. A few years back nobody had a lineage now all these lineages are coming out of no-where.
Copyright all rights reserved 2017
If not for Baul Saint Nabani Das Kyappa Baul, Purna Das Baul and Maju Dasi, Lakshman Das Baul and Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul there would be no one in this world who would know anything about Baul.
Babukishan should be given an oscar or an equivalent reward because if not for him no one would know anything about Baul. He created most of the relationships and maintained them for his Baul family, he has never asked for acknowledgement but I am saying after hearing what he has done for Baul. He is the first Baul author writing 3 books on Baul in the 1980's, the last one in 1986 was published with the help of George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. George Harrison was Babu's person friend. Ravi Shakar was a family friend he has known since childhood, Babu was best friends with Ravi Shakar's only son.
This lineage are the pioneers who brought Baul to the world. Today some 50 or 60 years later some Bauls are trying to do what they have done and that is a good thing they have been inspired by this lineage the oldest living lineage of Baul, however, the copying and deleting of this lineages names and then just listing them just as the Bauls of Bengal who were associated with Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and more.
I have seen article after article on the net saying Bauls even received a Padma Shri Award, no Bauls did not a Baul did and his name is Sri Purna Das Baul, please use the names of the Baul and when saying Bauls were associated with Tagore, it was only Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.
Bauls were not associated with any of the below, it was only this family of Bauls the oldest living lineage and the Bauls who brought Baul to the world.
Please do not use what they have done and then generically say Bauls did.
If you were the Prime Minister of India would all chai walla's take credit and say Chai Walla's are Prime Minister of India?
This lineage and family are the only Bauls who have associated with, when you read Bauls associated with Bauls did not only Babukishan and family did. Bauls in general as posted on the internet did not. I t should read Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das or Purna Das Baul or Nabani Das Baul associated with:
Allen Ginsberg,
Bob Dylan,
George Harrison
The Rolling Stones,
Indira Gandhi,
Rabindranath Tagore,
Jawaharlal Nehru,
Tara Shankar Bandhypadhya,
Kavi Nazrul, Bidhan Chandra Roy,
Pankoj Mollick,
R. C. Boral,
S D Burman,
RD Burman,
Bimol Roy,
Sakti Pado RajGuru,
Uday Shankar,
Nitish Mukherjee,
Nitin Bose,
Shantidev Ghosh,
Ajit Ganguly,
Deben Bhattacharya,
Pahari Sanyal,
Timir Baran,
Allauddin Khan,
Dr. Amartya Sen's Grandfather Kshiti Mohan Sen,
Ram Kinkar Baij,
Sita Ram Omkarnath,
Ravi Shakar,
The President of India Pranab Mukerjee,
Sonja Gandhi,
Rajiv Gandhi,
Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy,
Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi,
Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta,
Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster, Diretor General of India Radio.
Dr Bhupeen Hazarika,
Mithun Charabhorty,
Bapi Lahari,
MF Huissen,
Chuni Goswami,
Shyam Benegal,
Amitabha Bachchana,
Satyajit Ray,
Mrinal Sen,
Zakir Hussain,
Ratan Tata and many, many more.
Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul is the only BAUL who has worked in Indian Cinema and Bollywood for 30 years in a big big way. He has, recorded composed and produced most of his father's music without taking credit or any payment, he did everything for his Calcutta family for free and gave them everything and in return they delivered negative prayers. A negative prayer is the opposite of being a well wisher.
All will be told in our upcoming book which is almost, ready for printing. There will be two books "The Rasa Lila Mystics" on this lineage and another book about Babukishan's life Baul to Bollywood to Canada and it will be unplugged.
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"Radharani Dasi" Babukishan's Aunty" was a Vaishnava Baul from the Oral Tradition of Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum West Bengal. Radharani Dasi when she was alive was married to the Gopal Das Baul the Pujari's son from the Sri Nityananda Temple in Ekkchakra Birbhum Bengal.
She spoke Sanskrit and Bengali and sang Baul songs in Bengali as did all Vaishnava Bauls from Bengal as their lineage dates back thousands of years. Bauls never built temples nor did they print books. Now almost extinct as are the traditions of most indigenous peoples of planet earth they were the original Hari Krishna singers and dancers, lineage of very sweet Kirtan, storytelling and Sadhana from Bengal.
Radharani Dasi was the first Baul women to be recorded. Radhanarani Dasi was pure Vaishnava very sweet and shy she knew all the stories of Vaishavaism and Yoga Sadhana by memory. I cringe when I hear some of the modern Vaishnava's call the Bauls names it is a huge disgrace in the name of Vaishnavism, to treat the Vaishnava Bauls with disrespect, they are the roots of Vaishnavism in Bengal and without the roots the tree dies and that is exactly what is happening.
(Radhanrani Dasi) is Babukishan's aunt her mother was Brajabala Dasi and father Nabani Das Khyeppa Baul. Nabani is one of the last true real Bauls alive and he enter Samadhi in 1969 his children also carry the flame and Babukishan carries most of this lineage because it was passed onto him through Nabani Das Khappa Baul his grandfather and Guru when he went into samadhi Nabani's flame and lineage came to Babukishan he was with Nabani when he went into Samadhi he was his disciple and the eldest Grandchild and Nabani was addicted to his little Krishnendu Das aka Babukishan.
"Radharani Dasi (Gosai) Radharani's father Nabani Das took the Gosai (Goswami) part off of their name because he felt it was being misused by some Gosai, he felt people should touch their own feet, not be touching the feet of others who sit high above others on plush chairs) he would probably cringe at the modern state of Baul also. Sri Nityananda was also a Gosai (Goswami) and this line more recently comes out of Virbhadara Chandra Gosai (Goswami) or Nitai's Son. They were all Sanskrit pandits, Poets and Indian Philosophers, musicians, and most importantly Sadhaka's.
The untold stories have remained quietly in this lineage hidden from the world because of the Muslim invaders they did not trust everybody especially the British and even British educated Bengali's some of the more othodox reformers and destorters of Vaishnavism in Bengal who wanted to change the natural and easy going Sahaja Vaishnavism into a Christian model. Bauls could see the sign's and dangers of their indigenous ways being destroyed first by Muslim rule and then by British Rule.
The naturalness of the Bauls was also subject to ridicule by orthodox Vaishnava reformers who took it upon themselves to create a style of monothieistic Vaishnavism closer to Christianity. These reformers were British speaking Bengali's who never knew the roots, they never met the original Bauls. It was almost impossible to even see the authentic and original Bauls as many people were wandering the land and all were lumped together, this confused the reformers as they themselves were not born oral Sanskrit speakers. It is sad and the language the new Age reformers used towards the Bauls is even sadder. Unfortunately most of what is written on Wikipedia and throughout the new age Vaishnavism which has only been around since 1965 is completely wrong."
She spoke Sanskrit and Bengali and sang Baul songs in Bengali as did all Vaishnava Bauls from Bengal as their lineage dates back thousands of years. Bauls never built temples nor did they print books. Now almost extinct as are the traditions of most indigenous peoples of planet earth they were the original Hari Krishna singers and dancers, lineage of very sweet Kirtan, storytelling and Sadhana from Bengal.
Radharani Dasi was the first Baul women to be recorded. Radhanarani Dasi was pure Vaishnava very sweet and shy she knew all the stories of Vaishavaism and Yoga Sadhana by memory. I cringe when I hear some of the modern Vaishnava's call the Bauls names it is a huge disgrace in the name of Vaishnavism, to treat the Vaishnava Bauls with disrespect, they are the roots of Vaishnavism in Bengal and without the roots the tree dies and that is exactly what is happening.
(Radhanrani Dasi) is Babukishan's aunt her mother was Brajabala Dasi and father Nabani Das Khyeppa Baul. Nabani is one of the last true real Bauls alive and he enter Samadhi in 1969 his children also carry the flame and Babukishan carries most of this lineage because it was passed onto him through Nabani Das Khappa Baul his grandfather and Guru when he went into samadhi Nabani's flame and lineage came to Babukishan he was with Nabani when he went into Samadhi he was his disciple and the eldest Grandchild and Nabani was addicted to his little Krishnendu Das aka Babukishan.
"Radharani Dasi (Gosai) Radharani's father Nabani Das took the Gosai (Goswami) part off of their name because he felt it was being misused by some Gosai, he felt people should touch their own feet, not be touching the feet of others who sit high above others on plush chairs) he would probably cringe at the modern state of Baul also. Sri Nityananda was also a Gosai (Goswami) and this line more recently comes out of Virbhadara Chandra Gosai (Goswami) or Nitai's Son. They were all Sanskrit pandits, Poets and Indian Philosophers, musicians, and most importantly Sadhaka's.
The untold stories have remained quietly in this lineage hidden from the world because of the Muslim invaders they did not trust everybody especially the British and even British educated Bengali's some of the more othodox reformers and destorters of Vaishnavism in Bengal who wanted to change the natural and easy going Sahaja Vaishnavism into a Christian model. Bauls could see the sign's and dangers of their indigenous ways being destroyed first by Muslim rule and then by British Rule.
The naturalness of the Bauls was also subject to ridicule by orthodox Vaishnava reformers who took it upon themselves to create a style of monothieistic Vaishnavism closer to Christianity. These reformers were British speaking Bengali's who never knew the roots, they never met the original Bauls. It was almost impossible to even see the authentic and original Bauls as many people were wandering the land and all were lumped together, this confused the reformers as they themselves were not born oral Sanskrit speakers. It is sad and the language the new Age reformers used towards the Bauls is even sadder. Unfortunately most of what is written on Wikipedia and throughout the new age Vaishnavism which has only been around since 1965 is completely wrong."
Radharani Dasi's parents Mother.. Brajabala Dasi and Father Brajabala Dasi...
Photo's or Nabani Das, Richard Lannoy 1954 Suri Birbhum W Bengal
The Rasa Lila Mystics
The Bauls of Birbhum Bengal
The Lineage Bauls are the "RASA LILA MYSTICS" the oldest living lineage of Baul, an ancient oral living lineage of Vaishnava Bauls that are thousands of years old. Bauls have a deep respect for the feminine, thus you often hear them say Jai Maa, embracing the feminine worshiping the feminine. There is no Krishna without Radha actually Radha takes a superior position to the Bauls, and both can live in harmony with Kali Ma and Shiva. Deities are all Divine and respected equally. All religions, sects ect are respected. They respect all life, have reverence for all living beings, big, small, weak, strong, no caste, no color, compassion and understanding.
Bauls have always been peace keepers and free thinkers, free birds, they do not follow blindly. They are natural, they follow the natural Sahajaya path of Bhakti Yoga of divine ecstatic devotion. That does not mean anything goes, it means they are free from the beginners path of rules and regulations of regular people, learning the scripture for the first time. They are spontaneous in their practices, spontaneous in their Love. Their practices or sadhana's have been with them for a very long time. Sahajaya has nothing to do with sex as many immature in Sanskrit interpretation.
There are many misconceptions about what the term Sahajiya, it means spontaneous, natural, related to nature and the language of nature, the stars, planets, seeing beauty in our natural world, seeing clearly, liberation from maya, being a realist and seeing beyond ordinary reality, shamanic in on sense, elevating all worldly things to a divine nature, the path of natural joy, not of the male mind, you can say they are more subjective, musical, and creative.
"It is an inner thing, Sahaja does not mean licentious behaviour, loose, lustful, lewd, salacious behaviour as described by some groups to cause harm to others.. To be sahaja is to hear, see, smell beauty in all things. To be a sahaja is to love (prema) unconditionally from the soul spontaneously and naturally. It is a feminine way of being the path of Radha the inner soul, it is an elevated way of being. It is to move on focus inward and not get stuck in rhetoric and the mind or on knowledge. It is about having knowledge but not getting caught and hung up on knowledge.
Sahaja simply means natural and spontaneous. It not only implies natural spiritual levels, but on the mystic level of the miraculous. It means that easy or natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, striving or intention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.
Thus ‘sahaja’ expresses one who has reverted to his natural state, free from conditioning. It typifies the outlook which belongs to the natural, spontaneous and uninhibited man, free from innate or inherited defects. As such even nakedness of the sadhus is considered to be ‘sahaja’. By his own demeanor Datta shows man’s instinct for naturalness and primordial perfection not only of the physical and spiritual level but at the mystical level. A parallel is made to plants and trees which do not grow according ‘svadharma’ or rules and obligations incurred at birth. Nature only has ‘svabhava’ meaning its own inborn self or essence as its guidance. In other words ‘what is to come must come of itself’ to manifest in a state of absolute freedom. Taoism speaks of ‘sahaja’ as a highest virtue – the loss of the peculiar naturalness or unselfconsciousness. One finds this state in an innocent child which is always in its ‘sahaja’ state unless interfered to by society. In his semi-naked state Datta was just as unconscious of others nakedness as he was of his own. “The person who has conquered the baser self and has reached to the level of self mastery: he is at peace, whether it be in cold or hot, pleasure or pain, honoured or dishonoured" – Bhagavad Gita. " definition and comparison given by Yogi Ananda Sarawathi
The Bauls of Birbhum Bengal
The Lineage Bauls are the "RASA LILA MYSTICS" the oldest living lineage of Baul, an ancient oral living lineage of Vaishnava Bauls that are thousands of years old. Bauls have a deep respect for the feminine, thus you often hear them say Jai Maa, embracing the feminine worshiping the feminine. There is no Krishna without Radha actually Radha takes a superior position to the Bauls, and both can live in harmony with Kali Ma and Shiva. Deities are all Divine and respected equally. All religions, sects ect are respected. They respect all life, have reverence for all living beings, big, small, weak, strong, no caste, no color, compassion and understanding.
Bauls have always been peace keepers and free thinkers, free birds, they do not follow blindly. They are natural, they follow the natural Sahajaya path of Bhakti Yoga of divine ecstatic devotion. That does not mean anything goes, it means they are free from the beginners path of rules and regulations of regular people, learning the scripture for the first time. They are spontaneous in their practices, spontaneous in their Love. Their practices or sadhana's have been with them for a very long time. Sahajaya has nothing to do with sex as many immature in Sanskrit interpretation.
There are many misconceptions about what the term Sahajiya, it means spontaneous, natural, related to nature and the language of nature, the stars, planets, seeing beauty in our natural world, seeing clearly, liberation from maya, being a realist and seeing beyond ordinary reality, shamanic in on sense, elevating all worldly things to a divine nature, the path of natural joy, not of the male mind, you can say they are more subjective, musical, and creative.
"It is an inner thing, Sahaja does not mean licentious behaviour, loose, lustful, lewd, salacious behaviour as described by some groups to cause harm to others.. To be sahaja is to hear, see, smell beauty in all things. To be a sahaja is to love (prema) unconditionally from the soul spontaneously and naturally. It is a feminine way of being the path of Radha the inner soul, it is an elevated way of being. It is to move on focus inward and not get stuck in rhetoric and the mind or on knowledge. It is about having knowledge but not getting caught and hung up on knowledge.
Sahaja simply means natural and spontaneous. It not only implies natural spiritual levels, but on the mystic level of the miraculous. It means that easy or natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, striving or intention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.
Thus ‘sahaja’ expresses one who has reverted to his natural state, free from conditioning. It typifies the outlook which belongs to the natural, spontaneous and uninhibited man, free from innate or inherited defects. As such even nakedness of the sadhus is considered to be ‘sahaja’. By his own demeanor Datta shows man’s instinct for naturalness and primordial perfection not only of the physical and spiritual level but at the mystical level. A parallel is made to plants and trees which do not grow according ‘svadharma’ or rules and obligations incurred at birth. Nature only has ‘svabhava’ meaning its own inborn self or essence as its guidance. In other words ‘what is to come must come of itself’ to manifest in a state of absolute freedom. Taoism speaks of ‘sahaja’ as a highest virtue – the loss of the peculiar naturalness or unselfconsciousness. One finds this state in an innocent child which is always in its ‘sahaja’ state unless interfered to by society. In his semi-naked state Datta was just as unconscious of others nakedness as he was of his own. “The person who has conquered the baser self and has reached to the level of self mastery: he is at peace, whether it be in cold or hot, pleasure or pain, honoured or dishonoured" – Bhagavad Gita. " definition and comparison given by Yogi Ananda Sarawathi
When Babukishan created the Guduri in the 1970's his thought was that it was a symbol of Love and Unity among all people.. as the Ektara or Gopi Chand is a symbol of Peace Love and Unity for the Bauls the Guduri was created with this in mind.. Nabani Das Khyeppa Baul wore a real patchwork dress but it was somewhat different than what Babukishan created and the Bauls are wearing today.
Guduri, this patchwork dress that the Bauls are wearing today was created by Babukishan in the 1970's, as an attractive dress for Purna Das Baul. This costume was on record covers, magazines covers and festival performances all over the world. He created this multi coloured dress for a symbol of oneness, unity and peace for the world. A Symbol of no caste, no creed, all colors in one, multi-cultural.
Babu created this dress for his dad because in his mind he wanted to preserve Baul and while they were attending all the festival, concert hall, and doing lectures this dress would draw to what Baul was a multi coloured lineage.
Most Baul performers are wearing this dress today without even knowing who the master minded behind it is. Babukishan would go around to all the tailors and collect bright colors and his mother Manju Das would sew them together by hand creating this bright Baul costume.
Babu wanted that dress to promote his father Purna Das Baul at all festivals around the world including Poush Mela. Babukishan at first was endlessly criticized about this patchwork Guduri. However, hen his Dad first started wearing many fell in love with it and he received many compliments from people such as Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Pranab Mukerjee now President of India and his wife Mrs Subra Mukerjee. Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta, Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster, Diretor General of India Radio. Dr Bhupeen Hazarika, Mithun Charabhorty, Bapi Lahari.. MF Huissen, Amarta Sen, Chuni Goswami and Allen Ginsberg they were all Babu's well wishers and they all loved his design, the design the new Bauls are wearing and do not even know where it came from.
Babu created this dress for his dad because in his mind he wanted to preserve Baul and while they were attending all the festival, concert hall, and doing lectures this dress would draw to what Baul was a multi coloured lineage.
Most Baul performers are wearing this dress today without even knowing who the master minded behind it is. Babukishan would go around to all the tailors and collect bright colors and his mother Manju Das would sew them together by hand creating this bright Baul costume.
Babu wanted that dress to promote his father Purna Das Baul at all festivals around the world including Poush Mela. Babukishan at first was endlessly criticized about this patchwork Guduri. However, hen his Dad first started wearing many fell in love with it and he received many compliments from people such as Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Pranab Mukerjee now President of India and his wife Mrs Subra Mukerjee. Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta, Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster, Diretor General of India Radio. Dr Bhupeen Hazarika, Mithun Charabhorty, Bapi Lahari.. MF Huissen, Amarta Sen, Chuni Goswami and Allen Ginsberg they were all Babu's well wishers and they all loved his design, the design the new Bauls are wearing and do not even know where it came from.
The Legendary Baul Saint, Guru, Avadhuta, Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, and his Grandson Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul... Living Master of Baul and Bhakti Yoga. Nabani Das Baul was a Guru to many, he was Rabindranath Tagore's Baul Guru, the Baul who inspired and was best friends with Rabindranath. Nabani Das Baul was legendary.
http://bhavaproject.weebly.com/
"Baul is the poetry of the the dancing bee that tells us
where the honey is." Baula sadhana is, "the honey," the "Rasa" of LOVE, and Indian
Philosophy, with a flavouring of Buddhism and Sufi. Bauls are the "RASA LILA
Mystics".
Baul is an inner way of being, the divine is inside. Bauls are known as "wind catchers" Vayu Dharma and honey catchers.
The roots of Baul are from Birbhum this is the oldest "Baul Living Lineage" on earth. This is the "Nabani Das Baul and Brajabala Dasi" Lineage. It is thousands of years old. This lineage brought Baul to the world in the 1940's and 1950's otherwise who would know anything about Baul. They opened the door for all the new Baul singers.
It was this lineage this family that did all the leg work back in the 50's,60's, 70's, 80's and 90's traveling to every corner of the world, teaching, lecturing at universities in Europe, America, Canada, they have preformed around the world in Folk Festivals, Poetry Festivals and Storytelling Festivals .
Performing from Carnegie Hall to Royal Albert Hall to all the biggest stadiums in India and around the world, in front of millions of people, at the Nitaji Indoor staduim, Salt Lake staduim in Kolkata. The Bombay Stadium in Mumbai, Mahajadisadna and Rabindra Sadan, Tata Auditorium, Nehru Auditorium, Sri Ram Auditorium, Teenmurti Auditorium in front of the Indian President, Prime Minister and all cabinet ministers many many times, and in the Knitting Factory in New York, Studio 54 New York where Babu was the guest artist the list is endless.
"Baul is the poetry of the the dancing bee that tells us
where the honey is." Baula sadhana is, "the honey," the "Rasa" of LOVE, and Indian
Philosophy, with a flavouring of Buddhism and Sufi. Bauls are the "RASA LILA
Mystics".
Baul is an inner way of being, the divine is inside. Bauls are known as "wind catchers" Vayu Dharma and honey catchers.
The roots of Baul are from Birbhum this is the oldest "Baul Living Lineage" on earth. This is the "Nabani Das Baul and Brajabala Dasi" Lineage. It is thousands of years old. This lineage brought Baul to the world in the 1940's and 1950's otherwise who would know anything about Baul. They opened the door for all the new Baul singers.
It was this lineage this family that did all the leg work back in the 50's,60's, 70's, 80's and 90's traveling to every corner of the world, teaching, lecturing at universities in Europe, America, Canada, they have preformed around the world in Folk Festivals, Poetry Festivals and Storytelling Festivals .
Performing from Carnegie Hall to Royal Albert Hall to all the biggest stadiums in India and around the world, in front of millions of people, at the Nitaji Indoor staduim, Salt Lake staduim in Kolkata. The Bombay Stadium in Mumbai, Mahajadisadna and Rabindra Sadan, Tata Auditorium, Nehru Auditorium, Sri Ram Auditorium, Teenmurti Auditorium in front of the Indian President, Prime Minister and all cabinet ministers many many times, and in the Knitting Factory in New York, Studio 54 New York where Babu was the guest artist the list is endless.
Sri Nabani Das (Gosain) Khyappa Baul and his wife Brajabala Dasi both Baul Guru's
This Video below was recorded by Krishnendu Das Baul.. aka Babukishan
- Hansraj - 1976 Film of the Life of Purna Das Baul, Babukishan's father.
Note. they are dressed 60's style but it was more like the 1940's, this is a movie about Purna Das Bauls life coming to Kolkata at a very early age, his struggles and bringing Baul out of the village to the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=VHG-ltOThgY Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBiNmODITWY&feature=relmfu Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGb84Ce0Zws Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiwKgav-psY Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3oZY9b6sCs&feature=related Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wlSC8wUkuk&feature=relmfu Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TayGbs3gJ7c&feature=relmfuPart 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYXou91hbdc&feature=relmfu Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dARtRxVugII&feature=relmfuPart 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wlSC8wUkuk&feature=relmfu Part 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUSMD4uoop0&feature=relmfu Part 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYvnwMifEyM&feature=related Part 12
- There is a film called Tagori 1986, about BabuKishan's aunt, Radharani Dasi.
- Babukishan was involved in both movies.
- This is the oldest living lineage of Baul, there is no comparison with any of the new Bauls who are making up stories about lineages ect.. these made up lineage do not exist it is all story.
-
- They are singing songs from this lineage, therefore they come from this lineage or they are singing Bangladeshi folk songs, and that is not Baul.
Note. they are dressed 60's style but it was more like the 1940's, this is a movie about Purna Das Bauls life coming to Kolkata at a very early age, his struggles and bringing Baul out of the village to the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=VHG-ltOThgY Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBiNmODITWY&feature=relmfu Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGb84Ce0Zws Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiwKgav-psY Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3oZY9b6sCs&feature=related Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wlSC8wUkuk&feature=relmfu Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TayGbs3gJ7c&feature=relmfuPart 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYXou91hbdc&feature=relmfu Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dARtRxVugII&feature=relmfuPart 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wlSC8wUkuk&feature=relmfu Part 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUSMD4uoop0&feature=relmfu Part 11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYvnwMifEyM&feature=related Part 12
This is a recording of Babukishan's uncle Laxshman Das Baul recorded in the USA 1967, although the album was a huge success the Baul's never recieved any money from any of their early recordings in the USA.
Babukishan's beautiful Pure Vaishnava Baul 'Grandmother' Brajabala Dasi probably one of the last authentic Baul women from this lineage. Brajabala Dasi raised Babu Kishan until he was 8 when Nabani passed into samadhi she sent him to Calcutta to be with his birth Mother Manju Dasi and Father Purna Das Baul. Brajabala taught Babu Kishan taught him all the stories orally in Sanskrit through until she passed in the 1990's, a very very sweet person she was very much his Vaishnava Baul Guru.
Old Statue in Shantiniketan Bhirbum W Bengal India of Sri Nabani Das Khyeppa Baul this statue was commissioned by Rabindranath Tagore in honor of Nabani Das Baul whom he loved.. Perhaps one day soon we can get it restored in Nabani's memory he was one of the last origninal Bauls, the Bauls consider Nabani Das a Baul Saint..
Old Statue in Shantiniketan Bhirbum W Bengal India of Sri Nabani Das Khyeppa Baul this statue was commissioned by Rabindranath Tagore in honor of Nabani Das Baul whom he loved. Perhaps one day soon we can get it restored in Nabani's memory he was one of the last origninal Bauls, the Bauls consider Nabani Das a Baul Saint.
'Mirror of the Sky' the name another name Rabindranath Tagore gave Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Rabindranath Tagore had the above statue built of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul in Nabani's honor of Nabani, by famous Sculpturer (Ram Kinkar Baij).
And named a bridge 'NabaniSetu' on river Ajay, Kenduli Birbhum.
Nabani is the only Baul who initiated Tagore into Baul and he gave him the name
Ravi (Robi Baul).
'Mirror of the Sky' the name another name Rabindranath Tagore gave Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Rabindranath Tagore had the above statue built of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul in Nabani's honor of Nabani, by famous Sculpturer (Ram Kinkar Baij).
And named a bridge 'NabaniSetu' on river Ajay, Kenduli Birbhum.
Nabani is the only Baul who initiated Tagore into Baul and he gave him the name
Ravi (Robi Baul).
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