Eyes - The Window to Your Soul
Candid portrait of a fakir - a sufi ascetic at the mela ground
Poush Mela 2011, Santiniketan
Images of Bengal, India
Fakirs of Bengal
Ever since Islam came to Bengal in the 13th century it participated, via a merging of Sufi inputs with vernacular strands of Vaisnavism (Vishnuism), tantrism and local folk cults, in a very rich blend of religious beliefs and practices in the lower strata of the society. The Fakir (Sufi ascetic), as a sub-section of the Bengali Bául with a more or less defined Muslim identity, are at present the largest group in Bengal perpetuating this form of 'Islamic syncretistic tradition'.
Lalan Shah or Lalan Fakir (?1774-?1890) is a product and proponent of purely Bengali syncretism. His writings and his teachings tell a story of merging Hinduism and Islam into a universalistic religion transcending the boundaries of any single religion.
The Hindu Bául and the Muslim Fakir share the same tenets of an mystic quest based on the intimate human-divine connection within every human being, cultivated through a philosophy and practices that emphasize the human body as locus and means for finding the essence of God. The path is taught in the traditional guru-disciple relationship where the guru is like the figure of the Sufi saint, in whom the divine is accomplished, merged with the human. More: openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/17365/ISIM...
Poush Mela / পৌষ মেলা
An annual fair and festival that takes place in Santiniketan, in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal, marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush (around 21/22 December), the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay up until the month-end. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of Bengali folk music, notably baul and fakir songs.
Eyes - The Window to Your Soul
Candid portrait of a fakir - a sufi ascetic at the mela ground
Poush Mela 2011, Santiniketan
Images of Bengal, India
Fakirs of Bengal
Ever since Islam came to Bengal in the 13th century it participated, via a merging of Sufi inputs with vernacular strands of Vaisnavism (Vishnuism), tantrism and local folk cults, in a very rich blend of religious beliefs and practices in the lower strata of the society. The Fakir (Sufi ascetic), as a sub-section of the Bengali Bául with a more or less defined Muslim identity, are at present the largest group in Bengal perpetuating this form of 'Islamic syncretistic tradition'.
Lalan Shah or Lalan Fakir (?1774-?1890) is a product and proponent of purely Bengali syncretism. His writings and his teachings tell a story of merging Hinduism and Islam into a universalistic religion transcending the boundaries of any single religion.
The Hindu Bául and the Muslim Fakir share the same tenets of an mystic quest based on the intimate human-divine connection within every human being, cultivated through a philosophy and practices that emphasize the human body as locus and means for finding the essence of God. The path is taught in the traditional guru-disciple relationship where the guru is like the figure of the Sufi saint, in whom the divine is accomplished, merged with the human. More: openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/17365/ISIM...
Poush Mela / পৌষ মেলা
An annual fair and festival that takes place in Santiniketan, in Birbhum District in the Indian state of West Bengal, marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush (around 21/22 December), the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay up until the month-end. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of Bengali folk music, notably baul and fakir songs.