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by Narahari illustrates this point and also hints at some of the religious beliefs of
the Bauls:3
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.
The Bauls live in the state of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh and
they come from marginal economic and social backgrounds. A majority of them
belong to the lower strata of Hindu and Muslim societies and accordingly are
looked down upon by the middle-class orthodox people in both religions. The
Bauls, however, do not care and they live happily unfettered by the views and
criticisms of the outside world. They are often seen singing and dancing in the
streets in the company of an ek-tara (one-stringed drone instrument) and dngi (a
small drum hanging from the shoulder). That is how they express their beliefs
and practices, exhibit their devotion to the moner mamish, and earn a living.
The lifestyle of the Bauls is uncommon and they recognize no caste,
class, or other divisions. About caste Lalan Fakir said: ‘‘Does a man lose caste if
he eats the rice a whore serves him, secretly?”4 To an outsider the Bauls appear
to have various backgrounds and orientations, but within they are without
distinctions and all their diversities merge as one stream. This fact has been
recently substantiated by the fieldwork of Upendranath Bhattacharya, indicating
that the ritualistic rites of the Bauls are similar in spite of the outward
differences.5 The Bauls themselves say: “All the streams that fall into the
Ganges, become the Ganges.”6
F