The Sacred Truth of Baul: Reclaiming an Indigenous Lineage
The reclamation of the authentic Baul indigenous lineage is paramount, tracing back more than 13 documented generations and countless more in the oral Sanskrit tradition. To truly be Baul, one requires genuine initiation, but not from just anyone—certainly not from a "Fake Baul Guru." The term "Baul" does not simply mean "artist" or "master"; it's not a path one learns as they go.
Baul represents a profound Sadhana, an inner spiritual discipline that is, regrettably, largely misunderstood and misrepresented today. Authentic Baul Sadhana is held exclusively within this single lineage, or parampara, of at least 13 documented generations and many more preceding, recognized as indigenous people. Their history is preserved in oral Sanskrit traditions with accompanying manuscripts, and articulated in vernacular Birbhum Bengali, Braja Bhasha, and their unique Sandhya Bhasa, a combination of all three. Baul is an indigenous tradition with its own specific mantras and songs, as powerful as the Hanuman Chalisa, written in the language of the region. It is intrinsically based on Hinduism and stands as a distinct indigenous sect of Birbhum.
Today's superficial representations of Baul are far removed from its true essence, akin to the commercialized "goat yoga" and other modern yoga fads in the West. Authentic Yoga, like Baul, is an inner experience, not a studio performance. Baul is about inner self-realization. True Bauls are often mysterious, unattached like the wind, and do not "collect people" as seen in today's industrial-commercial "Baba and Ma" businesses. If one were truly graced by an authentic indigenous Baul, they would grasp this profound difference.
The Insidious Rise of "Pretendian Bauls"
The new wave of performance-oriented Bauls, who self-title as "Baul Artists" and "Baul Masters," are merely copying Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Purna Das Baul, and Krishnendu Das Baul (KD Babu Kishan). These "hawker Bauls," as Babu Kishan aptly calls them, are not authentic Bauls. They are exploiting the template created for the survival of indigenous Bauls, poaching and imitating every "first" and "last" achieved by this lineage. They even attempt to falsely associate themselves with KD Babu Kishan's extensive career in Indian Cinema (Bollywood), his profound connection with the Ramakrishna Mission, and numerous other unique aspects and historical achievements belonging solely to this parampara.
The poaching and name-dropping are glaringly obvious to those who know, but exploit the unaware public. They directly steal names and stories from this blog about Baul, information that has only ever been shared by KD Babu Kishan, constituting indigenous intellectual theft. Cultural performances originated by KD Babu Kishan are now copied and performed by "fake actors" (shilpi, nakal Bauls), bordering on indigenous fraud. This insidious problem of self-titling and falsely claiming "Das Baul," re-recording this parampara's songs, and using terms like "Baul Avadhuta" to elevate themselves, has gone too far.
Unmasking False Claims and Reaffirming True Legacy
KD Babu Kishan is the only Baul in history to have been associated with The Ramakrishna Mission, where he was a monk for 12 years and fundraised globally for decades. This, while simultaneously creating and traveling the world since the 1970s with his father, Purna Das Baul (Baul Samrat and Pandit, Padma Shree), who himself pioneered global travel for Baul since the 1950s. Babu Kishan's mother, a celebrated Indian singer, was the first and only Baul woman to travel the world with her family. No imposter can legitimately claim this legacy, especially when they are a fake Baul to begin with, supported by a fake Baul Guru and a fabricated lineage. Such false claims will be boldly called out. The recent audacious claims by some, insinuating they are the first to achieve anything significant in Baul history, are baseless; they are mere poachers of this parampara.
Purna Das Baul was the "first and last famous" indigenous ancestral Baul singer. All "fake Bauls" copy him, his father Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's songs, their distinct style of dance, and now their life stories, posing as Baul experts. Their descriptions of Baul concepts are sorely lacking, made up, devoid of nuance and distinction, and twist historical narratives that belong solely to this lineage, presenting them as if from an infomercial about "what is Baul." Worse, they have fabricated new, fake paramparas, claiming there are "20,000 Bauls in Birbhum" and "many paramparas," which is an insidious fraud, deceiving the public with gimmicks and stylistic fetishes designed to attract the uninformed.
They have copied this lineage's recorded songs and kirtans, even the patchwork dress "Guduri" that KD Babu Kishan designed. Their discussions of "Baul Kirtan" often stem directly from this lineage, riding on the coattails of information found in this blog. The concept of "Baul Kirtan" has primarily been elucidated by KD Babu Kishan. Furthermore, they have copied and re-recorded a Baul Kirtan by Nabani Das Khyapa, attributing it to another poet's nickname from this lineage, directly stolen from KD Babu Kishan's YouTube channel without permission—pure theft. While many people have sung this kirtan, it was not presented by them to "collect people," nor was it performed in Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's copied style, complete with his ektara, baya (duggi) drum tied around the waist, and his unique ankle bells called Nupoor. This level of imitation is astonishing, and the unaware public would have no way of knowing the truth.
Today, Baul often appears as a mere exercise in copied dance, songs, and styles derived from Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Baul Samrat Purna Das Baul, all originating from this one and only indigenous lineage. There were no other authentic Baul Gurus over the past decades. These "fake nakal Bauls" parade around displaying pictures of their "Gurus," one of whom was so jealous of Purna Das Baul that he attempted to poison him in the 1970s. These stories must now be brought into the open.
The copying of Baul began with Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, then his son Baul Samrat Pandit Purna Das Baul, and subsequently Krishnendu Das Baul, who established the modern template for presenting and teaching Baul overseas. He showcased Baul in cultural programs, universities, and Bengali centers as a representative of Indian and Bengali Culture through ICCR and Sangeet Natak Akademi since the 1970s. He taught at universities globally and throughout India, qualified with a BA and MA from Calcutta University, imparting knowledge on Baul, Indian Philosophy, Bhakti Yoga, Sanskrit, and Indian Music. It is truly bizarre that his legacy, as the first and last indigenous Baul to achieve these things, is now being copied and remade, with imposters reading about his accomplishments here and then attempting to replicate them, without being a true Baul or having done the actual work themselves, sometimes even falsely attributing their association with the Ramakrishna Mission to their parents.
The names of this lineage have been completely overshadowed and replaced; Pandit Purna Das Baul, who holds the Padma Shree, is now offensively labeled as a "shilpi Baul" on YouTube. Despite any personal relationship KD Babu Kishan has with his father, he unequivocally states that no one would know anything about Baul without Purna Das Baul. These actions have unwittingly awakened KD Babu Kishan to speak out, after he has tirelessly preserved Baul for over 60 years. These "fake Bauls" are merely actors (shilpi Bauls) now enacting his life and claiming all the "firsts and lasts" related to Baul, making grand claims that can be proven false. They even attempt to co-opt KD Babu Kishan's 12 years as a Monk in the Ramakrishna Mission and his Indian Cinema career. The only Baul's association with the Ramakrishna Mission is attributed solely to Babu Kishan; no other Baul did that work, ever, in the complete history of Baul.
He was the first Baul to preserve this tradition and release even a drop of that information into the public domain, which has since been entirely copied and re-enacted through carefully curated photos. For decades, KD Babu Kishan fundraised for the Ramakrishna Mission; no other Baul ever had any connection to it. Everything KD Babu Kishan has ever written, lived, and created has been copied, even his own poetry has been copied and re-recorded, and of course, Nabani's songs and style. His father, Baul Samrat, at 90, is now being slandered in YouTube videos labeled "Purna Das Baul," all of it copied. This truly fueled my anger and resolve not to stop now, as these lies are beyond comprehension. Their names are deleted from Baul history, never given credit; it's simply assumed that everything is for the taking, reworked, misrepresented, and acted out. No more. Every song claimed by "fake Bauls" will be scrutinized with a fine-tooth comb: who are the poets? Where did you get this song? Was it off the radio? If so, there are albums with names of the singer and music composer. Is it genuinely an indigenous Baul song, or perhaps not a Baul song at all?
The Extinction Threat: Fakery and Misdirection
Today, the most insidious fakes have even dared to call Baul Samrat, Padma Shree, Pandit Purna Das Baul, a "shilpi Baul." These "fake Bauls" use the tradition to travel the world, attempting to emulate figures like Osho or Ammachi, who "collect people" and money through donations and fundraising for personal financial gain. KD Babu Kishan accurately characterizes them as "hawker Bauls."
Baul is about waking you up, stirring you, even shocking you; healing is not always easy. Baul should make you feel quite uncomfortable, prompting you to question, discern, dig deeper, and uncover your own ignorance; they are not there to make you stupid. You cannot attain true love by listening to a "fake Baul" or a liar. You cannot reach divine love if you cannot face the truth. Baul compels you to examine societal norms, to question, and to achieve a higher level of discernment. What are the questions you should be asking, beyond charismatic one-liners or superficial pronouncements? There needs to be the deepest of substance. The "nakal shilpi actor Bauls" copy from books because they never had a real Baul Guru. Sanatan Das Baul is not an authentic Baul Guru. When you hear the real story, it will truly blow your mind.
Baul, in its authentic form, is nearing extinction. No one desires to undertake the arduous life's work and long Sadhana anymore; they merely want the superficial benefits derived from the template of this one and only lineage's lived experiences. This is the one and only parampara of Baul, the pioneers who brought Baul from Birbhum to all of Bengal, India, and globally. Don't let others make you foolish; there is no other true parampara. They would have you believe there are "20,000 Bauls left in Birbhum" and "many paramparas," and that they are "Baul Avadhuta." There has been only one Baul Avadhuta in the past one hundred years, and that was Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, who passed in 1969. He is the Grandfather Guru to KD Babu Kishan, who has preserved Baul for more than 60 years.
The level of copying is astounding; the theft of intellectual property and the whitewashing of stories into a no-name, random, generic "Baul" allows fakes to claim credit for this lineage's lived lives, including all their "firsts and lasts"—this is indigenous fraud. Just as ragas evoke every human emotion, Baul does the same through its inherent essence, inherited and taught from birth by their indigenous ancestors. Do you honestly believe this unique lineage survived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years as indigenous people, preserving their heritage through oral Sanskrit, only for it to be stolen and transformed into an act? Seriously, people do not even understand what Baul truly is, and what is happening today is the blind leading the blind. Do you really think this lineage (this one and only parampara) sacrificed their lives for hundreds of years to make you feel comfortable? Baul is not an act of fakery.
Baul is now extinct in its true form, a tangled mess of fakery and myth-making perpetuated by authors, journalists, "pretendian Bauls," documentary filmmakers, jackpot fundraisers, academic scholars, and self-titled individuals who think they know what Baul is.
A Parampara is a lineage, always based on ancestry. In the case of a Guru-shishya Parampara Sampradaya, it should involve at least five generations of ancestors. The titles Das Baul and Dasi are exclusive to this lineage; others merely self-title themselves as such. It represents an uninterrupted row, series, order, and tradition of Baul ancestors. This is why if you are not born in Birbhum or your ancestors are not from Birbhum, you are not indigenous to Baul. If you are not indigenous to Baul, you have no right to use the term "Baul" to "collect people." When something is indigenous, only its people have the right to self-determine who they are; false narratives and twisting the truth only reduce and water down the essence of Baul. Baul is indigenous, and like all indigenous people, they worship their ancestors, and their tradition is based on ancestry. You cannot fabricate this anymore; the exploitative false narratives are constructed through an innocent-seeming, false humility. If one possessed true humility, they would not steal the intellectual property from this one and only Baul parampara, Lineage, also known as Guru-shishya Parampara Sampradaya.
Baul is not a yoga parampara or a siddha parampara; it is one of the only rare Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Baul (Gosia Chandra) paramparas. Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was the only adept Siddha Baul Avadhuta; no one can truly be him, and no one should imitate him by pretending to do sadhana at Tarapith in the burning grounds or at Kankali Tala, places where only Nabani, as a true Baul, was known to perform sadhana. One by one, the insidious "fake (shilpi, nakal) Bauls"—some more overtly than others—are stripping Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, Baul Samrat Purna Das Baul, and Krishnendu Das Baul (Babu Kishan) of their lived lives, claiming the legacy of "firsts and lasts" of this one and only lineage (parampara). It's subtle, and how would you know? I have read such ignorant comments from uneducated people; it is mind-boggling. For more than 60 years, KD Babu Kishan has preserved Baul, and I have been observing and documenting all this cheating and fakery for more than 20 years.
While taking everything from this one and only lineage, it is beyond bizarre. The "pretendian Bauls" have erased the truth of Baul, its history, replacing it with false narratives and one-liners, making Baul generic with random "Baul Gurus" and a fake Baul lineage. Using the term parampara is not so simple. Parampara is ancient, and a parampara should represent many generations of Guru-to-shishya teachings; it's not something to casually throw out there. Yes, Baul is a parampara, but only this lineage is. A true parampara is not one or two generations based on a non-indigenous Baul whose Guru was merely a poet. Sorry, there is far more to Baul, and Baul is not something you "make up as you go" or treat as a "certification course." No one who is not an indigenous Baul should be using the term "Baul" or acting as a Baul.
Regarding the Tattvas of the Baul in Baul Tantra: Please note: The mention of Baul and its tattvas is now circulating. These have been copied from Purna Das Baul's book "Baul Philosophy," notes for which were originally copied from Babu Kishan's notes left in the Calcutta home. Prior to this, no one ever taught or discussed "Baul tattvas." Now, suddenly, over the past few years, everything from this lineage is being meticulously picked apart and remade, as if the "fake shilpi nakal Bauls" are authentically reproducing it without grasping the crucial nuances and distinctions of this parampara's lived "firsts and lasts" in Baul. Baul has become nothing more than a "Master Class in Emotional Theatre."
The Baul tattvas were first written about by KD Babu Kishan, and these were then copied into the book "Baul Philosophy" by Purna Das Baul and Selina Thielemann, who copied them directly from KD Babu Kishan's notes left in his Calcutta home. The chapter titles from that book were even copied and listed as topics for a workshop given by Parvathy Baul years ago in Calcutta; I wonder if she "forgot" the source? I have observed this for a very long time, trying to understand what is truly happening. I first noticed when she copied a song directly from KD Babu Kishan's YouTube channel and re-recorded it. The song belongs to this lineage, a Nabani Das Khyapa Baul song. The first tenet of Baul is satya, telling the truth. She erroneously listed "Roshik" as the poet's name. Roshik is an ancestral nickname for a revered person in this lineage; he is not the poet of this song—Nabani Das Khyapa Baul is. Roshik, who is Rasaraj Gosia, is beloved by this parampara. Regarding Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's songs: you seem to feel so entitled. This is the intellectual property of this lineage. Yes, many random people have sung this song, but you used it to promote yourself, and given the recent lies claiming every aspect of this lineage, it will be loudly called out.
I have read every book on Baul; the tattvas are only mentioned in the book "Baul Philosophy," much of which was taken from KD Babu Kishan's notes left in his father's home in Calcutta. KD Babu Kishan was taught Baul tattvas by Nabani Das Khyapa Baul. Yes, of course, Purna Das Baul, his father, would know them indigenously, but he never spoke English. His co-author copied the notes from Babu Kishan's notes and then wrote them in her own style. The book was indeed written by Selina, the co-writer, who admitted taking much of the book from KD Babu Kishan's notes; she confessed this to KD Babu Kishan personally when he questioned his parents while he was working in Bombay at the time. He is the first indigenous Baul to write three previous books on Baul, the last in 1986, sponsored by George Harrison and edited by his good friend Lila Roy, who was Tagore's editor at Shantiniketan Visva Bharati. Babu Kishan is the first Baul English speaker.
I can see the progression of this intellectual property theft: "fake Bauls" initially claimed Baul was from Turkey, then, after gaining some understanding, morphed into Vaishnava Bauls with painted faces. Baul is not something you learn by reading this blog and then simply morph into, adopting what we are describing as Baul. One day it's Radha, the next Tarapith, and then suddenly "Baul Avadhuta"? They even attempt to associate themselves with Bollywood, which is solely Babu Kishan's 40-year career, separate from Baul. Do they want that part of his life history too? So far, they are copying his teaching at universities, Baul Fusion, and tracking every place he and his family have already been as part of an already closed chapter of Baul history.
You cannot learn or be taught Baul from a book, and you certainly cannot teach Baul by merely listing the titles of a book's chapters, acting as if you know, by using intellectual property taken from this lineage. This includes using the songs, Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's style of dance, his Ektara, Baya drum, and his unique ankle bells, the Nupoor made of metal encased bells. How would anybody know the difference? They wouldn't. Therefore, I am now telling you this for the reclamation of the one and only lineage or parampara of Baul. I have alluded to this for almost a decade without mentioning names. However, over the past ten years, this cultural misappropriation has become a viral phenomenon, with nobody speaking out. The fakes have grown bolder with their false narratives, constantly acting as if they are the true authorities.
What particularly caught my attention was their attempts to fundraise to "preserve Baul." Baul has been meticulously preserved for over 60 years by KD Babu Kishan. Thus, I focused my attention and found they are attempting to "collect people" and start a cult of fakery, a new "Baba and Ma" business, slandering the past work of this lineage while trying to present themselves as the "saviours of Bauls." No, you do not get to do that. If there is no satya (truth), there is no Baul; an actor and a liar cannot be a Baul. Baul is fundamentally based on truth.
You cannot fundraise to "preserve" an indigenous Baul tradition; that is indigenous fraud. There has been far too much of this. Are you going to pick more bones from this lineage? You cannot preserve what you do not own. Finally, KD Babu Kishan is paying attention, and he will speak out loudly about this in the coming year. He may not be actively present right now, but he will be back soon and will address this definitively. The main affliction of Baul at this juncture is extinction through bolder and bolder actions of false narratives and fakery. It is insidious to attempt fundraising in the name of preserving Baul when KD Babu Kishan has already preserved it for over 60 years. It is even more insidious to see the intellectual property of this one and only lineage (parampara) picked clean, with their lives name-dropped while their names are erased, and Purna Das Baul is offensively called a "shilpi Baul."
Cultural misappropriation does not solely happen outside India; the greatest threat to indigenous Baul is right within India, perpetrated by unscrupulous actors. The "second coming pretendian, Shilpi, Nakal Bauls" appear with new gimmicks for fundraising a "jackpot," collecting people with inauthentic ties to Baul. They are even newly associating themselves with the Ramakrishna Mission, attempting to seize more of this lineage's already established "firsts and lasts." You cannot even make this up anymore.
How would you know the truth? Hopefully, we can provide you with some questions; otherwise, how will you know? KD Babu Kishan's fourth book on the Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum, "The Rasa Lila Mystics: Tantra Mantra Gopi Yantra," will be released soon. It aims to reclaim this lineage, their stories, lives, and their "firsts and lasts" in Baul, providing an accurate history from the authentic indigenous ancestral Bauls. The book will equip you with questions to ask and stories that will expose the progressive, insidious, and increasingly bold copying of this indigenous ancestral lineage. It will be a thorough investigation into the truth (satya) of Baul—the how, what, when, where, and why.
KD Babu Kishan was the first and last Baul to have actually been a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission for 12 years, and they fundraised for the Ramakrishna Mission for decades. What is happening today is undeniably cultural misappropriation. This lineage's historical associations regarding 'Baul and Tantra,' 'Baul and Gaudiya Vaishnava,' 'Baul & Tarapith,' 'Kankali Tala,' and 'Baul & Rabindranath Tagore,' along with their unique style, dance, dress, songs, kirtans, Bhakti Yoga, their ancestors, and their travels and achievements, have been generalized and stripped of specific attribution. This has allowed any "pretendian Shilpi nakal Baul" to falsely pose as an authentic Baul. Not every wandering person in Bengal is a Baul; just because someone declares "I am a Baul" does not make it so.
New, inaccurate narratives, lacking the nuances of authentic Baul, are being created one by one, including fabricated "Baul Gurus" and "fake Baul lineages," using the already established "firsts and lasts" of this lineage's lived stories, reworked and remade on YouTube videos, as if they are authorities on Baul. They spread false narratives claiming to be authentic and promising to bring the "real Baul" to the USA, suggesting that past Bauls only brought music or folk songs and no teachings of Bhakti Yoga, Kirtan, Baul, or Tantra. This is the biggest lie. Seriously, the untruths are astounding and grow more audacious all the time; it's like an infomercial regarding Baul. They are liars. KD Babu Kishan has been teaching Baul worldwide since the 1970s; his extensive list of workshops and teachings can be provided. He has taught at universities around the world and throughout India in various cultural programs. The "fake hawkster shilpi Bauls" are the ones who have destroyed Baul with all their false narratives. This is not only intellectual indigenous property theft, but also indigenous fraud.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9450313/pretendians-canada-indigenous-ancestry/
https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/analysis-bourassa-pretendian-metis-scholars-redefined-indigenous-identity-policy/
Indigenous Fraud: The Exploitation of Baul Heritage
Collecting donations and fundraising for personal gain in the name of indigenous ancestral Baul is indigenous fraud, and it's not a new issue. For example, one UN Bangladeshi official fabricated a significant lie, claiming Baul was Muslim and originated from Persia. He leveraged the fame created by this lineage to invent "Bangladeshi Bauls" (Muslim Bauls), a narrative also adopted by others. In 2005, he used this lineage's renown to fundraise a $9 million jackpot under the false pretense of preserving Baul, based on this fabricated history, and then disappeared with the money. This scam continues, with many since attempting to secure grants and large sums in the name of the Indigenous Vaishnava Sahajiya Baul tradition.
Before this specific lineage brought Baul to prominence, the tradition was largely unknown. Since the 1970s, an entire industry of "fake Bauls" has emerged, attempting to capitalize on the hard-earned recognition of this one and only authentic Baul lineage.
The History of Fakery and Jealousy Within Baul
Another notable instance of fakery involves the jealousy of a "pretendian" named Sanatan Das Baul. In the 1970s, he was so envious of Purna Das Baul that he attempted to murder him by poisoning at the Joy Dev Mela. Sanatan was not a genuine Baul Guru; KD Babu Kishan knew him well and even tried to help him. Sanatan later created a disciple, Parvathy B, who, along with her partner Sri Sri, is actively fabricating many false narratives. This situation is perplexing, and it's understandable how an outsider wouldn't know the truth.
Parvathy B and her accomplice are consistently stealing the intellectual indigenous property from this lineage. This includes songs by Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and other songs belonging to this lineage. They've also adopted the title Das Baul and mimic Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's dance style, use of the Ektara, Baya, and Nupoor (ankle bells), all while teaching Baul based on false narratives.
You might admire her, and that's your choice, but this is about the reclamation of Indigenous ancestral Baul, and the truth must prevail. Reclamation is the act of restoring Baul to its original state and its true dharma.
Cultural Misappropriation: A Form of Indigenous Genocide
Cultural Misappropriation in this context equates to Indigenous Genocide. It leads to the erasure of Indigenous ancestral Bauls and their replacement by "pretendian Bauls."
The "Pretendian Bauls" Phenomenon
These "Pretendian Bauls" represent a form of fraud and identity theft that actively erases genuine indigenous Baul by substituting it with a false version. As highlighted in the Canadian documentary "Pretendians," which vividly illustrates the severity of falsely claiming an identity: "When people steal from our culture, they end up distorting our culture, they turn it into something we do not even recognize, erasing us by replacing us." This precise phenomenon has afflicted Baul. It's being erased by "fake Bauls" who have distorted what is fundamentally an indigenous tradition, a lineage rooted in ancestry.
The Blatant Erosion of Authentic Baul: A Call to Action
It may sound harsh, and some might advocate letting it be, but the blatant nature of this cultural appropriation cannot be ignored. While such exploitation is not new, some individuals are becoming more adept at it. The core problem lies in the destruction, watering down, and reductionism of these ancient traditions, along with the theft of their intellectual property.
This one and only authentic lineage of Baul—encompassing Purna Das Baul, Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, and KD Babu Kishan, along with their ancestral songs, style, dress, and historical journeys—has absolutely nothing to do with these fake lineages. They must cease and desist from using the names of these authentic figures and from creating false associations with their already lived lives. If anyone is visiting this blog to learn about Baul and then applying that understanding to these imposters, be clear: this lineage has no connection to them. These individuals are something different; they are not Baul. You cannot become a Baul by using or stealing the intellectual property of this lineage. Baul is fundamentally based on satya, the truth.
Riding Coattails to Destruction, Not Preservation
"Riding on the coattails" of this lineage has directly led to the destruction of Baul, in stark contrast to the decades of pioneering work that established Baul throughout Bengal, India, and worldwide. The subtle, yet insidious, name-calling of Purna Das Baul as a "shilpi Baul" is unacceptable. In today's world, it's easy to project an air of omniscience, but everyone should be aware of the historical patterns of cults worldwide and the devastating impact the cult mentality has had on generations of seekers.
Without this specific ancestral indigenous lineage of Baul—the 'Gosia Chand' Das Baul and Dasi, particularly Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, (Baul Samrat) Purna Das Baul, and Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babu Kishan—no one in India or globally would possess any knowledge of Baul. (Note: "Gosai, Gosain, Goswami, Ghosia" are various spellings; however, not all Gosai are Baul. Only the direct ancestors of Nityananda of Ekachakra are Baul; a verifiable lineage is essential.) It is exclusively through this lineage that Baul has become known.
Reclaiming Indigenous Rights and Combating Exploitation
This lineage is indigenous to the soul and soil of Birbhum, with 13 documented generations and many more generations preserved in oral tradition, not for public consumption, since the very beginning of their story. The reclamation of their indigenous rights to self-determination and the authentic, correct preservation of their tradition is imperative at this moment. This means rejecting the watering down, reduction, and outright theft of their already lived lives, which are being remade, re-traced, and used—their songs, stories, history, and practices transformed into advertising slogans and performances—all while fundraising for donations continues unabated.
So, who are these new "wanna-be Bauls" who are "riding on the coattails" of this one and only Baul lineage? And why are they fabricating fake lineages and fake "Baul Gurus," using the intellectual property of this lineage, their historical travels, and their lived experiences? They even attempt to falsely associate themselves with Babu Kishan's and this lineage's extensive history, including their path of teaching at universities, their involvement in Indian Cinema, their unique understanding of 'Baul and Tantra,' 'Baul and Gaudiya Vaishnavism,' 'Baul and Rabindranath Tagore,' 'Baul and Anandamayi Ma,' 'Baul and the Ramakrishna Mission,' 'Baul and Osho,' their numerous awards, their pioneering world travels, their association with Bob Dylan, and their work with ICCR and Sangeet Natak Akademi. This includes their decades of performances and cultural programs at venues like the London Library, museums, and major concert halls worldwide, including The Royal Albert Hall, all since the 1970s.
The Blatant Lies: Challenging the "Fake Baul" Narrative
It may sound harsh, and some might advocate for silence, but the sheer blatancy of this appropriation demands a response. This phenomenon of cultural theft is not new, though some are becoming more adept at it. The core issue lies in the destruction, watering down, and reductionism of these ancient traditions, along with the theft of their intellectual property.
This one and only authentic Baul lineage—comprising Purna Das Baul, Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, and KD Babu Kishan—along with their ancestral songs, style, dress, and historical journeys, has absolutely no connection to these fabricated lineages. They must cease and desist from using the names of these authentic figures and from making false associations with their already lived lives. If you are reading this blog to learn about Baul and then applying that understanding to these imposters, be warned: this lineage has no relationship with them. They are something fundamentally different; they are not Baul. You cannot become a Baul by using or stealing the intellectual property of this lineage. Baul is intrinsically based on satya, the truth.
Riding Coattails to Destruction, Not Preservation
"Riding on the coattails" of this lineage has led directly to the destruction of Baul, in stark contrast to the decades of pioneering work that established Baul throughout Bengal, India, and worldwide. The subtle, yet insidious, act of labeling Purna Das Baul as a "shilpi Baul" is unacceptable. In today's world, it's easy to project an air of omniscience, but everyone should be aware of the historical patterns of cults worldwide and the devastating impact the cult mentality has had on generations of seekers.
Without this specific ancestral indigenous lineage of Baul—the 'Gosia Chand' Das Baul and Dasi, particularly Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, (Baul Samrat) Purna Das Baul, and Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babu Kishan—no one in India or globally would possess any knowledge of Baul. (Note: "Gosai, Gosain, Goswami, Ghosia" are various spellings; however, not all Gosai are Baul. Only the direct ancestors of Nityananda of Ekachakra are Baul; a verifiable lineage is essential.) It is exclusively through this lineage that Baul has become known.
This lineage has been teaching Baul, Indian Music, and Indian Philosophy in relation to Baul in the USA since 1967 for decades at universities and cultural programs. It is an outright lie to claim these fakes are now, for the first time ever, coming to America to teach Baul. First and foremost, you have to be a Baul, and they are not. Just a few years ago, these "fake Bauls" did not wear Vaishnava tilaka, had nothing to do with Vaishnavism, or Baul Tantra connected to Tarapith or Kankali Tala. Now, suddenly, one by one, they are acting it all out—something to consider. We possess over 60 years of documented proof, and an oral indigenous Sanskrit tradition dating back to the 12th century, and from the very beginning of the Vaishnava story in Birbhum, West Bengal, when the Pandavas of the Mahabharata took refuge there over 5000 years ago.
The Threat of Misinformation and the Rise of "Pretendian Actors"
The single biggest threat to the indigenous, authentic history of Baul is misinformation stemming from false narratives and false associations. This includes fabricated "advertising infomercial" posts on Facebook, alongside carefully crafted YouTube videos that portray every aspect of this lineage's lived Baul history as their own. Yet, there is no genuine lineage, no adhikara (authentic indigenous authority), only "pretendian actors"—nakal, shilpi (actor) Bauls—who lack true understanding. They perform acts of "saintliness," like feeding the poor, which is the oldest fundraising trick in the book to impress governments and secure funding, supported by carefully crafted photos to show their "good work."
There's no inherent problem with charity, but there's a significant problem when it involves specifically exploiting an indigenous people. If you are Hindu and attempting to create something great, the critical difference here lies in the lies being told. Specifically, another group is faking Baul, trying to fundraise in its name, and, even more insidiously, using the intellectual indigenous wisdom, songs, and history of this already marginalized indigenous group—who did the actual work to make Baul famous. These "saviors of Baul" see them as easy pickings.
Unmasking Fraud and Reclaiming Authenticity
Sanatan Das Baul tried to murder Purna Das Baul by poisoning him, and now his associate refers to Purna Das Baul as a "shilpi Baul"? So, a fake Guru tries to snuff out Purna Das Baul, and his disciple is skilled at acting and appropriating Baul. Purna Das Baul is one of India's highly awarded cultural representatives and icons since the 1950s. What a disgrace to act as an expert on Baul, using his picture in a video and labeling him a "shilpi Baul." This is disgraceful, and now, because of that, the true story of how your "fake Baul Guru," Sanatan Das Baul, tried to murder Purna Das Baul, will be revealed. Enough of this fakery. We don't care if you like us; KD Babu Kishan pushes everybody away anyway. We just want to tell the truth. Context is crucial, and now historical, true stories will be revealed.
The insidious imposter R.C. Roddam brazenly claims that Baul Samrat Pandit Purna Das Baul is a "shilpi Baul." This is intellectual property theft from this lineage and from this blog, retelling stories that only KD Babu Kishan could have told. Yes, I caught that one too. To have the gall to label Purna Das Baul a "shilpi Baul" is outrageous. I refer to "these people" because Parvathy B and R. Roddam are connected. Please stop tracing every step this lineage has already taken. You never went to the Ramakrishna Mission; why are you acting as if you did? When it comes to Baul, only KD Babu Kishan was a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission and fundraised for them for decades. Did you fundraise for anyone other than yourselves? Oh, now you are acting as if you perform seva (selfless service)? Try doing it without taking pictures; the pictures reveal you're seeking fundraising jackpots.
These individuals would not possess a single drop of Baul knowledge to fake if not for Purna Das Baul, Nabani Das Khyapa Baul (who established the Baul and Tantra connection), and KD Babu Kishan, whose father, Purna Das Baul, is over 90. The connection between Baul and Gaudiya Vaishnavism belongs solely to this lineage regarding Baul, and yes, for decades, this lineage also fundraised for them.
Insidious Social Media Marketing and Indigenous Fraud
This is insidious social media marketing, employing gradual, subtle methods to create false associations through this lineage's already lived "firsts and lasts" in Baul history. They believe no one is watching, but everything they are doing is glaringly obvious to someone who knows the original, authentic history of Baul. I am speaking out. I have observed this indigenous fraud against this lineage for almost 20 years, documenting and comparing, recognizing when fundraising for jackpots and fakery are occurring. I have proof, having researched cults since the 1970s—how they start, how they end, and all the techniques that create a cult.
The name-dropping of this lineage's lived stories, songs, and already established history without permission or adhikara(authentic indigenous authority), attempting to create a patchwork by reworking every bit of this lineage's lived history and her-story, following every aspect of their lives and claiming all of this lineage's history—this indigenous fraud can only be seen as an act of aggressive expansionism, a marketing campaign feigning innocence, fishing for donations for the "preservation of Baul." This, despite Baul having been preserved over generations, and specifically by KD Babu Kishan over the past 60 years. No "fake Bauls" should fundraise to preserve Baul, especially when they have proven they lie, exploit indigenous Baul, do not know who the poets are, and continue preaching false narratives that there are "4 or 5 types of Baul," which has already been disproven.
Acting through proven nefarious means and intentions, this indigenous fraud, via the theft of this lineage's indigenous intellectual property, violates the very first tenet of Baul: Satya, which is telling the truth. The correct preservation and reclamation of this lineage's stories are crucial to the history and legacy of humanity, not a watered-down, reduced version poached from the ancestral bones of this one and only lineage of Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Baul. This tradition originates from Ekachakra, Birbhum, West Bengal, India—the very ground of Baul and its ancestors, where their bones have been buried for generations, which is the main reason there is soul in the soil of Birbhum. Bauls performed seva(selfless service) for the villages of Birbhum. No villagers, no Baul. Oh, we see that too has been re-enacted in pictures!
The Genesis of Fakery and the Erasure of Baul History
This has gone on for too long. It first began with the second wave of refugees from the 1971 war between India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In the early 1970s, when Hindu refugees flooded the streets of Calcutta, many started singing the Baul songs of Purna Das Baul, which were widely heard on the radio across Bengal. They began seeking recording contracts, labeling themselves "Das Baul," dressing like Purna Das Baul, and mimicking everything this lineage did to survive. The first wave of refugees came to Calcutta after the partition in 1947, and they copied Nabani Das Khyapa Baul.
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was the first Baul known throughout Bengal and then India. He sang as part of the freedom movement before Nehru's speeches and at the inauguration of India. This marked the first time any Baul sang on stages, and when the people of India first learned about Baul. It was through Rabindranath Tagore's association with Nabani Das Khyapa that Tagore began speaking about Baul. Yet, other random individuals posing as Baul have stolen this history, making Baul generic and claiming this lineage's history. It's a joke, and when they realize they've been found out, they morph Baul into something unrecognizable, now pretending to be Vedic or Tantric scholars, taking bits and pieces of carefully crafted stories and posing as Vedic Tantric authorities.
The first wave of "fake Bauls" observed Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and copied his style, songs, and dance. Then, they copied Nabani's eldest son, Purna Das Baul, whose Baul songs were played 24/7 on the radio. For the first time ever, Baul songs became popular across Bengal and India, solely due to Purna Das Baul. These fakes copied the songs and sang them to survive, begging for sustenance; these were the "fake it till you make it" Bauls. Sanatan Das Baul was one of the first people to copy Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and then Purna Das Baul. His jealousy of Purna Das Baul led him to attempt murder by poisoning. He was not a Baul, and not a Das Baul. This story had to come out due to the rampant intellectual property theft and posturing that has gone on too long. You may not know this, and you may actively reject it all, but the theft and performance using the songs, stories, and every achievement of this lineage is insidious, and it has persisted for too long.
There is no other authentic lineage of Baul. Instead, a fake lineage and a fake Baul Guru have been constructed. This one and only authentic lineage of Baul has been completely marginalized and drowned out by the "nakal fake shilpi Bauls," confusing people and making them ignorant. The exploitation of Baul by "fake pretendian Bauls" has reached a point where the tradition is being washed away by false narratives, watering down, and reductionism of this lineage, intensifying to insidious levels since the pandemic. This is their biggest mistake, because they will be called out openly now for calling a over 90-year-old Pandit, Padma Shree, Purna Das Baul, a "shilpi Baul." Time is up.
We are not seeking donations, nor are we "collecting people." We are presenting the truth. I have been observing cults since the late 1970s, and Babu Kishan has been an observer since the 1960s, specifically trained in exegesis or purva paksha, exposing many cults over decades. Not only is he trained, but he can see their games—games others have no idea are being played. The poaching of this one and only lineage of Baul has intensified to insidious levels since the pandemic. They are hoping nobody knows, cares, or that we are all brain-dead—that nobody knows anything anymore and nobody is watching.
This is the starting point of a rigorous, meticulous, diligent, conscientious, stringent exegesis, or in the Indian context, a Purva Paksha, of the copying of the historical truths of this one and only lineage. The new book is ready for release and will explain more of the why, who, what, when, and how of this one and only lineage, and the pathetic attempt to pretend and take credit for this lineage's legacy and indigenous ancestral history.
This lineage has nothing to do with what is happening today. This lineage has been poached; those people are not Baul. Many people read this blog and come here to learn about Baul. To be absolutely clear, nothing in this blog, not even the explanations of what "Baul" means, belongs to any of these "shilpi nakal Bauls" who are exploiting Baul today. So, if you are coming here to learn about others, this lineage is not related. You may not yet know what they are singing or how it has all been appropriated from this lineage.
Everything in this blog is copyrighted. Name-dropping is unacceptable. The retelling of stories that only Babu Kishan has ever told her about anything, including Nabani, is intellectual property theft. This lineage and its intellectual property have nothing to do with you. Please cease and desist. We are not associated in any way. We are reclaiming the indigenous intellectual property of this lineage, which includes Gaudiya Vaishnava and Baul, and Tantra and Baul. The legitimate linkages of these traditions only come from this lineage. So, when you read anything on this blog or from our websites, it has nothing to do with the "nakal fake "pretendian shilpi Bauls" of the past or present.
https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2025/02/indigenous-identity-theft-indigenous.html
The Erosion of Authentic Baul: A Fight for Truth and Legacy
Context, historical authenticity, and nuance are paramount in understanding the genuine Baul tradition. The legitimate Oral Tradition of the Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls, with its oral Sanskrit from birth, holds immense significance. Unfortunately, there's rampant reductionism, oversimplification, and watering down of Baul, with its intellectual property being trivialized into one-liners for "fake Bauls" to exploit. They are falsely re-making connections to this historically lived Baul lineage, presenting themselves as if they are the first Bauls to have attended the Ramakrishna Mission for 12 years or to have fundraised for it for decades. Let it be unequivocally clear: no Baul has ever been associated with the Ramakrishna Mission except Krishnendu Das Baul (Babu Kishan) and his lineage.
This "cherry-picking" of the legacy, songs, stories, style, and more from this already established historical lineage must stop. The nakal Bauls have selectively taken the best elements from this lineage, removed their names, or even insultingly called the over 90-year-old Purna Das Baul a "shilpi Baul." This is indigenous fraud.
Intellectual Dishonesty: A Path of Damaged Fruit
The path of intellectual dishonesty leads to "damaged fruit." It's akin to genetically modifying authentic fruit, thereby killing the seeds of the original indigenous fruit. This creates a false fruit that irrevocably destroys the indigenous legacy seeds for short-term gain, through the destruction, watering down, and reductionism of the fruit's essence. In this instance, this lineage represents the original "Rasa Lila Mystic" Vaishnava Sahajiya Bauls of Birbhum, who are "wind-catchers" (Vayu Tula)—a truth revealed only by Babu Kishan—and this sacred knowledge is being "cherry-picked" by imposters.
The rare path of the Baul Avadhuta is no longer open; there are no more true Baul Avadhutas. Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was the last Baul Avadhuta, and only this lineage holds the ancestral keys to understanding its true meaning. Yet, this profound legacy is being poached even today by shilpi nakal fake Bauls who, demonstrably, have no legitimate claim to it. Babu Kishan (Krishnendu Das Baul) is the only Baul to have preserved the history of Baul for over 60 years, as he has lived it and is an intrinsic part of this history. His legacy and songs are being stolen.
Babu Kishan (Krishnendu Das) has been tasked with preserving his ancestral lineage, particularly in the current era. Now, as a "Grandpa 'Boro Baba'" with two boys, he continues this sacred duty. Baul is inherently ancestral; even Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, the last Avadhuta Baul, had a family. While he may not have always been physically present, this is the way of the Baul, and they also adopt children. However, this adoption does not count if there is no adhikara (authentic authority) and a long lineage of ancestors behind the adopted children, who typically do not falsely claim to be Baul themselves.
Authentic Lineage: The True Custodians of Baul
His indigenous ancestral history stems from his initiating Guru and his teaching Baul Gurus, all born in Birbhum, West Bengal, India:
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul
Brajabala Dasi
Purna Das Baul
Radharani Dasi
Gopal Das Baul
Laxshman Das Baul
Babu Kishan knew all the "pretendian fake Bauls" personally, as well as those who knew all of his ancestors—the Gosia Das Baul and Dasi Bauls. He knows who is a fake Baul and who is not. These true stories will now emerge, having been suppressed for too long. No one anticipated the bizarre extent of this fakery.
The GMO Baul: A Product of Lies and Expansionism
The "Rasa" (essence) of the original fruit is being replaced by a fake, remade GMO (genetically modified organism) version of Baul, while the original indigenous people slowly disappear. This is where the "fake Bauls" create a "GMO Baul" filled with false narratives and lies, allowing them to continue their expansionist agenda to fundraise for personal gain, all through acting and deception, hoping no one will notice.
They are sorely mistaken. We see everything they do, and it is meticulously documented in files. The truth is out: their reductionism and watering down of Baul will be revealed and thoroughly exposed.
Time is up. Indigenous Baul has been used and abused and is disappearing, not because of its music, but because of the fakery, lies, and false narratives that reduce and water down its essence. This goes far beyond simple appropriation; it is a profound indigenous issue, driven by the theft of this lineage's indigenous intellectual property—their style, songs, dress, and already lived history. Every detail, from their travels to their personal associations and past history, is being retraced, their names removed or slandered to prop up the fakes. The rasa of Baul is over, full stop. The exploitation of Baul is over. Get ready.
The original authentic indigenous legacy, the "legacy seeds" from the soul and soil of Birbhum, Bengal, and India's Baul history, are being dried up, washed away from our collective memory, replaced by fake and false narratives, and by individuals who seek only personal fame, social media attention, and absurd stories of their "mommy and daddy" being associated with the Ramakrishna Mission. What does that even have to do with Baul? The only history of Baul and Ramakrishna is this specific lineage. This is, one by one, an insult to this lineage. You did not do the work. You are not a Baul. This has nothing to do with you. You are attempting to represent Baul when there is no connection to the tradition other than a "fake Baul Guru" who exploited Baul and tried to murder Purna Das Baul.
This is the most alarming symptom of Kali Yuga: a widespread amnesia where "what is real is seen as fake" and "what is fake is seen as real."
https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/cultural-misappropriation.html
"Srimatham: Mīmāṃsa: The Study of Hindu Exegesis
1) Adhikāra (अधिकार) refers to “injunction of qualification ”. It is one of the four classifications of vidhi (injunciton).—Adhikāra-vidhi is an injunction which determines which person has a right to undertake the activity or be involved in some stage of the process.
2) Adhikāra (अधिकार) refers to “one’s suitability” and is one of the six factors through which positive ethical precepts (regarding Dharma) are conditioned. The discerning student is required to distinguish between grades of vidhi or to compare their levels of authority or applicability. The primary distinction is derived from their motivation and goals, thus producing the concepts of puruṣārtha and kratvārtha.
Mīmāṃsā (school of philosophy)
Source: Srimatham: Mīmāṃsa: The Study of Hindu Exegesis
Vidhi (विधि, “injunction”) refers to “precepts” or “injunctions” and is one of the five divisions of subject-matter of the Vedic, Puranic and Tantric literature according to Mīmāṃsā philosophy.—A vidhi is a statement that induces one to act. All actions (karma), according to Mīmāṃsa are said to have two effects: one external, manifest and gross (dṛṣṭārtha); the other internal, potential and subtle (adṛṣṭārtha). The internal aspect is regarded as being long-lasting, while the external effect is transitory.
The inducement to act consists of three parts—What? Through what? & How? These three aspects of the vidhi are technically known as:—
- Utpatti-vidhi—Primary Injunction to perform a action,
- Viniyoga-vidhi—Injunction of Application,
- Prayoga-vidhi—Injunction of Employment,
The variable is the:—
- Adhikāra-vidhi—Injunction of Qualification.
There are another 3 sub-vidhis:—
- Apūrva-vidhi—Original injunction,
- Niyama-vidhi—Restrictive injunction,
- Parisaṅkhya-vidhi—Preclusive injunction.
The Injunctions (vidhi) constitute Dharma and are therefore the essence of the śabda Revelation."
Adhikara what gives a nakal Baul a linkage, there must be a link on what one talks about or becomes, it is not just making up stories based on what this lineage has already accomplished such as Baul and Ramakrishna it can't be my mommy a non-baul liked Ramakrishna or my daddy a non-indigenous Baul liked Ramakrishna. Anybody can talk, like, make up associations with Ramakrishna, however, in this instance there is a strong link between Ramakrishna $& Baul firsts and last in Baul history? Why would anyone want to make fake links? You have to ask yourself this and now the same with Gaudiya Vaishnavism and Baul very strong links between this lineage already established since the 14 and 15th century, so why would anybody outside this already history try to make a new link between fake Baul and Gaudiya Vaishnavism. This is very tricky and sutble.
The same with Gaudiya Vaishnavism & Baul it can't just be a random link and the link must be between 'indigenous Vaishnava Sahajiya Baul from Ekachakra Birbhum W Bengal a very specific ancestral link especially when talking about Baul and Gaudiaya Vaishnavism. When talking about Baul and anything there must be some indigenous preferably ancestral link.
Today people do not remember or know, this is of the utmost importance.
First of all one must qualify whether the Guru said to be is a Baul, is a Baul and we have first hand 100% proof he/she was not a Baul.
Baul is an indigenous subject and in that we must look into what are the laws and rules of an indigenous people set forth by the United Nations rules on indigenous people and self-identification and indigenous fraud. I know this sounds insane but what is more insane is indigenous fraud regarding Baul. A Baul lineage can not be constructed based on a one lifetime Vaishnava poet. It is not based on a Ghoshia that nobody knows who that is and the story was for 3 days then expanded to 3 years? No it does not work that ways, one lie leads to another, to another, to another and it does not stop there. Not all Gosia are Baul either. Baul has specific nuances never released to the public for a good reason.
https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2025/02/indigenous-identity-theft-indigenous.html
BabuKishan.org
https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/cultural-misappropriation.html
I wasn't going to write 'Copyright' on this post, because they poach it anyhow and drop stories about Nabani Das Khyapa Baul that only Babu Kishan has revealed on our blogs and websites? Everything has already been poached, will the poaching ever stop, probably not? This comes down to character and motive.
Copyright, all rights reserved, we are working on stopping poaching on a legal level, it has gone too far.
Character Matters, not just acted 'faking holier than thou', but true yogic character, of non-stealing, satya telling the truth, both the very important first steps on claiming or representing any indigenous Sanatan Dharma tradition.
The murder attempt on Baul Samrat Purna Das Baul.
The Poisoning of Baul Samrat (Padma Shri) Pandit Purna Das Baul, the son of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul. In all of Baul history Purna Das Baul is the most famous Baul singer, in his day they did not internet let alone 'social media fake fame'. He is an indigenous Baul born in Ekachakra Birbhum W Bengal during in 1930's and into his (90's) recognized by many Presidents of India and highly celebrated Cultural history of India.
This murder attempt the poisoning happened during the Joy Dev Mela in the 1970's and the culprit was Sanatan Das Baul aka Sri Sri blah blah blah just a poor man who suffered due to partition and needed a way to survive, it is not that there is not compassion there, but this propaganda that is being pushed today by his student shows is a perfect example of how a Guru effect the results of a student and how important it is better not to have a Guru than to have a fake Guru.
Through Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, his eldest son Purna Das Baul, and Purna's eldest son raised by Nabani until Nabani's passing in 1969 Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babu Kishan who without no one in this world would know anything about Baul.
Back to the murder attempt on Purna Das Bauls life by a jealous, the pretendian Baul who copied our songs, kirtans, style, dance and instruments and even where they went. This is the perfect of example of how one becomes who their Guru is, how it is important to know the questions to ask and not accept anything that anybody says regarding fake Guru's. Know the questions to ask, do your research.
Purna Das Baul had to have a huge amount of security, he drew crowds in the millions not because he was a shilpi Baul? Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and then Purna Das Baul were always until the poisoning,the main attraction, the reason why Bauls and Gosia showed up. Sad, disturbing by absolutely true. They were the only reason over the past century that the Joy Dev Mela in Kenduli Birbhum remained popular and their ancestors since the temple started in the 12th century have kept the temple and memory of Joy Dev alive as they are the only Vaishnava Sahajiya Bauls? Not Sanatan Das Baul he is not from there, his ancestors were not Baul, they may have been something else, but he only started Baul by watching Nabani Das Baul and copying everything from Purna Das Baul.
You can not make this up and why would you. It is a stain on Baul history. Parvathy should be ashamed of herself furthering this toxic time. I guess it is really true the shishya will be like the Guru, one has to be careful who you chose as Guru because associations are repeated. This story had to come to light, it is an important story in telling the truth of how random people copied Baul and have and are still today stealing the intellectual indigenous legacy of this lineage.
Today their legacy, lendary stories, history, their intellectual property is under threat by fakes who have no shame in poaching their lived lives, stories songs, where they have done decades of Sadhana and the only Baul ever to be associated with Tarapith, KanKali Tala, Rabindranath Tagore, Ramakrishna Mission, Vivekananada, on and on and the west teaching Baul in the west since the 1970's. The problem is not that this lineage brought Baul outside of India and to North America in every aspect including music the problem is the fake Bauls that followed them, lying to people telling them they are Baul when they were not.
This lineage taught every aspect of Baul in Cultural programs worldwide since the 1950's not just music, but Baul in every sense. Om Goodness the audacity to try to claim their Baul history by making up a shadow history, based on lies and all their associations they saying the problem with Baul is they only ever presenting the musical part, this is a bold faced lie.
Truth Talk, a Satya (truth) even rebel radical truth that goes against social media fame is what Baul is, truth is revealed, for the sake of the indigenous ancestral history of correct preservation of Baul, free from false narratives to collect, dupe, funding of financial jackpots, donation through false narratives and fake Bauls.
'Sanatan' self-titled Das Baul felt much malice towards Purna Das Baul that he orchestrated an attempted to murder of Purna Das Baul by poisoning him. Yes, the same late Sanatan Das Baul who is celebrated as Sri Sri and is used by social media fake famed Parvathy B?
Sanatan Das Baul almost succeeded killing Purna Das Baul by poisoning him at the poet Monohar Kepa ashram the police were involved and Sanatan Das Baul was arrested as the culprit. This was horrible, can you imagine trying to survive a vicious poisoning murder attempt? The police were in involved at a very high level, and they charged Sanatan Das Baul with murder, they were not happy police and they put him in jail.
After a long deliberation, Manju Das the wife of Purna Das Baul had a change of heart and convinced the police to let Santan Das Baul go. Sanatan Das Baul was the culprit. Sanatan Das Baul (who is not a real Baul) but a self-titled Baul, Manju decided it would cause damage to his wife and kids and didn't press charges, she knew he was very poor and copied Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and her husband Purna Das Baul but felt it would do not good if he was jailed for attempted murder. I would say that is very generous.
The same Manju Das who is the first Women Baul to travel the world, but yet has had her legacy twisted when Parvathy Baul claimed her position in Baul history as the first Women Baul to travel the outside of India? No sorry, that is not true or accurate, Manju Das (Pandit Purna Das Baul's) wife is the first Baul to travel the world and sing on the biggest stages of the world since the 1960's?
It seems very odd how at all costs Parvathy B has been using the intellectual property of this lineage, yet, in the past has taken their names off the stories claiming everything this lineage has already completed as full and final Baul history.
Does anybody actual do research, the answer is no, people today are swayed by emotion, charm, the jata gimmick, smiley people with no essence or nuances of Baul. This is indigenous fraud, perfect example as Guru like student?
Until this past video by Roddam's who is her partner speaking about Baul cherry picked from this lineage and this blog, telling stories only Babu Kishan has told?
He slides into his fake mish-mashed false narratives of trying to attract people, collect people and funds for their fake lineage previously saying (come and join us) when Baul does not collect people. He has the audacity to call Purna Das Baul a shilpi Baul which is sort of a slang towards any Baul.
When no one would even know about Baul without Purna Das Baul and the work he have done teaching Baul worldwide, why do you think Baul became to popular and the focus of Academic Scholars worldwide, and book writers worldwide, it is only because of Purna Das Baul, he is Baul Samarat the name given to him by a President of India and all the Bauls. Before him his father Nabani Das Khyapa Baul?
Note: Purna Das Baul is now in his 90's and unable to defend himself, this is more disturbing than anything, this has awakened and angered my husband who is Purna Das Baul's eldest son.
Purna Das Baul had to stop attending the 'Joy Dev Mela' because of this murder attempt by Sanatan Das Baul and the threat to his life, after that he was given huge security, because he was a celebrated Cultural icon of India who sang at the opening of Indira Gandhi Speeches and Rajiv Gandhi's speeches.
Nabani Das Khyapa Baul as part of the Freedom Movement was recruited by Nehru to sing before his speeches, and Nabani Das Khyapa Baul (a strong Tantric and last Baul Avadhut) had pulling power, he sang at the inauguration of Indian in 1947.
Yet, this uneducated student now Sri Sri feels he has the right to poach stories directly of this blog or our websites and call Purna Das Baul so flipant and arrogant as if he is an authority on Baul who is not a Baul and just a newcomer to Bengal he is from South India, what a joke and a fake acting as a scholar of Baul? More than anything the is cherry picking Baul, picking the bones off this indigenous lineage, to climb the fake Guru latter to America, we don't need anymore fake Guru's there has been enough, you are destroying Baul history?
You talk about Tarapith and Kankali Tali shakti peeth when Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was the only authentic Baul Guru who actually has done real Baul sadhana and was associated with these Shakti peeth as a Baul Avadhut? Because, I have written about this on this blog and on my website which you have looted.
Shilipi is a street artist, a wandering minstrel of a lower class or caste.
Bauls are against caste and creed, and here is a paradox, just because they reject caste, does not mean they are not from one, in fact this lineage only is they were Pandits, who followed Radha & Krishna, Shakti & Shiva, Brahma & Saraswati in the footsteps of Dattatreya and Aanagha Ma and Radha and Krishna Sahaja. If you ever see this poached, it has only come from here through KD Babu Kishan, he has said released this and now if other use this after saying forever, Baul is Buddhist Sahaja, it is cultural appropriation. It will be pointed out, I am on a viral watch.
This lineage is indigenous Pandits, oral Sanskritist with manuscripts who could recite the Mahabharat and Ramayan through story-telling. They are the original Vaishnava Sahajiya of Birbhum W Bengal, India.
Once I wrote it takes at least 12 years to even get a drop of Baul, she said it doesn't take anytime at all, but now saying it takes time. Dear it takes a lifetime, you are born into a Baul lineage, they are indigenous and only an indigenous Baul can self-determine who is a Baul, the ground of Baul is indigenous.
WE LIVE IN A POST TRUTH-ERA.
The actual Bengali term that has been used for fake Bauls is Nakal Baul, a term that implies imitation, copying or faking Baul. Or Jaiyat Baul is a term that can imply, fake, artificial or pretentious.
In English charlatan a person who falsely claims to have knowledge, skills or expertise. Pretender Someone who claims to have qualities of achievements they don't actually possess.
A plagiarist is someone who passes off others' work, ideas or intellectual property as their own.
An Imposter is a person who pretends to be someone they are not or claims to have qualities they don't possess.
Fake is a person who falsely claims to have a particular identity, skill or achievement.
'Nakal Baul' creates Cultural exploitation, they are outside of Baul and pretending they are inside, they do not understand the nuances of Baul. They exploit Baul cultural practices, poems, say Baul does not care who the poets are, lyrics, tune, songs, Kirtans, dance, dress, style, instruments, their history of where have gone and what indigenous ancestral Bauls have already accomplished as a matter of the survival of their owned lineage, their Baul history full and final, all their firsts and lasts. They exploit Baul spirituality for their own gain, without proper understanding, respect, or compensation to the indigenous people they took the information from, such as stealing Babu Kishan's songs, and the songs of this lineage, and what has been written as to their lived stories is poached. This is a serious problem and perhaps they thought nobody was watching because nobody said anything for so long. Time is up, it is time to reclaim Baul, preserve Baul authentically, and bring Baul back to the indigenous inner roots!
Loss of traditional knowledge, the influx of external influences erodes traditional Baul practices, music and their cultural heritage which their ancestors gave up their lives for hundreds if not thousands of years to protect and preserve.
Cultural Homogenization, I use the term making Baul random and generic. The unique identity of the indigenous Bauls is threatened by Nakal Baul who destroys their identity by acting out Baul and knowing nothing of the nuances that make one a Baul. This disrupts, marginalizes the social fabric and dynamics that are Baul.
This is an example for others in India who are now trying to reclaim their indigenous ancestral rights and traditions. For indigenous people this is a fundamental right of all indigenous traditions, to self-determine who they are without self-titled experts and fake pretendian Baul destroying, waterdown, reducing who Baul is? There has been too much fakery going on since this lineage made Baul popular, too many talking who are not from Baul, but decided Baul was a good way to collect donations, people and fundraise for big financial jackpots to preserve Baul, when Baul has already been preserved for the past 60 years in every way by Krishnendu Das Baul aka Babu Kishan.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13890392/
People need to learn the questions to ask, instead of just gushing on a emotional level. This is the most important issue of our time, discernment and knowing what is fake and what is not.
https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/cultural-misappropriation.html
https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/lineage-baul-of-birbhum.html
https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2022/07/kichhu-din-mone-mone-by-nabani-das.html
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#pioneeringBaul #NabaniDasKhyapaBaul #PurnaDasBaul #BabuKishan #KrishnenduDasBaul
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#Tarapith
