Amar Moner Manush..Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, lineage Baul is based on ancestry!

BabuKishan.org

Indigenous Fraud, Indigenous Identity Theft!

https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2025/02/indigenous-identity-theft-indigenous.html

https://mirrorofthesky.blogspot.com/2021/08/in-1970s-babu-kishan-designed-guduri.html

https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2017/04/kichhu-din-mone-mone-kichchu-din-mone.html

https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2022/07/in-2005-unesco-declared-baul-tradition.html

https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/cultural-misappropriation.html

https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2019/02/baul-tantra-philosophy.html

Baul Tantra is Tantra Mantra Gopi Yantra  (Shakti Sadhana) the Path of the Baul Avadhuta Vishnu Shiva and Brahma including agamic texts and the historical Mahabharata and Ramayan.

Baul Philosophy is all Indian Philosophy's including the Philosophy of Madhavacharaya and Ramanuja distilled into a simple Baul Philosophy called 'Baul Darshana' or 'Baul Philosophy'. Baul and all subjects relating to India's Indigenous Hindu or Sanatana Dharma should be only qualified in the Indian system. Osho wrongly stated, Baul does not have a philosophy, he met Nabani Das Khyapa Baul in Birbhum in his early college years and later met Babu Kishan who put all of his talks on tape and recorded an ablum for him when Babu Kishan worked at CBS India. Babu Kishan is the only Baul who knew Osho and he had many conversations with him, Osho agreed to make the necesssary changed to what he wrote about Baul, but he passed away before this could ever be completed. 

Baul is a huge Mystical philosophy of Life and Light.

I (Trishula Das, the writer as everything as told by Babu Kishan over the past almost 30 years, 24/7) am not qualified in the Indian system, however, my husband Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul is qualified over a lifetime including 12 years at the Ramakrishna mission as a Monk. He is qualified in western academics with a BA and MA from Calcutta University, and qualified to the highest levels as linguist, musicologist, Music Composer, and Indian Philosopher.

Scholars are paid to write papers and books, lecture by way of grants from many source. Someones indigenous ancestral lineage becomes their career. They do field trips, digging into things they do not know the history or languages of, interviewing all the wrong people, then copy and paste already wrong things written in other books by a other scholars. They are worshipped as renowned, patting each other on the backs, this is the old colonial system. 

All indigenous Hinduism should not be qualified through the rigorous, meticulous, diligent, attentive, scrupulous, pain staking, exact, precise, of the Indian system of Indian philosophy of debate and Purva Paksha. No longer should any Indian wisdom be measured in Colonial academics. More importantly when this is an oral tradition it should be recognized only through the qualifications of the person making such claims, through their knowledge, work, and stories, not just because someone told you so. 

That is why I painstaking in talk about Babu Kishan's qualifications? The day of the pretendian fake Bauls using Baul should cease and desist,  because they have led Baul down a road not of preservation but of abuse and cultural genocide through the mis-appropriation of lineage indigenous Baul songs, style, dress, dance style and where they have already gone and what they have already accomplished as firsts and lasts in Baul culture.

The word "Darshana" literally means "vision," "insight," or "philosophical viewpoint." It refers to the various schools of thought, perspectives, or philosophical systems that aim to understand the nature of reality, the universe, and human existence.

There are six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, also known as the "Shad Darshanas" (षड दर्शन), which are:

1. Nyaya (न्याय)

2. Vaisheshika (वैशेषिक)

3. Samkhya (सांख्य)

4. Yoga (योग)

5. Mimamsa (मीमांसा)

6. Vedanta (वेदान्त)

These Darshanas offer distinct perspectives on the nature of reality, the self, and the ultimate reality, and continue to influence Indian thought and culture to this day.

In Sanskrit, "Purva Paksha" (पूर्व पक्ष) literally means "prior examination" or "preliminary investigation." In the context of Indian philosophy, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, Purva Paksha refers to:

1. Critique of opposing views: A methodological approach where one critically examines and challenges the philosophical views of others, often to establish the validity of one's own position.

2. Initial inquiry or investigation: A preliminary examination or inquiry into a subject or philosophical system, aimed at understanding its fundamental principles, strengths, and weaknesses.

In traditional Indian philosophical debates, Purva Paksha involves:

- A thorough study of the opposing views

- Identification of potential flaws or weaknesses

- Formulation of counterarguments

- Presentation of one's own philosophical position

By engaging in Purva Paksha, philosophers and scholars aim to:

- Clarify their own understanding of the subject

- Strengthen their arguments by anticipating counterarguments

- Develop a more nuanced and informed perspective

Purva Paksha is an essential aspect of Indian philosophical inquiry, encouraging critical thinking, intellectual humility, and a deeper understanding of complex ideas."

Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul is qualified and has used these techniques for decades all across India with his travels as a Music Composer for many temples and Guru's across India. This is and has been Babu Kishan's life of culture, languages and different sects all over India, he has always been curious as to what is going on. He did some of this work with a Supreme Court of Calcutta and Bombay judge who was also, a life long mentor of his.

The United Nations has proclaimed that only the indigenous people have rights over their self-determination. If you talked to the wrong self-proclaimed pretendian Baul that is your fault for not knowing their languages of Oral Sanskrit with manuscripts, of not knowing the difference between the Birbhum Bengali vernacular dialect and Bangladeshi dialect? 

It is your fault if you didn't learn Baul Sandhya Bhasha the secret coded language of Baul that includes the metaphors, allegories, riddle and paradox, that you didn't learn who are the Baul poets and the full songs, that you didn't even know the biggest Baul hoax and lie is the there is a such thing as a Muslim or Fakir Baul. You should all have your PHDs taken away for trying to self-determine an indigenous tradition. 

Then they write a paper or a book as if it were the authority of the indigenous ancient tradition, and some other scholar copies and pastes, it is like gossip, copy and paste until even the fake Baul singers think it is true. The fakes are not qualified, they then believe it and teach it, preach on youtube videos or poach it from Babu Kishan's writings, twist it, rework it so they can be the authority, It is truly insidious and I have documented it all, a whole new generation poisoning their minds and destroying the cultural legacy of a whole group of ancient indigenous people. 

Scholars are paid to go on field trips and do studies if they are lucky enough to obtain those grants the finished product is a books, lectures by way of grants from many source. An indigenous ancestral lineage becomes their career and they act like they are the authority of those people, when Babu Kishan used to challenge them, frightened they shut him out of the conversation, who wants or can afford to rewrite or write a new book? 

These field trips that they call field studies because that sounds cooler are fun and games, mow they are Indiana Jones, love with the natives, partying with the fake pretendian Bauls who are not Bauls, even rape has happened by someone posing as a Baul. How many times did Babu Kishan have to rescue foreigner including foreign academic scholars in the 1970's and 1980's? Those fakes are not Baul but they told you they were Baul, they still do today, anybody saying they are Baul today are not, they have used Baul 100% though. 

Digging into things, they do not know the history or languages of, they interview all the wrong people, and copy and paste already wrong things written in other books by a other scholars they worship as renowned, patting each other on the backs, this is the old colonial system. All indigenous Hinduism should be qualified through the rigors of the Indian system of Indian Philosophical debate in Philosophy (Darshana). No longer should any Indian wisdom be measured in Colonial academics.

Before one self-titles themselves a Baul, and hits the high road of international representation bragging it only takes 3 days, which became 3 weeks and now is 3 years with a (Gosia Baul) becoming a Baul, or dares to self-title themselves a Baul would at the very least be an expert in Baul, not a generalist learn as you go by riding of the coattails of this lineage? A Baul is only trained in family (Gosai Chand) Das Baul and Dasi lineage based on ancestry of many generations in the oral Sanskrit with manuscripts tradition, Birbhum vernacular Bengali, Baul coded language called Sandhya Bhasha and Braja Bhasha then one proceeds to teach, write Baul poetry which is different from regular poetry it is based on allegory, metaphors, riddle and paradox and is very particular to the Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls of Birbhum W Bengali India the soul and soil of the land, they one can sing Baul songs is a master of Baul Philosophy. Baul is not simple, they are not illiterate or degraded, these statement were created to open the door for people to steal and distort Baul to use Baul, this is called indigenous fraud and indigenous identity theft.

It takes lifetimes to learn Baul Philosophy and Baul is way more than any PHD it is synergistic in all of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma, yes exactly correct those people you think are Bauls are not Bauls but self-titled fake pretendian Bauls. They have not learned the basics, they are not adept an any Indian Philosophy let alone Baul Philosophy which is a beyond PHD program in Indian Philosophy.

Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul (Gosia Chand) is from the soul and soil of Birbhum an indigenous Baul who is one of the only known and last disciples of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, he is the eldest of his generation, as the only and first Baul educated in Baul and in the University academic system who has preserved Baul over 60 years. 

The only Baul educated in the academic system withe a BA and MA from Calcutta University. 

He is the first and last Baul to attend full time live in 12 years in the Ramakrishna Mission as a monk. Over his career of 40 years in Indian Cinema he was the expert in the folk who categorized all of music of India for all the largest Music Companies of India. 

An inborn and educated Music Composer with the grace of Saraswati's aspect Nila Sarawati (Tara Ma) he has been gifted, and then educated in Classical, Folk, Spiritual (Bhajans, Kirtans, Baul) in music and poetic lyrics and has a huge body of successful music, his music is heard in temples all over India. Babu Kishan is educated in both Indian Classical, Folk, Kirtan, Bhajans, Mantra shastra in many languages including as an expert to the highest level in Oral Sanskrit and Classical Sanskrit he is one of the only people that Ravindra Jain allowed to compose music for him in Sanskrit. 

He can speak all of the Vaishnava Baul languages, Oral Sanskrit with manuscripts, Vernacular Birbhum Bengali, Baul Sandhya Bhasha he knows the allegory, metaphors, riddles and paradox of Baul, and lastly but not least Braja Bhasha the language of the land of Krishna. He has been trained in grammar and outside of grammar in Sanskrit and Indian Classical Music. 

The reason I am telling you this, is because Babu Kishan has been mute about his own life, while others have used his story taken Babu Kishan's name off and tried to rework his own lived stories as if they lived his life, retracing every accomplishment, every step acting as if they are him? Most people in Bengal today do not even know Babu Kishan is Krishendu Das, he was different from his brothers, they did not associate with the same people. His Calcutta family never talks about him, they don't even know or care about him, all they care about is what he can do for them, and how much money he can give and give to them. It is very complicated and not easy to digest story, a story of an indigenous world colliding with a modern world, and the driving forces and 2 sides of the coin of jealousy, indigenous fraud and indigenous identity theft blanketed in a complicated many stories with stories.

This is the indigenous Das Baul and Dasi one and only lineage regarding Baul of the Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls of Birbhum and make no mistake there is only one lineage. All pretendian Bauls who have made up fake lineages or their self-titled Baul Guru's based on 1 or 3 generations are called Pretendian Bauls or the 'fake it til you make it; Bauls. I know it may be hard to believe how a whole industry of fake Bauls came to be, but they did it happened, you could say they followed this lineage, however, it is more sinister than just following, in some cases it has been a carefully crafted indigenous identity theft of stealing their songs, style, stories, where they went and what they accomplished right down to dressing exactly like Purna Das Baul. Copying Nabani Das Baul songs, dance and style. Writing books, recording albums, claiming they are Baul when they are not. Claiming awards, recording contracts and even claiming they are Music Composers with nothing to prove they are. 

Some have become social media influencers outright lying while riding on the 'coattails of this lineage" and all of Babu Kishan's life's work pretending they are associated with every aspect of Babu Kishan's life works, teaching at Universities because he is qualified with a Masters degree and has done that since the 1970's, associated with the Ramakrishna Mission, and taking pictures in every area and association that Babu Kishan has made all over the world and all over India as if they are the one who knew Anandamayi Ma, went to the Ramakrishna Mission, had a career in Bollywood when they did not, they did not do the work, now they are going to fundraise to preserve Baul when Baul has already been preserved over a 60 year period by Babu Kishan. 

I am not making this up I have proof and have documented every drop over the past almost 20 years. The Gaslighting is over, the indigenous Baul identity theft is over, along with indigenous fraud to gain funds, donations, awards, prestige, grants you name it they have tried every which way, even making up fake Baul Guru and fake Baul lineages.

Indigenous identity theft, indigenous fraud regarding the proliferation of pretendian (fake) Bauls, non-indigenous, non-ancestral Bauls, who have been gaslighting Indian people and the international community using Baul claiming awards and fishing for fundraising jackpots has got to come to an end. 

We are not talking about the simple Baul singers in Birbhum, they should be encouraged to sing the songs of this lineage. We are talking about commercial social media, social influencers, fake pretendian Bauls who are not from any indigenous or ancestral Bauls, many are from middle class families, they have carefully crafted their costumes with gimmicks of dreadlocks to attract unsuspecting fool, who think oh wow how exotic, not exotic at all and Baul Women NEVER EVER had dreadlocks. Her-story is complete regarding Baul there are no more Women Bauls, this is a game of self-promotion based on this one and only lineage whose names are taken off and replaced by fake lineages and fake Baul Guru's. 

I will repeat this many times because it must be understood, 

this is Baul fraud and 

Baul indigenous identity theft, publicity device, stunt, eye-catching novelty, scheme, 

trick, ploy, loss leader and shtick. 

This is a fetishization of an ancient 

indigenous, ancestral Baul of the land soil and soil 

of Birbhum W Bengal India.

 The pretndian Bauls act is more sinister, we are talking about very specific, strategic, deliberate, organized Baul actors who are more interested in a claiming Baul via fake Baul Guru's and fake lineages for fundraising and other purposes including international travel while using everything from this lineage.  They are deliberate in their indigenous fraud which is carefully crafted, and copied in step by step way of copying every step this lineage has ever taken as part of an already completed Baul history or her-story. They make wild claims and claim titles this lineage has lived. Workshops have been advertised listing all the chapters in Purna Das Baul book Baul Philosophy? 

They feel entitled to copy songs right off Babu Kishan youtube channel even his own poetry of which his father Purna Das Baul made famous? However, they take the name off and insinuate that the dance style, the songs have no poets and come from their fake Guru's ashram, are they stupid, did they think no one would know or call them out? Babu Kishan has been busy with life, he is retiring and this will be his career now flushing out all the pretendian Bauls, self-titled experts on Baul, and academic scholars who have used Baul wrongly as a career and are now trying to self-determine who is Baul. 

Over 80% of Purna Das Bauls most famous music and songs were composed, recorded and marketing by Babu Kishan on all the Big Music labels through Babu Kishan's work with the record companies over the years, he never received a thank you or a rupee from his father. Babu Kishan more than anyone knows who the poets are, what song is a Baul song and what is not, he knows who was a Baul and who was not, because he knew all of them, where they were from and their stories.

So next time a fake pretendian Baul from a middle class family decides to steal (mis-appropriate) a Baul song, or Baul Kirtan directly from this lineage and re-record it for social media fame, remember it is a crime to steal others intellectual property. It is indigenous fraud.

And stop telling Babu Kishan's stories that only are told by him. Reading our blogs and websites reworking this lineage history as if you are the one, you are not. Baul history is complete and you are committing indigenous fraud while 'fake it' and 'riding on the coattails of this lineage' 

There is no such thing as Muslim Baul, Fakir Baul that is the biggest indigenous fraud ever perpetuated for the sake of fundraising millions of dollars in the name of Baul.

An excerpt from the forth coming book.

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Historical Autobiography of Baul

The Rasa Lila Mystics
Reclaiming the Indigenous Ancestral Heritage of the
Vaishnava Sahajiya Tantric Bauls of Birbhum
    BAUL TANTRA- MANTRA- GOPI YANTRA, 
The path of the Avadhuta, Krishna Sahaja and Dattatreya Sahaja 

(Now watch every Baul will becaome an Avadhut, there is a story behind this? Babu Kishan talks about Baul kirtan, and many other things and it is copied?)

by Trishula S Das as told by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das (Chand Gosia) Das Baul

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Copyright all rights reserved, we had to do this early because of all the indigenous Fraud and Indigenous Identity theft! Do NOT be a slippery snake and copy, reprint, re-say as if you knew the stories about Nabani Das Khyapa Baul on youtube when we know you have taken stories that have been written here and only said and known by Babu Kishan, do not copy Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul life and retrace it, rework it, pretending that you actually went to University, went to the Ramakrishna Mission or worked in Indian Cinema?

Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was a ancestor of Nityananda (Nitai) of Ekachakra Birbhum West Bengal the only Baul lineage that is always based on ancestry, his first grandchild is Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul. 

BabuKishan.org who considers his grandfather and initiating Guru to be a Baul Saint: as he is the only one in his family who was initiated by Nabani Das Khyapa Baul.

 Nabani was Legendary with all the famous Baul amongst poets, scholars, artist, politicians, he was well known for his sharp intellect, miraculous healing powers, and mystical ways.. he was a BAUL AVADHUT (Baul Siddha) you can not compare Nabani Das Baul today with what one would call Baul he is the last authentic Baul to live on earth. Many Bauls to this day sing his songs without ever giving credit, they use his style the Ektara (Gopi Yantra) Baya (duggi) drum tied around the waist and they copy his one and only style of ankle bells called Nupoor where the bells are encased in metal and copy his style of dance. Most people do not know this is Nabani's style and it was carefully copied and has been acted out while others made up new lineages based on a one generation Vaishnava poet.

Baul is based on ancestry and a very old long line of ancestry not just one 2 or 3 generations, but a long line that has been passed down in families of Gosia Chand ... they were not beggars, they were not degraded as have been described and acted out by mostly poor people who had no designation or refugees from East Bengal (East Pakistan) now Bangladesh. 

Bauls were not from Murshidabad or any other part of Bengal. Bauls were only from Birbhum and people only learned about Baul from this one and only lineage. For too long, too many people have been using Baul to get out of poverty, not a problem, however, the problem starts when the watering down and reductionism starts, when false teachings start, when Baul is used by a whole generation to attain social media fame and fundraise for jackpots.. It becomes important to tell the truth.

Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was rare and no one can copy him or be him, the same with his son Purna Das Baul no one can be him, although many have tried to a famous singer such as Purna Das Baul all have failed. The same with their son and grandson many are still copying and trying to use his template and style of pioneering Baul throughout India and worldwide through teaching at Universities, Cultural Programs and recording, composing over 80% of his fathers most famous music, preserving Baul for over 60 years. They take these lineage holder names off and replace them with fake Baul Guru's, this has to be brought out into the open for too long just silence and now the younger generation think the fake is real and the real is fake. 

There is no such thing as a Baul Master!

Bauls do not have other people touch their feet, there are so many things that are being presented as Baul and are not Baul, there is alot of intellectual property theft of their songs and this must all be qualified for the correct preservation of Baul.

No poaching.

#baul

Pioneers of Bauls, the first Bauls to go oversea's, and the last Great original Baul of Bengal Sri Nabani Das Khappa Baul.. Reclaiming The Bauls of Bengal!..

Reclaiming the Bauls of Bengal !!

This is long and winding, has to be re-edited.

I use this Baul to share thoughts, it will all be part of Babu Kishan's 4th book on his one and only Lineage.

This was written way back in 2011 and now is 2022, re-editing is taking place. There is a lot of repeat in this article.

copyright, do not copy and paste, these stories belong to Babu Kishan. All rights reserved 2010 - 2040

Only a Baul, a true lineage Baul knows who or what a Baul is? Only a Baul knows where they come from. The code is stored in the Baul songs.. the songs are seeds of higher philosophy.

Scholars can only speculate, writers can only speculate.. and new Baul singers can only speculate Baul is from an oral living lineage and these Bauls know who they are!

They are Sanskrit speaking, poets, philosophers, based on Indian Philosophy with the rasa (juice) of Buddhism,  and Sufi added.... as time went on and Buddhism and Sufi flowed into Bengal so did they flow naturally into parts of Baul philosophy... which is based on Hinduism..  

Baul is an ancient oral living lineage and these Bauls know who they are!!! They are Sanskrit speaking, poets, philosophers, based on Indian Philosophy with the rasa (the juice) of Buddhism, and Sufi added.

There were and are so many different individuals and groups of wandering people around Bengal and many just started calling themselves Baul like a generic term to lump all wandering people together, lumping Sufi's, fakir's, sai, aul, dervesh all together and all the other groups and individuals wandering the county side calling them all Bauls but in fact not all of these people are Bauls. Fakir, Sai, Aul, Dervesh are NOT Baul.

This in fact was because of lack of understanding on behalf of the British and Muslim invaders of the time.

They did not like indigenous Indian people, or Indian people for that matter and saw them as pesks.. they thought all Indian people were uneducated and low, many Bengali's took on the same attitude, it was either survive and become like the British or be treated as one of these uneducated degraded beggars. 

However, the real Bauls were educated in the oral system of sanskrit meaning they had tremendous photographic  memories and were actually more educated than what any degree at Oxford University. 

Bauls most certainly were not beggars, they were like spiritual bards, they were the newspaper before there was a newspaper, their songs are how to be a yogi, how to live an enlightened lifestyle.. how to learn from nature, they were given Dakshina for their songs.  

These seed songs of higher Indian Philosophy were passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years in sanskrit and they sang in Bengali to the people of the village in the same way Tulsi Das translated the Hanuman Chalisa in the language people could understand. 

Some are creating archives trying to preserve Baul in the British mode in the model of the Western Scholar or interviewing new Baul singers but they actually do not have the details of the lineage in them. 

The new Baul singers are shortening songs or singing folk songs, Baul songs are not folk songs...There is a huge lack of basic understanding of the basics of what a Baul is or who the real Bauls are..

It is just one big mess now because everybody thinks they know what and who the Baul are?? In the past 100 or so years some Vaishnava orhodox new age British educated reformers have arrived to preach. 

It is through my extensive research I have come to understand who the real psuedo Vaishnava Asampradaya's are and it most certainly is not the Bauls, the Bauls have been an innocent pawn of this group since day one. It is this group who has become very degraded over the past 30 years using the Baul names such as  Das and Dasi

Ambitous preachers who called the Bauls degraded and other names due to their misunderstanding on who the Bauls are and on the say so of a few men. 

These new age Vaishnava reformers took the posture of the British and of course they were educated by the British oh yes they learned sanskrit and translated the texts but they had no roots and provided a very othodox British Christian monothesitic view of Vaishnavaism.

They made up their lineage and all sorts of stories regarding their ligitamacy as a lineage. I am not going to mention any names but they have big rich temples sell books and the ones on top live like kings, to think they are still putting down the Bauls writing all this non-sense collecting money, collecting devottee's. 

Everybody knows that the temple business is big business  with a heavy load of karma over their heads. 

They (the new orthodox Vaishnava from Bengal, then spread to Westerners around the world) worship Nityananda but do not even know who he is creating a story so fantastic it is amazing people believe it not all are bad but at times they act like the taliban of Vaishnavism. 

(Opinion by Trishula Das based on estensive research, over 2 decades.)

Baul is used by everybody, I do not really understand why but all these groups and people think it is ok to make Baul what they want or say nobody really knows what Baul is??

What an insult to the lineage Bauls (indigenous Baul) only a Baul who is a real Baul know what a Baul is.

 People do not understand what a Baul is they have no right to make statements such as this. Surely everybody understands karma and the destruction of the planet and all idigenous peoples of this earth. Indigenous people are Maa's and yes Radha/Krishna's children you can destroy them but there is a price to pay.

Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, Babukishan's Grandfather was a Lineage Vaishnava Baul of Bengal who also was a Kali/ Shiva Sadhaka and remember if you know anything about Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma it is polytheistic. 

Nabani Das Baul was an Avadhuta, he walked in the footpath of his ancient ancestors. The lineage is that of the Great Vaishnava Saint, Sri Nityananda of Ekkchaka West Bengal who was Sri Chaitanya's best friend.  

Nityananda  was a Baul, Chaitanya was a scholar..Nityananda had been singing and dancing the Hare Krishna mahamantra for thousands of years.

These Bauls are from an oral living lineage thousands of years old. Why is there so much distortion?? again it is the new age reformers with big printing presses who chose to write against the Bauls perpetuating the British othodox view against Bengali people.

Perhaps it is because India had been conquered many times. Times were so different from when the scholar Edward Dimmock went to Bengal 1950's. 

This  American scholar had good intentions but only concentrated on bits and pieces of what Baul is. Along with some of the newer scholars this produced an intellectual liquidation and distortion of what Baul is.

 Their were also many writers on Baul from France who introduced Baul to the world through their scholarly writings, in those days no Baul would ever tell you the truth about Baul they had a long history of having their lineage being disected they protected themselves from outsiders by purposely misleading the scholars by action and word. 

The Bauls always included anyone could call themselves a Baul, real Bauls do not care and purposely mislead people to keep the insincere away. (Do not feed perals to swine.)   

Baul has nothing to do with the hodge podge the PHD's wrote about,  they recieved their Phd's taking all the bits and pieces of what they thought was Baul.giving a few rupees to the poor Bauls. Do you really think Bauls will give away easily their whole lineage sadhana. 

You can not buy Baul most of these phd's thought they could but they never gave anything back, just lecturing around the world as if they are the authority. They perhaps thought they were doing the right thing but this has led to so much distortion by ignorance and the destruction of a idegenous people of India.

Most of the books or writings about Baul were writen by western scholars for their PHD's, they probably never thought that a Lineage Baul would ever be an educated Baul with a BA in Indian Philosophy and MA in Indian Music from Kolkata University who could read and speak english would ever live outside of India.

Baul is a mystical SACRED ancient practice and there is such a lack of integrity from writers writing books, it is cut and paste writing books to make money, some can justify well I am a Phd doing research trying to preserve the ancient knowledge of Indian but at this point it is intellectual, spiritual, artistic liquidation of a culture that belongs to these people.

 Where is the integrity, do they give anything back to the Indian people who they took the knowledge from, or is it just for their own personal benefit, a way to make a living. Think about it?

It is an insult to have Baul preserved by anyone who is not a Baul or to take new Baul singers as the authority on Baul. 

Baul is a high philosophy.. and so degrading for it to be taken and writen about as if Baul is just a joke. Babu will write all the stories, this has been part of the down fall of this ancient tradition.

Mystical practices should always be secret and were always kept secret! Bauls knew that people use them, they already knew about intellectual liquidation of their Santana Dharma being mystic seers they always could see where the future has been leading.

It is no different for the new yogi's or the neo tantra, making money off of the Indian people and then arguing it does not originate in India.

Rabindranath Tagore the great poet, novelist, musician, playwright, and artist from Santiniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal, India, knew Sri Nabani Das personally, Nabani Das was the Baul who inspired Rabindranath. 

They were great friends, Rabindranath built Nabani a place to do his sadhana on his land, he made a statue of Nabani Das, he took pictures of him that you can see at the Royal British Museum in London. 

'

There was a long history between the two, and many stories to be told. Rabindranath Tagore knew a little bit about Bauls, and developed an interest learning more and more to finally be inititated into Baul by Babu's grandfather Nabani Das Baul. 

One may ask why is Nabani Das Baul's name not writen more about in Rabindranaths writings, it is because Nabani being a real Baul never wanted to be known. Rabindranath used names like khappa or  Mirror of the Sky.

Tagore used code names for Nabani Das Baul. 

There were also some other famous Bengal writers who were so connected and very close friends of Nabani Das Baul. English translations outside of Bengali are not accurate the writers made fairy sexual tales to attract people and now they are the one who are now acting as authority on Baul. 

Babu will write about all the foreigner that came to Bengal he will write about all the mishaps about everything that is destroying Baul including those in his own family and lineage. It really will be Baul unplugged.

Through this association, and over time Rabindranath became Baul. Nabani gave Rabindranath the name Ravi (Robi) Baul, and gave him a guduri (dress).

Many top poets from around the world would travel to see them, they were all intringued, thus Rabindranath started the Poush Mela in honour of Sri Nabani Das Kyappa Baul. Most people do not know this or the history because has not been written about.. and everything that is written is just repeated over and over.. the same story half of it not true.

Rabindranath named the bridge at the Pous Mela Nabani Das Setu. Nabani Das's name has not been preserved the way it should have been, now is the time to start to tell his story. 

At Tagore University outside the prayer room there is a tree where Nabani Das used to sit, it it preserved there to this day. There has always been some jealousy between Purna Das Baul and his family this has been a major cause of the Baul lineage being degraded and distorted. It is too bad that a son can not preserve the history of his father... they are just now talking about Nabani Das Baul and showing his picture.. Babu has tried to preserve his lineage but has found it difficult to fight against storm of jealousy. 

Nabani Das are you a mad maker machine, you have completely changed me with your song, dance, and your smile.

Rabindranath gave Nabani the name "Kyappa Baul" before Nabani no Bauls or sadhu's used the name Khappa, Babu will say there a few Bauls today that use the name but perhaps they knew Nabani Das. Rabindranath wrote about Nabani Das.  

Rabindranath Tagore used the tune from a Nabani Das Baul song for Rabindranath's song about Nabani Das Baul.

"Amare paraye paraye khepia berai".... Rabindranath Tagore wrote this song and dedicated to Nabani Das (Khappa Baul) " 

Baul is a mystical SACRED ancient practice and there is such a lack of integrity from writers writing books, it is cut and paste writing books to make money, some can justify well I am a Phd doing research trying to preserve the ancient knowledge of Indian but at this point it is intellectual, spiritual, artistic liquidation of a culture that belongs to these people.

Where is the integrity, do they give anything back to the Indian people who you take this knowledge from, or is it just for their own personal benefit, a way to make a living. Think about it?

To have Baul preserved by anyone who is not a Baul or to take new Baul singers as the authority on Baul. Actually it is an insult to yoga also. 

Baul is a high philosophy and it is degrading for it to be taken and written about as if Baul is just a joke and through speculation?

Babu will write all the stories, this has been part of the down fall of this ancient tradition. 

Regarding Allen Ginsberg, will be told by Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, he knew Allen Ginsberg from 1985 or a 12 year period until Allens's death in 1997. 

Babu would visit Allen many times as he started to visit America about once a year, he would listen to stories when Allen spent time in Bengal and with his grandfather. 

Baul is like water in the dessert, Bauls are mirages, you can never catch a Baul, you can think you finally have the Baul or the story only to get there to realize it has disappeared, it is the same with Baul knowledge it is endless and has deep roots, just when you think you have captured it, it has another layer upon layer.

Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul.

Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, Babukishan's Grandfather was a Lineage Vaishnava Baul of Bengal. Nabani Das Baul was an Avadhuta, he walked in the footpath of his ancestors. The lineage is that of the Great Vaishnava Saint, Nityananda Mahaprabu.  Nityanada from Ekchakra West Bengal was a Baul.. These Bauls are from an oral living lineage thousands of years old.

Nityananda Baul Avadut,
Jai Nitai
 Jai Guru Nityananda was a Baul!
The Narrative of who this lineages Ancestors are has been stolen by the orthodox.

                              

Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul

 Before Baul Guru Sri Nabani Das Kyappa Baul, sent his 2 sons oversea’s in 1967 for several months this varies from according you talk to form anywhere to 2 and half months to 7 months. At that time there were not many people outside of India who had ever met a Baul from Bengal.  Purna Das had previously traveled outside of India to Russia in the 1950's, and this was the first time Bauls had ever gone overseas. They created history and inspired a whole new generation of Bauls to cross the ocean.

Babu has been preserving his oral living lineage for 60 years, he has written 3 books on Baul the last one being published by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison in 1985 now out of print but to be re-released soon.

As an authority by sadhana and scholarship Babu is a living lineage holder,  he finds it absurd when he reads writer, writing and spreading all sorts of mis- information on Baul. 

Bauls have been distorted, used and maligned for centuries. 

There are many well meaning people trying to preserve Baul but unfortunetly they are talking to all the wrong Bauls, the Bauls who are not versed in the lineage, the Bauls who do not even know the Baul songs, they are singing folk songs or some even Bollywood songs?? This is the way with all indigenous people and it leads to extinction.

Babu Kishan has preserved Baul since the 1960's, Baul is preserved, those who are asking for donations now are cheaters. They are using Baul to become a Baba or Maa, such a terrible shame.

Sri Nabani Das was very sick and on his death bed, and he never wanted to leave the soil of Bengal, he was one of the last of real authentic Bauls and there was no way that he would ever leave India even if it were not for the fact that he was so sick. 

Nabani instead sent his two sons, Purna Das Baul who was Nabani's eldest son and who was the first Indian volcalist to travel orverseas, Purna Das very famous Baul singer in India, millions of people had already listened to him sing across India, along with his came his younger brother Laxshman Das Baul a light hearted, magical mystical singer, you could call him the Bob Marley of Baul, also Hare Krishna Das Baul, Sudhananda Purna Das's his relative, and Jiban Das.

Ashok Fakir the tricky translator who was named as Purna Das Baul's secretary brought his wife and young daughter, telling Purna Das Baul that he could not bring his wife Manju Das. 

To A Baul it is important that their wife goes everywhere with them, this is part of their Sadhana. Those months that Purna Das and his group spent in Woodstock created a real hardship for Purna's wife and family and the other Bauls families. 

Purna's wife Manju Das had 3 little sons, and their servant Madan Das. They did not have any money, they did not know when Purna would come back home. 

The servant Madan Das arranged to help them. This was a very real and damaging time for Purna Das's family they never had a ruppee and were suffering in Kolkata. 

Purna das and group were recording record after record with the hope of at least making some money to bring back home. To this day they have never recieved a ruppee from any of the recordings or royalties. and you wonder why the Indian people are upset about the intellectual aritist musical liquidation of their culture. Think about it??  

There is a whole set of stories of how they suffered in America also, the cultual differences, the food, the cold, lack of understanding.

None of these Baul could speak english putting them at the mercy of Ashok Sakar (Fakir) he was a clerk in kolkata not a journalist and he had other plans. He told everyody he too was a Baul and a Fakir a Tantric, he mislead and decieved everybody. This is nothing new the Bauls have always been used by many people using Bauls to become famous, it is the story for many indigenous cultures. 

Interestingly enough Ashok Sarkar ended up living in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, and passed away in April 2009. Ashok saw Babu at the local Hare Krishna temple and wanted to talk to Babu but for some reason Babu did not talk to him. 

Babu only realized it was him when he read the local Georgia Straight article about Ashoke Fakirs death in April of 2009 only to realize Ashok had passed away only weeks after they first made eye contact... Ashok became a very colourful person in Vancouver and had also raised a family here. Babu has since been in conversation with his son in Santa Barbara.

Nabani was a very intense Baul Tantric Sadhaka, and to the eye he may have appeared like a wild, mad man, he was not mad in the regular sense, he was God/dess intoxicated mad.

 He was a mystical avadhuta with a magical smile, he was wild and ecstatic with love, mad for God, he was a true Baul, and a great Poet, he knew everything in the oral tradition, all the stories, all the songs. 

Most of the Bauls today are singing Nabani Das Baul songs, they do not even know who wrote the songs and should give some credit to this very rare Baul who is was the last of the  great Bauls.

George Harrison (Beatles), and Allen Ginsberg (The American Beat Poet), were some of the first famous foreigners to arrive in Santinekitan, they started to learn about the Vaishnava Bauls. Both becoming great friends, and supporters of this lineage.

Allen Ginsberg went back to America, and told Albert B Grossman about Nabani Das Baul and his ecstatic, blissful, magical, mystical song, and dance from Bengal. Albert B Grossman, (Bob Dylan’s manager at the time) was searching for different kinds ethnic musicians, as The Woodstock Committee had appointed him in charge of the ledgendary first Woodstock's ethnic department. Babu learned all this from the legendary father of Rock Journalism

Al Aronowitz... (Rolling Stones, Village Voice, Washington Post and New York Times.) 

Al Aronowitz was the man who introduced Bob Dylan to the Beattles and Allen Ginsberg... 

When Alen Ginsberg shared his recording of Nabani Das Baul aslo showing his pictures to Albert Grossman, Grossman was impressed, and intrigued, he said it would be great to present have Nabani Das at Woodstock.

Ravi Shankar, was slected as Indian’s first insturmentalist to come, and Nabani Das Baul was selected a Indian vocalist. Albert B Grossman with his wife came to Kolkata in 1967 this is when they met the Bauls and Nabani Das Baul the Baul who Allen Ginsberg had been talking about for years. 

This is how the Bauls arrived in America through Albert and his wife because of Allen Ginsbergs talking about Nabani Das Baul.. The Bauls arrived first in San Francisco then after some concerts went on to Woodstock staying for months jamming with Bod Dylan and The Band. This was a shock to Purna Das Baul and contingent because it was cold and food was not what they were used to.. They were in the wilderness of Woodstock and did not speak english.

Bob Dylan had never heard of Baul before, for him this was a new kind of music.

Purna Das Baul, and Laxman Das Baul jammed with Bob Dylan and The Band, jamming for some months in Woodstock New York. 

 

Dylan respected Purna Das, but was more friendly with the younger fun loving Laxman Das Baul (Bob Marley of Baul), perhaps because they were closer in age, and Purna Das being the older more serious one.

Years later in 1985 Babukishan would travel and perform with Bob Dylan on his cross the country US tour, and became really good friends, and exchanging music. No other Bauls ever met Bob Dylan or any or the Band members. It is only Babu Kishan who had a long many decades relationship with them, after the 1967 first initial meeting with Babu's father, it was Babu who kept the relationship going. I don't know why people (journalists) and writers on Baul just say 'Baul even knew Bob Dylan', that is a complete generic watering down and appropriation of Babu Kishan's life and story?

No other Bauls ever had any association, so they can stop using Babu Kishan's story.

Years later in the early 80's after Babu was sending letters back and forth to Al Aronowitz the father of rock journalism, Babukishan the ever dutifull son made his way to New York by himself to meet with Al Aronowitz at the Rockerfeller Centre.

 Al told Babu to meet him at the Rockerfeller Centre they hit it off and became close friends...Al set up meeting with Allen Ginsberg, this is when Babu also became good friends with Allen Ginsberg, all arranged everything.

Then on November 14th in New York Babu brought his parents all the way from Indian as he had arranged a surprise meeting for his father to reconnect with Bob Dylan. 

Babu brought him all the way to the USA and met with Garth Hudson to also re-record a new recording of the Bauls and The Band fusion music, in which Babu composed all the music for 8 songs. 

Babu organised the recording with "The Band" the Baul of Bengal fusion album, it was Babu's composition, he arranged the album but the album disappeared....hmm, .. 

Babu remembers he also brought 3 guys from New York to Wookstock for this recording  a local New York Indian Tabla player named Badal Roy, Badal was the  local Raga restaurant Tabla player, and he brought  2 other guys from the Brooklyn Iskcon Temple, Lakshmi Das and Vaiyasaki Das they worked in the Hare Krishna kitchen department.. 

Babu brought them to particapate in the album and they really wanted to meet, "The Band." Vaiyasaki played the kartals as did Lakshmi Das. Al Aronowitz said to Babu, "oh Babu why did you bring those Hare Krishna guys?' Al Aronowitz thought they were just too much, he wasn't into their trip.

A year later Babu got a letter from Garth saying he was releasing an album called "Sea to the North" Babu was so surprised his compositions from the year earlier recording in Woodstock with Garth had Babukishan listed as a percussionist, he was surprised that he was not listed as a composer of the track. To this very day 2022 Babu talks to Garth Hudson who is not in good health, they have remained friends and he talked to Levon Helm until his passing too. 

It was not easy to bring his parents and himself to USA and again with no value for their music Sea to the North is not Babu's composition but what he is saying they used Babu's composition on the album without giving him proper credit or letting Babu know that they are using his tracks Garth Hudson knows the truth, Babu had brought this to his attention.

Babu took Purna Das inside Bob Dylans concert at Madison Square Gardens as a surprise to meet Bob Dylan after all those years with the help of Garth Hudson and Al Aronowitz and he was very thankful and all Bob Dylan said to Purna Das Baul was how was Laxshman Das Baul, everybody loved the carefree younger brother of Purna Das Baul. In 1985 Babukishan would travel and perform with Bob Dylan on his cross the country East West US Tour.

Babu is grateful to Al Aronowitz because he made it all happen. It had been almost 18 years since there was contact between the Bauls, and Bob Dylan The Band, or the Grossmans, and Ginsberg. Babu had listened to his parents for years talk about what they had lost out on that first trip because those people in America never paid any royalties or not a single ruppee to the Bauls music but they were selling records and when they would go to Europe they would hear their music being played, Babu thought if he could meet them they could re-record.. 

There were many people that Babu set up meetings and reconnections with the help of Al Aronowitz to reclaim some of there royalties but the music producers disappeared. Babu's Dad told him to contact Peter K Siegel and others Peter was the music producer for these albums, "Indian street Music" from Nonesuch.. 

"The Bauls of Bengal" from Electra, and "The Bauls at Big Pink" Buddha Records. None of them would meet with Babu they were selling music recorded by the Bauls and not just any Bauls but his family making money, they probably never  thought a Baul would come to America educated and speaking english and wanting to know why his family is not profiting of any of these albums? People use the lyrics of the Bauls, the music of the Bauls but for some reason do not feel they owe them anything?

 Babu contacted all the record companies as Babu at the time was Asia's (India's), CBS music label manager and consultant, he had been releasing all the top music of the world in India for Bob Dylan, Micheal Jackson ect... all these American artists were receiving royalties from oversea's so why not the Bauls of Bengal's, where were their royalties.. 

Babu found out the royalities were going to the individual Producers account. These people know, who they are, they know what they took from the Bauls and we will be writing about this in our book with more details, so stayed tuned to the Bauls unplugged. Who would have thought a Baul would ever figure it all out? Who would have thought India would rise again and want to reclaim their spiritual, intellectual, property that had been liquidated by foreigners? 

Babu developed a very strong friendship with Al Aronowtiz until Al passed away in 2005 .It was Babu who reconnected to all these people and continued to  make a trip every year to keep everybody inspired about the Bauls of Bengal.

Any meeting with any of these people in the 1980's and onward was all due to Babukishan and his effort to help his parents reconnect. Babu as a one man show has continued to keep Bauls in the limelight with much effort and time. He worked tirelessly spending his own money arranging and making a trip every year to America.

Baul songs are not Folk songs..many today are singing Bangladeshi and Bengali folk songs, or they are singing only the very simple songs, and shortening down the songs to make them simplier. Baul is more than dressing like one, holding an ektara in one hand, and singing folk songs. It certainly has nothing to do with smoking ganga in a regular sense, some Bauls smoked ganja for certain sadhana's, most Bauls did not and it certainly is not attracting people with all this talk of tantric sex.

Baul women never ever had jata or dread locks, this is something new. It all sounds like a paradox Sri Nabani Das Baul was an avadhuta Baul, these types of Bauls are rare, yes he did smoke ganja like any other wandering sadhu, or shiva baba's, the ganja did not smoke him.. He did constant sadhana... The regular villiage Bauls did not smoke ganja.

The lineage is not about ganja or tantric sex as stated by many writers in which many imposters, or Baul singers have aligned themselves with. Perhaps Neo Tantri Sex has been the quest of many people who have wanted to learn about Baul or who used to hang around with the Bauls, you can usually tell by what they write. The writers who mention Baul is about some sort of neo tantric sex you can be assured they do not know what they are talking about or they have been mislead by some Bauls who were trying to attract people??

Bauls keep their knowledge inside. They keep there sadhana inside. They are lovers of Hari, if there is no love... Hari is not there. They are the mystics, they lived in a different world than ordinary people.

This is the short real true story of how Baul is known in the modern world outside of India. It is this family, this lineage that has travelled all over the world since 1966 trying to preserve this ancient oral tradition of Vaishnava Baul…otherwise who would know what Baul is???

Actually Purna Das Baul went to Russia in the 1950's. He has been traveling for more than 70 years, and Babukishan has been traveling for more that 40 years, preserving, educating about the Baul of Bengal.

This is the beginning of the story of the first Bauls to travel to North America. Purna Das Baul had already been to Russia, and won a Gold medal in IPTI musical youth festival for his singing.

Bob Dylan, and Purna Das Baul

George Harrison (Beatles), and Allen Ginsberg (The American Beat Poet), were some of the first famous foreigners to arrive in Santinekitan, they started to learn about the Vaishnava Bauls. Both becoming great friends, and supporters of this lineage.

Babukishan, his mother Manju Das, father Purna Das Baul and 2 brothers.

Years later in 1985 Babukishan would travel and perform with Bob Dylan on his cross the country US tour, and became really good friends, and exchanging music.

Young Krishnendu Baul playing Sri Khol 

All rights reserved, copyright material by Babukishan & Trishula Das