Baul Saint Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, Poet, Philosopher, Lineage Baul of Bengal.
Bauls do not care for rules and regulations of the orthodox religions they are freedom (moksha) liberation seekers. They are ardent Bhakti Yogi’s, sadhaka’s.
Bauls were the newspaper before the printed newspaper with a twist they are spiritual Guru’s, and spiritual messengers of the eternal truths of India. Bauls believe in humanity, they do not negate the body, however this does not mean the body is the main focus of their sadhana, the main focus is the soul.
Bauls believe in the soul, they always say, ask your soul, they do not say ask your body or ask your mind. Bauls are soul singers, they believe that we reach liberation through the soul. To them we are all divine gifts and our bodies are our temples, music is the path, actually you could call them Yogi sound healers of the soul.
The divine in the form of Radha and Krishna reside in the soul located in the alter of the heart within the human body. This is where the rasa lila dance takes place. The ekatara or Gopi Chand a one stringed musical instrument is the Bauls symbol of unity and peace. Bauls are lovers of Hari, lovers of the divine, ecstatic mystical lovers, they are honey bees gathering the rasa (juice) grinding this juice into the pure love. Thus they are known as mystical honey catchers.
The first Baul to wander far from the streets of Bengal was Purna Das Baul. As a young lad he pioneered Baul singing on the trains in British India at the tender age of 7 or 8, which eventually led him to all of India, Russia, America to Woodstock and just about every country in the World many times over for the past 60 years. Purna Das Chandra Baul the only Legendary Baul and Baul Samrat (king of the Bauls) he is Babukishan's father.
Times were very difficult for the Bauls in the villiage when Purna Chandra Das was growing up, being the eldest son he wanted to help his mother Brajabala Dasi because in the early years his father was wandering India thus Purna Das Baul started singing on the trains for rupee's. In the past the Bauls would travel from village to village singing the Hare Krishna mahamantra, and singing their songs of the teaching of Indian Philosophy and humanity, they were offered Dakshina as one would pay for a spiritual newspaper of magazine, they enlightened the people.
Purna Das Baul brought Baul to the world and Babukishan, did all of the leg work organizing the tours, making contacts for performances at theatre halls, univerisities, radio, television and festivals around the world. They preformed concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York opening doors for all Bauls to follow, they created history all credit goes to them and their lineage as pioneering Bauls of Bengal,India.
Rabindranath Tagore started the Pous Mela in honour of Babukishan's grandfather Baul Saint Shri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. Rabindranath created this festival to bring all the poets of the world together and to preserve Bengali culture in Shantiniketan, he named the bridge at the Pous Mela, Nabani Setu (Bridge on Ajoy River,Birbhum,West Bengal) after Sri Nabani Das Baul as he was the first Baul to be introduced through the Pous Mela (Poetry & Baul Festival), he opened the door for other Bauls at the Pous Mela before Nabani Das Baul the Pous Mela did not exist.
BaulSaint Nabani Das Baul was the biggest attraction for the JaiDev Mela, Rabindranath said, "Nabani Das you always go to the Joy Dev Mela why not start a Mela here in Shantinekatan, Bolpur to bring together all the poets and storytellers (Bauls are Storyteller) around the world." Rabindranath knew Nabani Das Baul would be the biggest attraction for everybody. Nabani Das Baul was not any regular Baul he was a Saint, millions of people all over India would come to see him.
Babu was blessed as he was born into Nabani's care for the first 8 years of his life, Nabani named Babu, Krishnendu healed his crooked limbs and carried him around India giving him darshan with the most important spiritual Guru's that were alive in the 60's. To Nabani Das Babu was his Bala Krishna he was addicted to his little Krishna Das.
Rabindranath photographed Nabani Das Baul and you can even view these photographs in the Royal British Museum in London and many of reputed Magazine's Covers. He created a meditation spot for Nabani Das just opposite his glass room in Shantiniketan. He instaled a Statute dedicated to Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. The statue was sculptured by world renowned Ramkinkar Baije. Rabindranath Tagore named Nabani Das "Khyappa" Baul there were no Bauls before him named "Khyappa" now we have Bauls called themselves Khyappa all the time, but it really was a name meant only for my grandfather. Our lineage is that of Das and Dasi and any Bauls using this title are in some way related to our lineage.
Many eminent painting and drawing were done of Nabani Das Khyappa Baul by renowned Bengal painters who were also Nabani Das's friends, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, M.F.Hussain and many more.
It was the American Poet Allen Ginsberg who met Baul Saint Nabani Das Baul in the early 60’s, Ginsberg called Nabani Das his Guru and the 8th wonder of the world, although Nabani didn't want to be Allen’s guru, he wrote about Sri Nabani Das Baul in the New York times, Nabani preference was to remain anonymous (before Allen Ginsberg some people did record and write about Nabani Das Baul in Europe and Japan).
Lineage Bauls were at the legendary first Woodstock in 1969 in New York thanks, to Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan's manager Albert B Grossman. You will hear of Ravi Shankar and Swami SatChidAnanda but for some reason Purna Das Baul and his younger brother Laxman Das Baul are not remembered perhaps because they never stayed in the USA. Purna Das Baul can be seen on the cover of Bob Dylan's album, "John Westly Harding" the photo originates from 60's Woodstock. "Baul of Bengal, I sing for all, Blue Danube is Jumuna, Hudson is my Vrindavan, see me in Kolkata, Toronto, London, Hear my call Baul of Bengal, Same man many names, same player, many games, Love is magic to win at life...Hear my call O Baul of Bengal."
Allen Ginsberg’s Guru being Babu’s Grandfather Nabani Das Khyappa Baul wrote this poetry for Babukishan Das Baul and dedicating it to Nabani Das. Babukishan composed in collaboration with Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, and his parents, this music for the their tour with Bob Dylan and The Band in 1985. They toured all over American in the East to West Tour with Bob Dylan.
Babu and his family played on stage in London for Rolling Stone’s concerts, fundraisers for Bangladesh Flood victims. They played in the Indian Music section in 1971, 1972, and 1978 in Hyde Park in front of thousands of people along with Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, The Beattles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones produced an Album called Jai Bangla, Babu along with his family spent a week at Mick Jagger’s mansion in Nice France while Purna Das Baul was recorded on this album. This was the beginning of a long relationship between the Rolling Stones and Babu he last saw the Rolling Stones in 2004 Mumbai.
Anybody inside of or coming out of Bengal knows of the Legendary Classic Baul Purna Chandra Das Baul, millions of people would come out to see him sing from all over India. He is the first and only Baul to have priviate security from the Government of India because of his popularity and fame with millions of people surrounding him. The Bauls have always followed him, they dress the way he dresses, act like he acts.
This fame created much jealousy among some the new Baul singers who came from Bangladesh, and the Bauls who also wanted to take Baul as a profession. At the JaiDev Mela in the 70's the jealousy among the Baul delivered a blow when they poisoned Purna Das Baul, he came very close to death. It is interesting to Babu to listen to the new Baul singing the songs of his lineage never acknowledging the lineage, singing songs or poetry written by his ancestors without acknowledging the poets.
Wikipedia is completely wrong on the subject of Baul. This is about preserving Baul an ancient lineage that has been around for thousands of years, it is not about making up a lineage by new Baul singers, who are trying to develop a singing career or people who just want to travel the world under the Baul persona and name.
The pioneers who brought Baul outside of India are this lineage Baul family, Sri Nabani Das Baul, Purna Das Baul, his wife the late Manju Das, their eldest son Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, for more than 60 years.
Baul kirtan is kirtan of Krishna, and Radha, Shiva and Kali, devotional songs on everything relating to Indian spirituality and Yoga. The kirtan’s would go on for days, weeks at a time, one did not stop for a break, or break the kirtan. The Baul whirls and twirls and takes their audience to another place where the heart becomes the soul, where one will be drunk with the divine finest wine of pure love. For the soul there are no words to describe the blessing of this lineage called “satchitananda.” Magical, Mystical Philosophical, Poetic, Mysterious, God intoxicated Baul of Bengal they sing for all.
OM ANANDA LAHARI, Jai Guru, Jai Nitai, Jai Maa, Hari Bol, Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare || Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
||हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे || हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे||
Article by Trishula Sandra Das
Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul -
Leader of the Modern Bauls, Baul Guru
BA Indian Philosophy, MA Indian Music,
12 years as Vedic Monk with the RamaKishna Order.
Master of Indian Classical, Folk, Baul and Bollywood music.
30 years Bollywood Music Composer.
Trishula Das was initiated into the mystical practices of the Lineage Bauls of Bengal in 2006, her role is that of a Baul Scholar, transcribing and writing from the direct lineage transmissions of Babukishan Baul Guru, Baul Scholar.
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