A three day long Indo-Bangla music festival began in Sherpur, Bangladesh on Monday to celebrate the 250th birth anniversary of the mystic saint and humanist bard Fakir Lalan Shah. The Lalon  Biswasangha organised the event in collaboration with the High Commission of India in Bangladesh and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh. 

Lalon also known as Fakir Lalon Shah, Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir or Mahatma Lalon was a prominent Bengali philosopher, Baul saint, mystic, song composer, social reformer and thinker from the Indian subcontinent.

On the first day of the festival many Baul singers and artists from India and Bangladesh gave their performance with traditional instruments like ektara, dotara, dhol, banshi, khamak and mondola at Shilpa Kala Academy, Sherpur. Prominent Singers Sunil  karmakar, Farida Parvin, Shyamsunder Das, Promila Biswas, Shafi Mondol and many singers and artists from local Baul Akharas to perform during the three day festival at Sherpur. 

Fakir Lalon Shah is considered the most prominent figure of  the Baul tradition of Bangladesh and India. Born in 1774 at Horishpur in Jhenaidah district of modern Bangladesh. He inspired and influenced people like Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and the American poet Allen Ginsberg among others.

Written by: Navalsang Parmar