Description

About the Book

The book dealing with the Bauls of Bengal has covered two main aspects of Baul movement namely, Baul music and Baul sadhana, both being inter-related and interdependent. Baul is a popular form of folk music of Bengal; it is a minor religious sadhana as well. Baul doctrinal concepts are propagated through music only. As such the concepts have been interpreted with the assistance of song pieces wherever necessary. In the process the components encompassing the Baul/Fakiri philosophy i.e tantric Hinduism, tantric Buddhism, Islamic Sufism and tantric Vaishnavism leading to Sahajiya Vaishnavism have come in the picture and the book contains some discussions on each of them for proper understanding of the doctrine. The book has also focused light on a less known form of folk named Tuk-kha, somewhat related to Baul and prevalent in the northern part of Bengal but talked about never before. Dance with certain special characteristics, an integral part of Baul music has occupied appropriate importance. Baul in modernity has also been assigned some space. That way, this is an attempt to bring Baul-Fakiri-Tuk-kha to the readers in a unique format.

About the Author

  Dr. Sukhbilas Barma, basically a bureaucrat maintained his close relation with his ethnic community ‘The Rajbanshis of North Bengal’. A ‘top grade’ performer in folk music of All India Radio, Dr. Barma did extensive research on folk culture, folk of North Bengal especially and did Ph.D in Bhawaiya from Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) in 2000 and was awarded D.Litt by North Bengal University in 2005. In 2018 he was awarded Acharya Dines Chandra Sen Smriti Puraskar by RBU. With the materials obtained from research he authored a number of books-Jag Gaan, Bhawaiya-Catka, Ganer Pakhi Abbas, Uttar Banga Parikramay Prabandha Sankalan (2 Vol.) in Bengali and Ethnomusicology of Bhawaiya, Socio-Cultural Movements in North Bngal, Rajbanshi Folk Tales and Folk Songs, and Indomitable Panchanan in English.

In the process of extensive research on folk culture and performances on folk music-Bhawaiya-Catka, Bhatiali, Gambhira, Prachin Geeti and Baul, Dr. Barma got fascinated by the essence of Baul music of Bengal and Tuk-kha songs of North Bengal. This book ‘Baul-Fakiri- Tuk-kha’ is the product of his labour on such research.