Lalon memorial festival begins in Kushtia today

JHENIDAH, Mar 3: Lalon Smaran Utshab (memorial festival) begins here at Lalon Academy premises at Chheuria in Kushtia. A five-day programme has been chalked out by Lalon Academy in association with Ministry of Cultural Affairs and district administration, Kushtia in memoriam of Baul King Fakir Lalon Shah.

Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdus Samad, Khulna, will inaugurate the function at 6 pm tomorrow (Wednesday). The event will feature discussion, Lalon fair and presentation of Lalon songs.

Visitors and devotees of the mystic bard from home and abroad have started to throng the Lalon Academy premises as they do every year.

Baul king Lalon Shah performed the celebration during Dole Purnima in his lifetime. In continuation of the tradition, every year Smaran Utsab is observed here.

After the demise of the great philosopher, his death anniversary has also been being observed through a five-day memorial programme at the shrine on the 1st day of Bengali month Kartik.

Lalon Fakir was born in 1974. His foster-father Molom Shah, a devotee of Lalon Fakir, donated around 6 acres of land in order to establish a shrine.  In 1823, the shrine with a big hut for Lalon's living and worship was built. Chanting of the bard took place in that house. When died, Lalon was buried at the middle of his dwelling place. Now there are 32 mazars here.

In 1962, then DC Kushtia Q G Ahad, Debi Prashad Chakrabharti (Kanu Babu), and Mozammel Haque (Keru Mia) took initiative to develop the mazar of Lalon and constructed the main gate.

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