Lalon festival ends with homage to the great mystic bard

JHENIDAH, Mar 20: A five-day festival of remembrance (Smaran Utsab) on Bengali Sufi saint Lalon Fakir arranged by District administration, Kushtia, concluded on the premises of Lalon Academy at Chheuria village in Kumarkhali upazila on Wednesday night.
Ashok Kumar Biswas, Additional Divisional Commissioner (general), Khulna attended the closing day function as chief guest.
Professor Rabindranath Biswas, department of Bangla, Ideal College, Dhaka spoke as chief discussant while Kushtia Zila Parishad Chief Nirbahi KM Rahatul Islam and Civil Surgeon of Kushtia Dr Mostafizur Rahman were present as special guests with Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Syed Belal Hossain in the chair.
Mr. Ashok Kumar in his speech said, "Lalon's songs which incorporate spiritualism and mysticism should be felt with heart rather than simply hearing them for merriment. Lalon is still mysterious, research on whom has just began, not ended,'' the Commission added.
DC Syed Belal Hossain emphasised on the proper running of Lalon Academy in Kushtia.
The number of visitors as well as Lalon devotees from different areas attending the function this year was higher than those in  previous years.
Born in 1774, Bengali legendary, mystic bard-  Lalon Shah died on October 17, 1890.
Lalon who possessed versatile talent was also known as Lalon Fakir, Lalon Sainz, Lalon Shah, Mahatma Lalon etc.
Lalon is considered a pioneer of Baul song, through whose lyrics Baul songs gained popularity well in the 19th century. He is regarded as 'Baul Samrat' too.
Lalon was a humanist who placed humanity in the highest rankings moving away from all sorts of racial discrimination including religion, creed and caste and he composed his songs from this liberal attitude.
His music and philosophy ever influenced numerous people including many famous poets, litterateurs, philosophers, and intellectuals like Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and American poet Elen Ginsberg.
The foreign poet wrote a poem titled "After Lalon''.
Lalon was given 'Mahatma' title first in the Indian Sub-continent, 25 years before to Gandhi.
About Lalon's creed (religious faith), novelist Sunil Gangapaddhaya said, "Lalon was righteous, but not interested in performing any particular religious rituals."
While introducing Lalon, Shudhir Chakravorti wrote, " Kangal Harinath knew him, Mir Mosharraf knew, Lalon made trips to Tagore's houseboat, author Jalodhor Sen or Akkhoy Kumar Moitro saw him face to face many times, heard songs, yet they could not make out his race, caste, or religion.''
During Lalon's lifetime Rabindranath Tagore's brother Jatirindranath Tagore made his only sketch keeping him sitting in his boat in the Padma on May 5, 1889, around one year before his death. The sketch has been preserved in Indian zoo, though many thought that the saint's original appearance was not reflected in it.