Fokir Lalon Akhra

Fokir Lalon Akhra

Fokir Lalon Shah was the spiritual leader, mystical poet, Baul singer, saint, composer and reformer of Baul songs. Nobody knows his actual date of birth, his birth place, which religion he followed, his parents name nothing. The researchers say that he was born in 1774 and he died in approximately in the age of 116 years. The early life of Fokir Lalon Shah was impossible to verify and debatable. He was born in a Kayastha family in Bharora village Kushtia. In the young age he caught smallpox and thrown into Kaligonga River which is a branch river of Ganges. After that the saint Shiraj Shah (Malam Shah) who was a Muslim fakir along with his wife Matijan picked him up and back to health. Later Lalon introduced as a Baul Fakir. He sets up an Akhra in Chheuriya, Kushtia. There he lived with some of his disciples and his wife. Matijan was his first disciple. Lalon was actually devoted to freedom, love and peace that describes in his most songs. There are no written evident of his songs. His songs are all transmitted orally and later this transcripts by his followers. His direct disciple was Kangal Harinath Majumder the familiar poet of Kushtia. Rabindranath Tagor influenced by his songs and published in monthely Prabashi of Kalkata. Lalon died at the age of 116 on 17 October 1890 (so called) at Chheuriya. Every year thousands of disciples comes to the Akhra bari to give respect to their respectful leader. They stayed there for five or six days. They especially pray, sing, dances and by other ways give respect to their leader of Guru. Beside the Majar a large field situated and there held Mela for the rest of the days of the ceremony. Beside the Mazar there is a four floored building which is called ‘Lalon academy’. In the academy there are many singers who are practicing lalon song. And there is also two floored building which is made for the Bauls as their temporary living place. The govt. of Bangladesh spent for the complex about taka 3 crore and 54 lakhs. The great saint Fakir Lalon always spoke about the Humanism. He avoided all kind of difference of class and cast. Now the main Khadam of the Mazar is Karamot Ali. It is approximately 3 km away from the main Kushtia town. Today it is one of the tourists site in Bangladesh. Every year many foreigners come to this place for their research and to observe the meaning of the line ‘Manush Vojle sonar Manush hobi’.