Lalon

Fakir
Lalon
Shah
ফকির লালন শাহ
Portrait by Jyotirindranath Tagore (1884)
Born1774
Jhenaidah, Bengal Subah
Died17 October 1890(1890-10-17) (aged 117–118)
Kushtia, Bengal Presidency, British India
Resting placeMausoleum of Lalon Shah,
Kumarkhali, Kushtia District, Khulna, Bangladesh
Occupations
  • Spiritual leader
  • Philosopher
  • Mystic poet
  • Social reformer
SpouseBishōkha

Lalon (Bengali: লালন; 17 October 1774 – 17 October 1890),[1] also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah, was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer born in Jhenaidah, Bengal Subah.[2] Regarded as an icon of Bengali culture, he inspired and influenced many philosophers, poets and social thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore,[3][4][5] Kazi Nazrul Islam[6] and Allen Ginsberg.[7] Lalon's philosophy of humanity rejects all distinctions of caste, class, and creed and takes stand against theological conflicts and racism. It denies all worldly affairs in search of the soul and embodied the socially transformative role of sub-continental Bhakti and Sufism.[8]

Lalon founded the institute known as Lalon Akhra in Cheuriya, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Kushtia railway station in southwestern Bangladesh. His disciples dwell mostly in Bangladesh and Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam’s Barak valley. Every year on the occasion of his death anniversary, thousands of his disciples and followers assemble at Lalon Akhra and pay homage to him through celebration and discussion of his songs and philosophy for three days.[8]

In 2004, Lalon was ranked 12 in BBC's poll of the Greatest Bengali of all time.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ Basantakumar Pal, Sri (2012). Chowdhury, Abul Ahasan (ed.). Mahātmā Lālana Phakira (1. Bhāratīẏa saṃskaraṇa. ed.). Kalakātā: Gāṅacila. ISBN 9789381346280. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  2. ^ Uwe Skoda; Birgit Lettmann (30 October 2017). India and Its Visual Cultures: Community, Class and Gender in a Symbolic Landscape. SAGE Publishing India. pp. 165–. ISBN 978-93-86446-69-5.
  3. ^ Caudhurī, Ābadula Āhasāna (1992). Lālana Śāha, 1774 - 1890 (1. punarmudraṇa. ed.). Ḍhākā: Bāṃlā Ekāḍemī. ISBN 978-9840725977. OCLC 246442470.
  4. ^ Urban, Hugh B. (2001). Songs of ecstasy tantric and devotional songs from colonial Bengal. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-19-513901-3. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  5. ^ Tagore, Rabindranath; K. Stewart, Tony (Translation); Twichell, Chase (Translation) (2003). The lover of God. Port Townsend, Wash.: Consortium Book Sales & Dist. p. 94. ISBN 978-1556591969.
  6. ^ Hossain, Abu Ishahaq (2009). Lalon Shah, the great poet. Dhaka: Palal Prokashoni. p. 148. ISBN 978-9846030679. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  7. ^ Ginsberg, Allen; Foley, Jack (Winter–Spring 1998). "Same Multiple Identity: An Interview with Allen Ginsberg". Discourse. 20 (1/2, The Silent Beat): 158–181. ISSN 1522-5321. JSTOR 41389881.
  8. ^ a b Ahmed, Wakil; Karim, Anwarul (2012). "Lalon Shah". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  9. ^ "Listeners name 'greatest Bengali'". 14 April 2004. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  10. ^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 4 Num 313". The Daily Star. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. ^ "International : Mujib, Tagore, Bose among 'greatest Bengalis of all time'". The Hindu. 17 April 2004. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.