Lalon Fakir

© Parvathy Baul & Ravi Gopalan Nair
 
Lalon Fakir is like the Sun of the Shai Fakir tradition of erstwhile undivided Bengal region. His Life and poetry flowered in the 19th Century.
His Life’s message still courses through like a strong river in the mind and hearts of the people of Bengal.
Having experienced religious conflict from close quarters, he emerged as a fierce critic of identity based conflicts.
His songs always spoke about freedom that is beyond all identities.
It is said that he lived over a hundred years.
His tradition still continues near Kushtia, Bangladesh.
In his Akhara-Majhar, every year thousands of his devotees gather on the occasion of his death anniversary. 
 
Al-Buraq is a miraculous steed from the heavens which transported the enlightened beings.
Lalon himself used these images often in the songs.
 
This woodcut depicts Lalon Shai being carried towards the Divine light on the Al-Buraq.
This is depicted as his final journey.
The journey is summed up in Malayalam phrase “from what one knows to one who knows .“ 
This phrase is etched in the border of the wood cut.
This was the teaching from Mahaguru Thangal.