BARUN KUMAR DAS, JADAVPUR, SOUTH KOLKATA : As the January chill settles over the city, the air in Shaktigarh, Jadavpur, has begun to hum with a different frequency. The annual Baul Fakir Utsab, a grassroots celebration of Bengal’s mystic musical heritage, returned to its spiritual home this weekend, drawing thousands to a small neighborhood field that has become a global pilgrimage site for folk lovers.

_{^{Baul Fakir Utsab at Jadavpur / Photo : Barun Kr. Das}}

Now in its third decade, the festival – often called the “Woodstock of Bengal Folk” – remains a defiantly non-commercial space. There are no corporate logos here; instead, the “Shaktigarh Math” (field) is adorned with simple hay-strewn grounds, clay cups of tea, and the vibrant saffron and patchwork robes of the wandering minstrels.

The festival traditionally follows a grueling but soul-stirring schedule: 48 hours of non-stop music. From Saturday morning until the early hours of Monday, the stage is never empty.

“This isn’t just a concert; it’s an ashram (a spiritual retreat),” says Satyaki Banerjee, a renowned musician and one of the long-time organizers. “The artists don’t come here for a ‘gig.’ They come to share their sadhana (spiritual practice) with a city that often forgets to slow down.”

This year’s edition features over 100 performers coming from the heartlands of Nadia, Birbhum, and Bardhaman, as well as several Fakirs from across the border in Bangladesh.

• The Sounds: The rhythmic clatter of the khamak, the drone of the ektara, and the deep pulse of the dubki provide the backdrop for lyrics that speak of “the man of the heart” (Moner Manush) and the futility of religious divisions.
• The Stars: While the festival shuns the “headliner” culture, the crowd swelled on Saturday evening for the soulful renditions of legendary practitioners and young torchbearers of the Lalon Shah and Panju Shah traditions.

Beyond the stage, the Baul Fakir Utsab has evolved into a cultural ecosystem. The peripheral stalls at Shaktigarh offer:

• Rural Crafts: Hand-stitched Kantha embroidery and traditional musical instruments.
• The “Adda”: Under the winter sun, students from Jadavpur University sit alongside elderly residents, debating philosophy over bhaarer cha (clay-pot tea).
• Winter Delicacies: Seasonal favorites like Poush Parbon sweets and hot kachuris keep the audience fueled through the cold nights.

The “Kolkata-Kenduli” Connection

For many, this Jadavpur festival serves as a “prelude” to the massive Joydeb-Kenduli Mela in Birbhum. However, the Jadavpur Utsab is credited with bringing the “Baul-ana” (the Baul way of life) into the urban consciousness of South Kolkata, bridging the gap between the rural mystic and the modern intellectual.

As the fog rolled in on Sunday evening, the music showed no signs of stopping. A young student, wrapped in a shawl, summed up the mood: “In the city, we are always rushing. But when you sit on this grass and hear a Fakir sing about the ‘bird in the cage,’ the world finally makes sense.”