Lalon

Lalon (1772 - 17 October 1890), was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, Baul saint, mystic poet, and social reformer. He was also known as Lalon Sain, Lalon Fakir, Guruji, Sainji, and Fakir, Shah. As a Bengali cultural icon, he influenced and inspired many philosophers, poets, and social thinkers, including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Allen Ginsberg. Lalon's philosophy of humanity rejects all caste, class, and creed distinctions and opposes theological conflicts and racism. It rejects all worldly concerns in pursuit of the soul, and it embodied the socially transformative role of sub-continental Bhakti and Sufism.

Lalon established the Lalon Akhra Institute in Cheuriya, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Kushtia railway station. His followers are mostly found in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Every year on the anniversary of his death, thousands of his disciples and followers gather at Lalon Akhra for three days of celebration and discussion of his songs and philosophy.

A mausoleum and research center were built on the site of his shrine in Kushtia, Bangladesh, in 1963. Thousands of people visit the shrine (known in Bengali as an Akhra) twice a year, during Dol Purnima in the month of Falgun (February to March) and on the anniversary of his death in October. People pay tribute during these three-day song melas, particularly Muslim fakirs and Bauls. Farida Parveen and Anusheh Anadil, two modern Baul singers, are internationally known for singing Lalon songs. M One of the fundamental works is Shahinoor Rahman's thesis Bengali poet Fakir Lalon Shah: Oral poetry and tradition in the social context of contemporary Bangladesh on his life philosophy.

In 2004, the Lalon Shah Bridge over the Padma River was named after him. Lalon was voted the 12th greatest Bengali of all time by the BBC in 2004. He also regarded as one of the most important historical figures in Bangladesh.