Kenduli Mela

There is a popular Bengali saying- ‘Baro Mase Tero Parban’ which literally translates to mean thirteen festivals in twelve months. But it actually tries to bring home the point that an innumerable number fairs and festivals take place in Bengal. Kenduli Mela in Bengal is one such festival where you get a unique opportunity to encounter the Mad Bauls of India. Recognized as the premier festival of the Bauls, the Kenduli Mela attracts tourists from different parts of the globe.

Overview of Kenduli Mela- Every year a large festival is hosted at Kenduli in Birbhum District of West Bengal. The Kenduli Mela attracts the largest number of Bauls, a well-known religious sect of Bengal who tries to popularize the folk music of Bengal also known as the Baul Music. Held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti it attracts a large number of tourists who throng the place only to hear the magical strains of the Bauls. The Bauls are an intrinsic part of Bengal’s culture. The word Baul literally means one who is "afflicted with the spirit of wind or mad”. The bauls or the wandering minstrels of Bengal are the primary source of attraction of the Kenduli Mela. Kenduli Mela celebrated in the state West Bengal from 14 January 2007 to 16 January 2007. The Baul Folk Songs conveys their deep philosophy of life in simple words and expressions through their songs. It may be mentioned here that Birbhoom district is home to many Bauls. The Kenduli Festival of Bengal gives a unique opportunity for the musically inclined to see the Bauls performing at their best. The Bauls abide by no specific religious doctrine and adopt only those aspects of religion that leads a man to self-realization.

So if you wish to explore the spirit of the Bauls make it a point to visit the Kenduli Mela and get a real feel of the sights and sounds of Bengal.

Originally, the district of Birbhum in West Bengal was the seat of all Baul activity. Later the Baul domain stretched to Tripura in the north, Bangladesh in the east, parts of Bihar and Orissa in the west and south respectively. In Bangladesh, the districts of Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Tangyl are famous for Bauls. Bauls from far off places come to participate in the Kenduli Mela and the Pous Mela - the two most important fairs held in West Bengal for Baul music. It's hard to think of Bengali culture sans the Bauls. They're not only an intrinsic part of Bengal's music, they're in the mud and air of this land, they're in the mind and blood of it's people. The spirit of the Bauls is the spirit of Bengal - ever-flowing in its society and culture, literature and art, religion and spirituality.