বাংলা 
English 
On the occasion of Fakir Lalon Sai's 136th Tirodhan, 'Lalon Sandhya' was held in Dhaka. Organised by the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre of the Indian High Commission on Saturday (31 October) evening at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, the chief guest at the event was India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi.
Speaking at the event, Dinesh Trivedi said, “As a lighthouse is the guide for a rudderless ship, Lalon Sai is likewise a guiding lamp for mankind.” In his view, today's human society, rudderless in division and narrowness, is like a ship lost at sea — Lalon's philosophy is the lighthouse that shows it the way.
In the High Commissioner's words, Lalon's philosophy is a symbol of universal humanity and non-communalism. “Crossing social and religious boundaries, Lalon's songs teach us the lessons of our sense of humanity” — with this remark he called Lalon's humanist philosophy a bond of friendship between India and Bangladesh. He added that Lalon should be remembered not only on special days but every day.
At the evening event folk singer Shafi Mandal and his troupe took the stage first, performing Baul songs. Then flautist Gazi Abdul Hakim, husband of the late Lalon singer Farida Parveen, brought alive the folk tones of rural Bengal on the flute, joined by the Lalon songs of vocal artiste Nasrin Akter Beauty. After the choral song by the students of the 'Achin Pakhi Music Academy', the evening became full with the performance of the home-grown popular band 'Lalon' — in the flute and Lalon's songs came alive the living tradition of folk music.
Present at the event were guests from the cultural arenas of the two countries, including State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Manjur.
It may be mentioned that Lalon Sai's tirodhan took place at Cheuria in Kushtia on 1 Kartik 1297 of the Bangla era (17 October 1890). In that memory this year, on 17–19 October, the three-day 136th Tirodhan utsab was observed at the Lalon Akhra — the akhra grounds were then filled with streams of sages, devotees and music-lovers from home and abroad. Dhaka's 'Lalon Sandhya' is an extension of that.
Lalon's songs have taught, age after age, to see man as man rising above caste and religion. Rabindranath Tagore too, charmed by this sage's songs, gave them place in his own writings; in 2008 the Baul song found a place on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage — with Lalon at its centre.
On the initiative of the IGCC, Lalon Sandhya was held in Dhaka last year as well; there tribute was paid to the late Lalon artiste Farida Parveen. In this year's edition, Lalon's place in the Indian High Commission's cultural programme has been established once again.
News sources: bdnews24, ATN News, Jugantor reports.
