বাংলা 
English 
Baul is a special folk custom and religious creed. This creed was born on the soil of Bengal. The Baul doctrine gained recognition through the songs of Baul maestro Lalon Sai. Baul songs are as rich in melody as they are steeped in a philosophy of life. The Bauls' plain, ascetic life of discipline, and their habit of wandering from village to village, singing to the strains of the ektara, are their customary way. In 2005 UNESCO proclaimed Baul song one of the finest treasures among the world's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
There are differing opinions about the origin of the word Baul. Some say 'Baul' came from 'batul', while according to others the word Baul came from 'bazri' or from 'bazrakul'. Some say it derives from the word 'aul'. According to historians, the Baul creed emerged in Bangladesh in the seventeenth century. The founders of this creed were Aul Chand and Madhab Bibi. A Vaishnava mahajan named Birbhadra popularised it at that time.
The Bauls' territory stretches from the Kushtia-Pabna region of Bangladesh to Birbhum-Bolpur-Joydeb Kenduli in West Bengal. Among the Bauls there are both householders and ascetics. The Bauls practise spiritual discipline at their guru's akhra. Every year on the day of the Paush Sankranti a fair of the Bauls begins at Joydeb Kenduli in Birbhum, famous as the 'Joydeb Baulmela'.
Bauls are liberal and non-communal religious seekers. They preach the message of humanity. The influence of Vaishnavism and Sufism can be seen in the Baul creed. The Bauls give the greatest importance to the soul. In their view, to know one's own soul is to know the Supreme Soul or the Creator. Since the soul dwells in the body, they regard the body as sacred. Though usually uneducated in conventional schooling, the Bauls have spoken profoundly about the philosophy of life.
Baul sages:
The most talked-about among the Baul sages is Lalon Sai. Through his vast number of songs, Lalon spread the philosophy of the Baul creed and non-communalism. Besides him, the names of Baul poets such as Jalal Khan, Rashid Uddin, Hason Raja, Radharaman, Siraj Sai, Panju Sai, Pagla Kanai, Shitalang Sai, Dwijdas, Haricharan Acharya, Monomohan Datta, Lal Masud, Sula Gain, Bijoy Narayan Acharya, Din Sharat (Sharatchandra Nath), Ramu Mali, Ramgati Shil, Mukunda Das, Arkun Shah, Shitalang Fakir, Syed Shah Nur, Shah Abdul Karim, Ukil Munshi, Chan Khan Pathan, Tayeb Ali, Miraz Ali, Dulu Khan, Abed Ali, Umed Ali, Abdul Majid Talukdar, Abdus Sattar, Khelu Mia, Idris Mia, Ali Hossain Sarkar, Chan Mia, Jamsed Uddin, Gul Mahmud, Prabhat Sutradhar, Abdul Hakim Sarkar, Kari Amir Uddin, Shekh Madan, Duddu Sai, poet Joydeb, Kobiyal Bijoy Sarkar, Bhaba Pagla, Nilkanth, Dwij Mohin, Purnadas Baul, Khorsed Mia, Miraz Uddin Pathan, Abdul Hakim and the woman poet Anwara Begum are worth mentioning.
