Baul in Performance: Strategic Essentialism, Resistance and Ethical Sociality

By: Munshi, Auritra

The volume aims to introduce Baul to the global audience by delving deep into their songs and performances. It offers a fresh perspective on the Bauls, showing how, through their unique lifestyle and strategies, they are capable of foregrounding their cultural habitus, accentuating the sahajiya principle, dismantling scriptural religion and the monopoly of colonial Bengali intellectuals, and forging an affinity with land and nature in an age of religious intolerance, global economy, and jingoism. The volume features a range of compelling chapters analysed from various critical perspectives. Postcolonialism, Religious syncretism, Resistance, Ethical Sociality, Cultural pastiche are the key traits of the volume. This comprehensive volume is unparalleled in its breadth of coverage on the Baul tradition, offering a unique perspective that has not been explored hitherto. It promises to deepen our understanding of the Baul culture from multiple critical angles, providing a significant contribution to South Asian cultural and spiritual studies. Scholars and students in fields such as Postcolonial Studies, South Asian Studies, Religious Studies, Cultural Studies, and Philosophy will find this volume particularly valuable for its scholarly insights and nuanced exploration of an esoteric tradition that holds a distinct place within the broader tapestry of South Asian spirituality and culture.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3032285356
• ISBN13: 9783032285355
• Release Date: September 2026
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 268 Pages