The audience at the G.D. Birla Sabhaghar was left mesmerised by the brilliant amalgamation of baul music traditions and rudra veena in Rudra Yogini, which was organised by the Kolkata Centre for Creativity. The unique event drew a full house despite being held on a weekday. The contemplative confluence of two profound spiritual traditions — baul and dhrupad — unfolded as an immersive exploration of mysticism, philosophy, and sound.
The performance was rooted in the esoteric currents of the Charyapada, particularly its Sahajiya interpretations, where spirituality is pursued through inner realisation and embodied experience. Baul music, which is known for its deeply personal and mystical ethos, interwove seamlessly with the austere and the meditative resonance of the rudra veena, an instrument that is central to the Hindustani classical tradition. The dialogue between Parvathy Baul’s singing and Ustad Bahauddin Dagar’s measured, melodic elaboration on the rudra veena created a sonic landscape that was both scholarly and deeply spiritual.
The thematic foundation of the programme drew from the Charyapada, a corpus of mystical verses composed by the 84 siddhas between the 8th and the 12th centuries. These poems represent a rich intersection of tantric, Buddhist, and devotional thought that later influenced the wider Bhakti-Sufi spiritual milieu across the subcontinent.
A particularly memorable moment
was the rendering of “Ka taruvara”,
attributed to Luipa. Through evocative storytelling, Parvathy Baul illuminated the poem’s symbolic exploration of the five elements and the metaphysical journey through which the infinite enters the finite. The composition gestures toward the realisation of
mahasukha or the supreme state of
eternal bliss.
The programme stood out as an
academic and introspective experience.
In its restraint and philosophical depth, it marked a significant moment in the evolving creative landscape of Calcutta, reaffirming
the city’s enduring engagement with traditions that unite music, scholarship, and spiritual inquiry.