Baola
This article is an extract from
THE TRIBES and CASTES of BENGAL. Ethnographic Glossary. Printed at the Bengal Secretariat Press. 1891. . |
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Baola
In Bengal various disreputable mendicant orders exist, comprehended under the generic term Baola,or Vayula, the Sanskrit for crazed, but used in the same sense as the Persian "diwanah," inspired. These orders are schismatics from the main Vaishnava body, and having been established by low caste enthusiasts chiefly attract the fisher and peasant classes.
They are distinguished as Nitya, Chaitanya, and Hari Das Baolas after the great Vaishnava doctors. The ordinary treatises, such as the Chaitanya-Charitamrita and the Krishna Tantra, are followed as the authoritative guides of their orders.
Baolas make pilgrimages to all the shrines deemed sacred by the genuine Vaishnava, and look upon the Gosains as their spiritual leaders. Flesh and spirits are forbidden, but fish is considered lawful food, and Ganjha is smoked to excess. No Baola dare shave, or cut his hair, and personal uncleanliness is commended as a religious virtue. They assume greater social tolerance than Vaishnavas generally, and while the Vairagi only eats with Vairagis sprung from his own caste, the Baola fraternizes with all Baolas, even with those of the lowest and most despised castes. Members of the order affirm that in the Dacca district alone twenty Baola Akharas exist, but the only recognized one in the neighbourhood of the city is in a village called Mirer Bagh.
The favourite object of worship with all Baolas is Krishna as a child, or Ladu-Gopal; but in most Akharas the Charana, or pattens of the founder are also honoured.
At the initiation of a disciple loathsome substances are eaten, and actions indescribably filthy are committed, as tests of worthiness. Celibacy and morality are inculcated, but never practised, and nowaday, there is no sect so despised for its shameless profligacy as the Baola. Young women are escouraged to join the body on the pretence of living as sisters and helpmates in the Akhara; but the majority of the females in Akharas are prostitutes. A Baola gives a feast to the Mahant, and pays a fee of twenty anas when he wishes to possess a helpmate. Girls with good voices are usually selected, as the revenue of the community is derived from playing on the Gopi-jantra and Sarangi to the villagers, and from singing religious hymns.
Mahants are always buried in the same position as Jogis, and over the grave, or Samadhi, an Akhara is built by his disciples. The bodies of the laity are thrown into a river, unless the individual has been distinguished for sanctity, or for the number of his adherents.
The various Baola divisions only differ from each other in certain ceremonial observances and social usages.
The low estimation in which all Baloas are held by the Hindus, and the odium, shared by all, are explained in the following account of the Sudaram Baolas.
About 1825 Sudaram, a Chandal peasant of Birkrampur, received "bhek" from a Vairagani, named Tokani, a member of the Nyada-Nyadi society, and thereupon organised a new sect, making Jagannath Das, Kaibartta, his pupil. Sudaram resided at Abdullahpur in Bikrampur, and there the first Akhara was constructed. Sudaram and Tokani were quite illiterate, but this was no drawback in the eyes of the simple villagers, who joined the new society in considerable numbers. The Samadhi of Tokani Maya is at 'Abdullahpur, where Gaur Das, the Chandal Mahant, resides; but that of Sudaram is at Sirajabad on the river Padma. A third Akhara has been lately established at Narsinghdih, north of Old Sunnargaon.
The doctrines taught by Sudaram were, the existence of one God, Hari, and the perfection of the Mahaprabhu Nityananda. Further, it was revealed to him that Vira Bhadra, a successor of Nityananda, observed the Sakata ritual; consequently the abominable impurities of the Chakra worship were engrafted upon the Vaishnava creed. Adding whatever was likely to bind his credulous followers, and prevent separation, he further adopted the disgustuing practises of the Aghorapanthis.
In the Akhara at 'Abdullahpur an image of Krishna as a child, called Bala Gopala, Gopala-na-balaka, or Ladu-Gopala, a Siva-linga, and a wooden Vishnupada, are worshipped. A most sacred relic is a staff, four feet in length, with an iron hand at the top, said to be the fac-simile of one borne by Nityanand, and decorated with strings of shells, stone beads, and flowers. Although Hari is the chief object of worship, Sudaram and his "Charan" share in the adoration of the society, who also sing hymns in honour of Suda-Tokani, the two founders, and make offerings of rice, "kai," starch, and native spirits.
About two hundred and fifty families, chiefly Kaibarttas and Chandals, have already joined this dissolute body, but all classes, even Muhammadans, may do so. It has gained a certain position among the uneducated masses, and villagers who, though disagreeing with its principles, often present offerings in fulfilment of vows.
At the initiation of a disciple a wooden huqqa of a peculiar elongated form is given, as well as a necklace of a hundred and eight beads, a staff, a wallet, a piece of cloth, called "Uran-Vasana," dyed of a reddish colour with Geru, or ochre, and a hempen cord to fasten the Kaupina, or waist cloth. The distinctive badge of the sect, however, is a pair of brass bracelets (Kara) of singular shape. At the thinner end elephants' heads are roughly designed, while the trunks unite to form the circle. The wooden beads of the common Hindu necklace have been discarded, and the party-coloured glass heads of the Muhammadan Faqirs adopted. Twenty anas is paid to the person giving the Mantra; but the Mahant claims the same amount from each novice.
Women receive Bhek, and reside with the Sadhus, or mendicants, as wives. This is a late innovation, for Sudaram restricted the association of men and women to a platonic sympathy like that of brothers and sisters. A few professing celibates, however, are to be found, as well as some who have had the "Mala" ceremony of regular marriage performed, but the large majority live shamelessly.
The Sudaram Baloa is a a dirty and unsavoury ascetic, seldom bathing, except when ill, and fulfilling all requirements by smearing his face and body daily with mustard oil. He drinks spirits to excess, and is generally stupefied with Indian hemp. They, however, pride themselves on shaving the beard, and on not allowing it to grow untrimmed like other Baolas. The "Mirdang" and "Kartal" are the favourite musical instruments, but when attending as professional musicians at the Trinath Mela, which they often do, the "bela," amd "Sarangi," varities of the violin are preferred.
These Baolas assume many virtues. The Mahant is very humble, styling himself "Jharu," or sweeper, Mahant, and pretending to have no interest in the dissemination of his religious belief among the villagers. Everybody who comes to the Akhara, asking for admission, is welcomed, and no proof of sincerity is required. Pilgrimages being supererogatory are not favoured, as knowledge of the world is thought likely to give rise to doubts and unbelief.
In the villages of the interior the Sudaram Baolas bear the worst reputation for enticing away girls from their homes, and encouraging lovers to elope, and join their society. It is a common occurrence to meet these unclean mendicants on a country road walking unencumbered, while a young, and often comely girl, carrying all their property, lags behind, with a melancholy expression of face, an index of the humiliation she feels. Widows, it is not to be wondered at, often join the Baolas, as they cannot receive greater indignities than at home.
