10–11 January 2026 • Shaktigarh, Nabanagar Maidan, Jadavpur, Kolkata
An all-night, all-day, free festival where mystic minstrels from Bengal and beyond sing of love, equality and the inner journey.
Festival Snapshot
• Since 2006 • 22nd Edition
• 48 Hours Non-Stop • Free Entry
• 100+ Artists from India and Bangladesh
• 100% Volunteer-Run Community Festival
Every January, Shaktigarh in South Kolkata turns into a living akhra. For 48 continuous hours, Baul, Fakiri, Sufi and Bhakti singers gather from villages across Bengal, Bangladesh and other parts of India to sing, share and stay together.
Baul Fakir Utsav is a free, non-ticketed, volunteer-run festival. Listeners sit in an open maidan through day and night, while local residents and friends host artists in their homes, cook for them and help with every aspect of the Utsav. The festival is also a lifeline for many practitioners, linking performance, dignity and year-round welfare support.
Last Year (2025) at a Glance
- Bauls of Nadia, Birbhum and Bardhaman – A strong contingent of village akhras from across southern Bengal, bringing rare songs and lesser-known gurus.
- Bangladesh Fakiri Line-up – Invited Fakirs from Kushtia and beyond, carrying the living legacy of Lalon and other saints across the border.
- Kabir & Bhakti Evenings – Special late-night sessions where Kabir, Sufi and other Bhakti traditions are presented alongside Baul songs.
- Student & Neighbourhood Volunteers – Youth and local residents coordinating logistics, food, accommodation and on-ground support around the clock.
Why it matters
Culture – Living Heritage
Baul and Fakir songs are part of a centuries-old spiritual and musical tradition in Bengal, recognised internationally as a unique form of oral, intangible heritage. The Utsav offers a rare urban akhra where this music is heard in its own time and space.
Community – A Shared Space
The festival has no VIP enclosures or ticketed zones. Artists, students, neighbourhood families and visitors from across the world sit on the same ground, listening through the night, sharing food and conversation.
Welfare – Beyond Two Days
Through the Baul Fakir Utsav Samity Trust, funds raised during and beyond the festival support emergency health care, education support for children, legal assistance and other needs of artist families through the year.
Baul Songs and Intangible Heritage
Baul songs have been recognised internationally as an important form of intangible cultural heritage, with the Bauls described as mystic minstrels from the Bengal region whose songs are transmitted orally and rooted in a philosophy of equality and inner devotion. UNESCO 2008.
BAUL FAKIR UTSAV SAMITY TRUST
Registered Under Indian Trusts Act 1882 – No. 190305249 of 2017
Office Address:
84A/1 IBRAHIMPUR ROAD, JADAVPUR, KOLKATA – 700 032
Email – bmeghendra@gmail.com
Contact No. +91-9874671800, +91-9433786562