Přednášející: dr. Michał Panasiuk (University of Warsaw)

During my lecture I will try to present a short history of some of the Bengali minor religious communities and their ideas. Not only the names of those groups like Bauls, Sahebdhani, Kartabhaja are very particular and surrounded by an aura of mystery and secret, so are their beliefs. Who were the members of those communities so highly condemned in the past days and often praised during our times? Why did some of those groups survived and even flourished in XX century and why many of them vanished completely? Many of them are on one side an important part of Bengal’s cultural map, moreover, they are often used as symbols of national identity. On the other side many of them still face persecution. The lecture will be supported by some videos of Bauls performing their beautiful and highly esoteric songs.