A 7-day cultural Journey to Kolkata and to the village of Jaydev Kenduli, during the Kenduli Mela or Baul’s festival, the last minstrels of India. Their songs of devotion are a feast for the eyes as well as the ears!

This trip begins in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal and then takes us to the Kenduli fair, located on the banks of the river Ajay, the birthplace of the famous poet, Jayadeva, who composed the ‘Gita Govinda’ in Sanskrit.  The Kenduli Mela is best known for its gathering of Bauls, a group of mystical minstrels living in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal.

The Bauls travel from one place to another to earn a living by singing.  Their devotional songs date back to the 15th century and have been influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism and Sufism.  However, the Bauls remain free and do not identify themselves with any religion, caste, or particular deity.

Holders of a unique musical tradition with, for distinctive signs, their orange dress and their one-stringed musical instrument, the ekara, they have been declared as ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO.

The beginning of the fair commemorates the auspicious day when Jayadeva had taken a bath at the Kadaambokhandi ghat of the Ajay River.  This day falls during Makar Sankranti (change of season in India), that is to say around January 14 – 15 of each year.