Lalon’s innate love for music developed into the formation of Bauls. He studied Bengali at home under the guidance of his mother who had received an education from her husband’s parents. On reaching India he lived in Bakunga town which is near to Jalpaiguri town of West Bengal state. He could not make enough money for his family’s sake so he left to find another job. His family was very poor, his father was a weaver and he worked for an affluent landlord. Lalon’s mother lived in his childhood days in the village of Parulia, Faridpur district, now in Bangladesh. Lalon died on 17 October 1890 aged twenty-six years and is buried at Chaitan Bustee located near Ballygunj crossroads in Kolkata which was then Calcutta. Some of Lalon’s contemporaries were Khwaja Mir Dard, Abdul Karim and Hason Raja. At that time, East Bengal was ruled by the British. Lalon spent his childhood at Phulbari village of Faridpur district, now in Bangladesh. Prinsep was so enraptured by Lalon’s songs that he requested the Baul saint to accompany him to Kasimbazar (an important commercial center in Bengal during British rule). In 1802 he met Captain William Prinsep, an official of the East India Company, while performing penance at Kalighat. Lalon’s contemporariness with many historical figures resulted in certain meetings that have been recorded in history and song.
The two had a son named Nimai, who died at age 10. In 1825 Lalon married a Brahmin widow named Parbati, who outlived him by almost twenty years. Lalon lamented the death of his daughters in several of his songs, most notably “Mora Dhal Boro”. They had three daughters: Kalanta, Hasina and Selina, all of whom died in early childhood. Lalon married Kamala in 1792 when he reached adulthood. His first wife, Kamala, was the daughter of a rich Zamindar (landlord) named Kalu Mia. He was an excellent singer and used to sing songs to please Lord Shiva at the age of six. Lalon was a very religious child and his love for God was evident from his childhood. A renowned poet and social reformer, Bangul is considered one of the most influential persons in Bengali literature. He was raised by his maternal uncle Barkat Ali Bangul (Bongal). Some of his fellow Bauls also call him as ‘Lalon babu mutibala’. He was named Fakir Lalon Shah and ‘Fakir’ means a mystic of the Shrine at Bakunga, near Madhupur City which is situated in Faridpur District. Lalon was born on 17 October 1774 in Pergania village of Faridpur District. She gave up her son’s name, Lalon, and became known as Lalita. His mother then married a man from her own community and caste. Lalon’s father died when he was only 11 months old. The house has been turned into a museum by the government. Lalon’s father was a weaver whose ancestral house is situated at the place called Bhagabar Hat in Gopalpur village under Brahmanpara Panchayat, Sadar Sub-division, Netrokona District of present Bangladesh.
Lalon was a rather short man who was born in the village of Parulia, in Faridpur, now in Bangladesh. Regarded as an icon of Bengali culture, he inspired and influenced many poets, social and religious thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Allen Ginsberg although he “rejected all distinctions of caste and creed”. Lalon, also known as Fakir Lalon Shah, Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir (Bengali: লালন 17 October 1774 – 17 October 1890 Bengali: 1 Kartik 1179), was a prominent Bengali philosopher, author, Baul saint, mystic, songwriter, social reformer and thinker in British India.