Kangal Harinath

Who was Kangal Harinath?

Kangal Harinath, which means "Penniless Harinath", was a well-known Baul of Bengal, also known as "Fakir Chand Baul". He was born in Kushtia District, now in Bangladesh, named Harinath Majumdar. He lost his parents at an early age.

Harinath was a disciple of Lalon Shah. He had very little formal education. However, he took up journalism to promote the cause of the poor and oppressed, writing in Sambad Prabhakar. He established a Baul group named "Kangal Fakir Chander Dal" in 1880. His songs had a profound influence on many thinkers of the day, including Rabindranath Tagore and Akshay Kumar Maitreya. On his death, the Indian Mirror commented "The district of Nuddea has lost one its great men".