Baul is an ancient Indigenous tradition of India with aspects of Yoga and devotion, Bhakti with its roots.  Baul philosophy rendered in the form of Mahajaner Pad, the song of the great masters, is imbued with Devotion. This sacred poetry intensely appeals to the facet of Divinity that is immanent and universal, often referred to with the word Manush. Like all ancient traditions Baul teachings too are passed on via age old Guru-Sishya parampara . A student is initiated and is expected to traverse the path of inner journey as guided by the Guru and also take responsibility of furthering the tradition by being a sincere lineage holder.

With the passage of time and challenges of modernity, Bauls increasingly came to be recognised as just folk performing artists of Bengal. Scholarship about the Baul tradition suffered due to a lack of authentic representation given from an emic perspective. Despite such a vibrant history of Yogic and Bhakti strands, it was never recognised for its own gigantic spiritual contribution. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sri Rabindranath Tagore held Bauls in such high regard.  Baul Yogis, in a silent way, nourished the spiritual and cultural thirst of Bengal for centuries. 

Given its unique status as an age-old tradition and understanding the challenges of survival of this age-old tradition in modern times, UNESCO in 2005, had inscribed Baul in the list of the intangible cultural heritage of Humanity. Below is the link to the UNESCO website that notes this recognition.