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Lalan was one of the most famous of the Bauls of Bengal. The Bauls were usually itinerant musicians, living simply, singing songs of God. Their tradition incorporates aspects of the many rich spiritual traditions of Bengal, including Hinduism, Tantra, Yoga, and Islam.
Lalan was born into a Hindu family. It is said that he went on pilgrimage to the holy city of Puri, but fell ill with smallpox. A Muslim Baul family took him in and nursed him back to health, and Lalan came to live as a member of their family.
His use of both Hindu and Muslim sacred language, ranging in mood from the ecstatic to mournful yearning, make his songs widely popular throughout Bengal.
Several of Lalan's songs refer to the moon. The "unattainable moon" is often used by Baul mystics to describe the illuminating but ungraspable nature of the sacred experience.
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