Influence of other cults on folk music in East India indicates that it is a direct religious cult representing a particular community. The various "other-cults" comprise of Sahajiya, Natha cult, Sunyabad, and Baul to name a few. Sahajiya is a conglomeration of various practices of some symbolic and esoteric methods extended from Buddhist cum Vaishnava schools. Natha cult, established by Natha yogis, is connected with Buddhist faith in a distant way. So also is Sunyabad (the sunya faith). Out of all other schools, Baul has made a considerable impression as folk-music, though the nature of its compositions and its philosophy indicate that it is a direct religious cult representing a particular community.
It has, however, developed a stylized language sung in folk style. Baul is entirely a class of cultivated folk-music. Ektara and Dotara the common musical instruments characteristically in the rural style. As a rule, they never endeavour to find a cultured or civilized society for performance of music. A Baul sings to himself and in his songs are featured two aspects: first, it has some specific methods of acts and rites to observe through musical expressions, and secondly, the greater part of music is based one folk ingredient. Baul music is commonly practised in both Bangladesh and West Bengal.
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