Parvathy Baul presents Shakta Bhav: songs of Tantric mysticism

To celebrate the British Museum exhibition Tantra: enlightenment to revolution, tune in to this special music and storytelling performance by Parvathy Baul, one of the world’s most well-recognised female Baul performers. The Indian Baul tradition fuses Tantric, Bhakti and Sufi ideas and has inspired artists around the world, from Rabindranath Tagore to Bob Dylan. A specially devised 45-minute performance by Parvathy was followed by a live Q&A alongside editor-in-chief of Songlines magazine, Simon Broughton, which explored the music and philosophy of one of South Asia’s most misunderstood spiritual traditions and how it relates to Tantra. Presented in collaboration with Songlines Magazine and supported by the Bagri Foundation, this event formed part of the public programme accompanying the special exhibition Tantra: enlightenment to revolution (24 September 2020 – 24 January 2021). More information about the past exhibition can be found here: Sign up to our newsletters for the latest news on our work, stories about the collection and upcoming events: We’re bringing inspiring stories of humanity’s shared histories and cultural achievements to millions of people online. Your support ensures that we can continue to make the collection and videos like this one available to as many people as possible. If you can, please donate today: or you can text BMLEARN to 70085. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.