Key findings

• My research documents the rare case of a blind mystical musician named Kanai Das Baul, who described his rapturous visionary accounts of a Hindu goddess that occurred when he lived in a South Asian funeral cremation ground for religious practice.
• During our interview in West Bengal, India, in 2025, he described the goddess putting meat in his mouth and demanding that he sing. Usually, offerings are given to the goddess, not received; this was an unusual experience in reverse.
• The combination of religious visions without eyes and the claim of receiving a physical meat offering is a rare example of a multi-sensory rapture account. This illustrates the unique personal experiences still alive within Hinduism and lesser-known traditions like the Baul musicians.

Hinduism is Too Diverse to Be Defined by One Word

Hindu faiths are often portrayed as a singular religion in the US media. Likewise, the Indian image of Hinduism projected through national news outlets often prioritizes this perspective. Despite colorful features such as the worship of the elephant-headed god Ganesh, the US public often sees uniformity and conservatism as the norm.

There are historic examples of Indian saints who, although blind, shared detailed descriptions of deities who appeared to them in their inner mind’s eye. The blind sixteenth-century poet Surdas articulated visions of the god Krishna so detailed that they are still revered as “eyewitness” accounts. These types of experiences have largely been understood as relics of the past, not carried forward into modernity.

This image of singularity overlooks a broader spectrum of practitioners who are neither mainstream nor conservative. These practitioners are alive and well, with robust spiritual practices and dynamic influence in their community and politics. Awareness of these variations adds important nuance to definitions of Hinduism and affiliated traditions.

On the Ground, Funerary Findings

During my research, I visited the site of Kanai Das Baul’s attested visions, an open-air funerary cremation ground next to a popular Hindu temple associated with magical practices. Upon visiting the cremation grounds by day and by night, I observed solitary ascetics and small groups performing magical rituals. These smaller branches of Hinduism are robust and alive.

He is a lifelong member of a wandering, yogic, musical tradition called Baul. These spiritual practitioners use Hindu, Sufi, and Buddhist devotional songs in an unconventional, non-sectarian combination. Blind since just after birth, Kanai Das Baul described hearing and “seeing” the Hindu goddess he worships. How does a blind devotee have a multi-sensory vision without eyes? Although he said he could not explain it himself, he described the vision: the goddess fed him meat while demanding that he sing at the same time. His solution was to keep the divine meat in his cheek and sing as best as he could.

In my interviews with Kanai Das Baul, his narratives illustrate the lived reality of contemporary devotion to a fierce yet loving, meat-eating, blood-drinking deity. This complicates versions of Hinduism that center on purity and conservativism.

Although there are Hindu scriptural accounts of religious visions while blind, there are almost no documented modern case studies of blind religious seers who claim to have received a physical item from a goddess. It adds a new contribution to how religion is understood and experienced outside of the United States.

For the General Public: Hinduism Can Take Many Forms, and Regional Differences Matter

As the only Indian state that prioritizes goddess worship, West Bengal has preserved many unique spiritual traditions. Religious diversity shapes the world within and beyond religious institutions, and these variations influence politics, power, and identities. What is curated for a global audience may not always match what is happening on the ground in India.

As parts of society become more intolerant, religious hate crimes are increasing. Exposure to diversity and different cultures can help Americans become more culturally informed.

For Policymakers: Federal Funding for Study Abroad Programs should be Preserved

Researching this and other uniquely regional religious features has greatly enriched my educational experience both as an undergraduate and a doctoral student. Over the course of my research and language study in India, I have been sponsored by federal programs such as the Critical Language Scholarship and the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship. Supporting university study and research abroad should be considered a vital part of the budget to foster cross-cultural understanding, create new social and business networks, and encourage citizen diplomats. In a time when many countries are turning to nationalism at the expense of international relations, the next generation of leaders in the United States must have this support to help understand cultural diversity. Through interaction with South Asian cultures, students in the United States can build empathy, understanding, and alliances with the world's most populous country.