Lalon Kushtia built an akhara at Cheuriya in Kumarkhali upazila, where he imparted moral and spiritual teachings to his disciples. His disciples used to address him as “Sai”. He used to organize a bhandara (festival) in the Akhara every winter. Where thousands of disciples and people of the community would gather and there would be music and discussions. Chittagong, Rangpur, Jessore and far to the west in different parts of Bengal were Lalan Fakir’s disciples; It is said that the number of his disciples was more than ten thousand.

About the disciples
Lalan’s disciples included Panju Shah, Bholai Shah, Malam Shah, Sheetal Shah, Maniruddin, from whom Rabindranath Tagore learned about culture and Lokayat Dharma. [28] His succession relationship with Lalan Saiji – Latika’s sequence is as follows: Fakir Lalan Shah, Bholai Shah, Kokil Shah, Laban Shah alias Abdur Rab Shah, then Fakir Nahir Shah. Abdur Rab Shah’s chief Khalifa Fakir Nahir was a spiritual master, music teacher and music collector.

Relationship with the Tagore family

Tomb of Lalan
It is found in various sources that Lalan was acquainted with many of the Tagore family of Jorasanko in Kolkata. He lived in the zamindari of the Thakur family in the Birahimpur pargana and was a subject of the Thakur-zamindars. The Tagore family played a major role in its promotion and acceptance in the educated society of the 19th century.

But Lalon once clashed with these Tagores. Kangal Harinath Majumdar of Kumarkhali, Kushtia, British India published a newspaper called Grambarta Prakashika. In one of these numbers, high-ranking English officials came to investigate the matter on the basis of the news and information about the persecution of the Tagore-zamindars. Because of this, the Tagore-zamindars became very angry with Kangal Harinath Majumdar. When Lathials were sent to chastise him, Lalan and his disciples armed themselves against the zamindar’s Lathials and the Lathials fled. Since then, Lalan has defended Kangal Harinath in various ways.

Rabindranath Tagore’s brother Jyotirindranath Tagore made his only sketch during Lalon’s lifetime. On 5 May 1889, a year before Lalon’s death, he made this pencil sketch on his boat in the Padma – preserved in the Indian Museum. Although many claim that this sketch does not reveal Lalan’s true face.