RANJAN BEZBARUAH, SINGER, WRITER: Sanskrit Patriotic Songs on the National Platform: An Experience to Cherish: Ranjan Bezbaruah

Sanskrit Patriotic Songs on the National Platform:

An Experience to Cherish

Ranjan Bezbaruah

It was about a fortnight before the Independence Day of 2016. Suddenly a golden opportunityknocked at my door. I was approached by the Delhi office of Doordarshan National Channel– to record my Sanskrit version of the celebrated patriotic song ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ for them which would be telecast in the forthcoming Independence Day by DDNews.

The fact that the Sanskrit translation of this song has been rendered by me in a just and proper manner had come to the notice of Doordarshan through an interview recorded in Sanskrit sometime ago by DDNews. In that very interview, along with the Sanskrit version of some immortal numbers of stalwarts like Saint Sankardeva, the poet-reformer of 15^th century Assam, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Jyotiprasad Agarwala, the pioneer of Assamese film and music and Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika– Sanskrit version of the special song was also partly presented. Moreover, two patriotic melodies composed by me, too, were included. The interview was splendidly hosted by Yashi Bharadwaj, a senior and elegant anchor of DDNews.

Sanskrit Interview in DDNews, Vaartavali

But this time the situation was totally different. The Sanskrit version of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ needed to be recorded hurriedly conforming to Doordarshan standards to make it compatible for superimposition on visuals in the atmosphere of Independence Day and to be aired on that special day or before. The song had a long history and it became very popular as a patriotic melody among Indians engaged in the freedom movement. Even Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation is said to have sung it over a hundred times during his imprisonment in Yerawada Jail, Pune in the thirties. It was such a song with which legends like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeskar or K A Abbas have been associated. Thus the century-long tale of glory is blended with this song.

Delhi Doordarshan repeatedly tried to remind me –‘‘You’re going to sing such a song that is associated with the emotion and faith of around hundred and forty crore Indians.’’ I remember Abhinav Bajpayi, a skilled person guided by Satvinder Mohanty, the producer of DDNews Sanskrit desk had communicated with me time to time. The challenge was taken - had to be taken.

After some consistent effort, the song could be brought to a final shape. A song of just three minutes and twenty four seconds duration claimed so many sleepless nights! An acceptable background music was created through the joint effort with music composer Pranjal Borah of Nagaon after seemingly endless deliberations, modification and alterations. I had a feeling of fulfillment at being able to perform a great patriotic number at my best in a language that is so splendid and vibrant

And finally we could proceed to recording concentrating on the lyrics with artists Pranati Baruah, Krishna Das and Riturani Mousumi. At the same time, a short video of the team singing and recording in the studio was also made and sent together to the national media. For the first time in the cultural history of India– ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ was telecast in Sanskrit in a proper, suitable musical form, imagining the entire world as the viewer.

By this time the news of our effort received coverage in regional as well as front runner national media. ‘The Telegraph’ ran headlines with the caption ‘the first thing in the morning of forthcoming fifteen August would belong to Assam’. It would be for every proud Assamese of the state lying in the easternmost part of India. For every Indian rejuvenated with the feeling of love, brotherhood, unity and nationalism.

On the eve of India’s 70th Independence Day, 2016, at the end of a news bulletin of DDNews, an announcement was made – ‘’Now we would present before you – the Sanskrit version of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’. Our rendition ‘Sarvalokeshu rammyam’ was presented- blended with stunning scenery and videos. That was practically beyond my wildest dreams till that moment.

Saare Jahan Se Accha-Sanskrit published in DDNews

From the following morning our Sanskrit rendition of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ continued to be telecast at different time-slots. I felt, it was like the ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ of yesteryears. Later, it was also played in the beautiful weekly Sanskrit Magazine of DDNews- ‘Vaartavali’, DDNorth-East and the audio was broadcast by All India radio, Guwahati & Ranchi. And the rest is history for us all.

In the days that followed our Sanskrit ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ transcended our national border. It became a prime attraction in DDNews website too. In 2017, the digital version of hundred episodes of aforementioned ‘Vaartavali’ containing all songs and other contents was handed over to hon’ble Prime Minister of India by the DDNews authority on behalf of all of us. Our humble effort was glorified.

One Non-Resident Indian and a distinguished person, Devesh Pandit, CEO, E4 Security Consulting wrote from Chicago– “I never felt so Indian in my life, yes, when I heard the song, I had tears in my eyes. What a wonderful translation of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha!’.’’

In the following times ‘Sarvalokeshu rammyam/ hi Bharatam asmadiyam’- the Sanskrit form of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ continued to be presented at home and abroad ~ somewhere in dance form, somewhere else as the competition material of chorus competitions in schools and at some other places as the music for a morning programme.

I remember, our Sanskrit song happened to be the centre of attraction in different educational institutions across the country. Sunil Joshi, a dedicated worker of Sanskrit and an anchor in DDNews let me know such a mind blowing incident in Delhi. In Doha Indian Cultural Center, UAE, a student named Vishaka clinched first prize singing ‘Sarvalokeshu rammyam’ in a music competition organized by ‘Sanskrit Bharati’, a global platform for promoting Sanskrit language and culture. Similar things happened in Sivsagar, Keshod, Kanpur, Jaipur, Pune, Sydney, Ras-Al-Khaimah, Arizona too. It even created a record in gaining access in various forms on the internet.

Just after one week of telecast of ‘Sarvalokeshu rammyam’ another request came from DDNews Sanskrit Desk. It was for presentation of Sanskrit version of ‘Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyara Hain’– the famous patriotic song of Mani Ratnam directed nationalistic film ‘Roja’ and musically presented by none other than A R Rahman. It was translated into Sanskrit by Dr. C. Ramnagpal, a scholar from Haryana. Necessary arrangement for recording was made as in earlier case and the final product of this classic was sent. The response to the telecast was as nice as expected.

Vishaka in Doha receiving awards for Sanskrit songs

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During 2017-18, on various occasions like in Rabindra Jayanti, Smriti Divas of Bhupen Hazarika, Sanskrit version of a number of songs of nationalistic as well as universal feeling including ‘Ekla Chalo Re’ of Rabindranth and ‘Bistirno paarore’ (Ganga Behti Ho Kyun) of Bhupen Hazarika got telecast through DDNews.

In various appearances in the cultural programmes of ours across the country, Sanskrit patriotic songs turned to be special attraction. I remember, in Almora Festival, 2018, a dance performance based on the rendition of Bhupen Hazarika’s Sanskrit ‘Ganga’ conducted by Manisha Bhatt, a veteran choreographer from Uttarakhand received big applause. In this respect, I would like to recollect some names like Sudeshna Chatterjee of Kolkata, Jagdish Dabhi Gujarat, Yudhveer Tandon of Himachal Pradesh, Raza Tousif of Delhi, Jagadanand Jha of Lucknow and so on. Thus the horizons widened further and further.

My Sanskrit songs in different places of India

In 2018, just before the Republic day, the Sanskrit form of famous patriotic song sung by Mohammad Rafi - ‘Jahan Dal Dal Par’ was sung as a chorus with music and sent to Delhi Doordarshan. This time the translator was a renowned Sanskrit scholar Dr. Harekrishna Meher of Odisha. This, too received desired applause.

In 2019, our fresh endeavour on another patriotic song ‘Maataste Namah’, the Sanskrit translation of ‘Maa Tujhe Salam’, the famous and popular song of A R Rahman could arrest the attention of people. The translation was done by Narayan Dutt Mishra, a guest Prof. in Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Presenting Vaisnava Jana To in Sanskrit

Last year, the sesquicentennial anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was celebrated throughout the world. On this special occasion, we dedicated to entire mankind his favourite Gujrati bhajan ‘Vaishnava Jana to’ translated in Sanskrit by rising star of Banaras, Alok Kumar as a mark of respect to the great soul. This news was shared to the public by none other than ‘The Hindu’ and ‘Indian Express’. The Sanskrit rendering got telecast with beautiful videos based on the life of Bapuji in DDNews, Zee News and other web media.

Presenting Assams's state anthem in Sanskrit

In February 2020, the Sanskrit translation of Assam’s State anthem, “O’ Mor Aponar Desh” (‘O’ my endearing motherland’- ‘Aho! atmanah deshah shobhanah’- in Sanskrit) with music arrangement of Abhishek Dhar under expert supervision of Krishna Dulal Barua got recorded and subsequently broadcast. Most of these songs accumulated in my latest audio album ‘Aanandini’ and my book of lyrics ‘ Geeta Sanskritam.

I believe and hope, more and more people would embrace and bless my humble efforts of presenting Indian popular music in a new form through the language of Sanskrit.