THE HINDU WRITES ON ANANADINI

 Classic Indian songs in Sanskrit Renditions

                                                

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bangladesh-national-anthem-goes-sanskrit-on-bhupen-hazarika-death-anniversary/article29886406.ece

NEWS NATIONAL

Bangladesh national anthem goes Sanskrit on Bhupen Hazarika’s death anniversary

Rahul Karmakar. GUWAHATI: 5 November, 2019

'Amaar Shonaar Bangla' features in 'Anandini', the new Sanskrit album conceptualised by Ranjan Bezbaruah.

Ranjan Bezbaruah, the man behind an 12-song audio album released on Tuesday, negated any political motive behind accommodating the Sanskrit version.

The national anthem of Bangladesh, the country that has often dictated the course of electoral politics in Assam, has been given a Sanskrit makeover on the eighth death anniversary of the State’s cultural icon – Bhupen Hazarika. Hazarika, revered as the Bard of Brahmaputra, died on November 5, 2011, at the age 85.

Ranjan Bezbaruah, the man behind an 12-song audio album released on Tuesday, negated any political motive behind accommodating the Sanskrit version of Aamaar Shonar Bangla, the national anthem of Bangladesh that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had composed, and O Mor Aaapunaar Dekh, the State anthem of Assam.The latter was written by Lakshminath Bezbaroa, Assam’s tallest literary figure who revolutionised modern Assamese literature.

“Bhupen Hazarika, who called himself a cultural nomad, believed in building bridges between communities and countries divided by political boundaries. Besides, he was and is as popular in Bangladesh as he is in Assam and elsewhere in the country,” Mr. Bezbaruah, who teaches Sanskrit in central Assam’s Nagaon, told The Hindu.

Amaar Shonaar Bangla features in Anandini, the new Sanskrit album that Mr. Bezbaruah conceptualised, as Ayee Swarnila Bangla while O Mur Aapunar Dekh is Aho Atmanah Desha.

The two anthems on either side of the Assam-Bangladesh border feature alongside some of Hazarika’s popular compositions as well as two of A.R. Rahman’s hit songs – Bharat Humko (Bharatam Hi Nah) and Dil Hai Chhota Sa (Hrin Me Laghutaram).

The album also features a Bhajan by Meerabai, a Borgeet (Vaishnavite spiritual song) by Assam’s 16th century saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, the patriotic song Saare Jahaan Se Achchhaa (Sarvalokeshu Ramyam) and Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite Bhajan Vaishnava Jana To.

Mr. Bezbaruah has sung the songs along with Pronoti Baruah, Krishna Borah and Riturani Mausumi. The Sanskrit teacher translated seven of the 11 songs while Alok Kumar, C. Ramnagpal and Siddhidatri Bharadwaj translated the others. Assam-based Pranjal Borah and Abhisek Dhar rearranged the music for Anandini.


                                                                               

                                                                               

                                                                             

Assam Artiste Croons Bangladesh National Anthem In Sanskrit

'Anandini' is an album of 11 songs in Sanskrit including 'Amar Sonar Bangla' and 'O Mur Aapunar Dex'

Music has no boundaries and no barriers. Following the dictum, a Sanskrit teacher from Assam’s Nagaon gave tribute to the legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika on his 8th death anniversary by releasing the Sanskrit version of the Bangladesh National Anthem.

Denying any political intention in composing the anthem in Sanskrit, Ranjan Bezbaruah, while speaking to Time8, said, “It is an attempt to popularize the language (Sanskrit) worldwide. This will also help unite the people of both the nation – India and Bangladesh.”

“Translating lyrics from any language into Sanskrit might help our society in many ways. It can help the future generations in developing an acquaintance and interest with the rich Indian languages as well as our unparalleled literary and musical heritage,” he added.

Saying that the effort might open new doors to think and work, Bezbaruah said, “It is somehow related to tourism and cultural exchange also. It will increase the eagerness of people to know the language and the cultures.”

Anandini

Anandini, the album comprising of 11 songs was released in Nagaon on November 5, 2019. Renowned poet P Saikia was also present during the release of the album. The Bangladesh national anthem Aamar Sonar Bangla, written by Rabindranath Tagore, featured in the album as ‘Ayee Swarnila-Bangla’ while the state anthem of Assam ‘O Mor Aapunar Dex’, written by well known Assamese litterateur Laxminath Bezbaruah, featured as ‘Aho, Atmanah Desha’.

Ranjan Bezbaruah, while informing that the complete album will be released in January 2020, said, “The work for this album was started in 2013. After an enormous effort of the people associated with the project, I hope we will be able to release the album in January next year and people will love it.”

Ranjan Bezbaruah, Pronoti Baruah, Krishna Borah and Riturani Mausumi lend their voices in the album, which is a Sanskrit Rendition of classic Indian songs, while music was arranged by Pranjal Borah and Abhishek Dhar. Siddhidatri Bharadwaj, Alok Kumar, Narayan Dutta Mishra and Bezbaruah himself wrote the lyrics for the album.

Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan 'Vaishnava Jan to' in the Sanskrit language

Vaartavali: Weekly Sanskrit Magazine |05/10/2019 Vaisnava Jana To episiode

Listen | Mahatma’s favourite ‘Vaishnava Jana To’ in Sanskrit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeAeRCvkbJI&fbclid=IwAR3UPRuIrn389puM_I8Buegd2lV-59__Zm9lS29XMQPibV02YC72UIsPyUA

Sanskrit voice to Mahatma’s favourite ‘Vaishnava Jana To’ 

The New Indian Express, Oct 2, 2019

Sanskrit voice to Mahatma’s favourite ‘Vaishnava Jana To’

Set for release on October 2, Assamese singer-composer Ranjan Kumar Bezbaruah has retained the signature tune for Bapu’s favourite Bhajan while adding his own style.

Published: 01st October 2019 03:34 PM 

By Prasanta Mazumdar, Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The Mahatma would have been elated that Gujarati poet-saint Narsinh Mehta’s verses would touch Benares and find a musical echo in Assam.

In a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, his favourite bhajan “Vaishnava Jana To...”, earlier translated into Sanskrit by a Varanasi-based budding scholar Alok Kumar and edited by Jawaharlal Nehru University expert  ND Mishra, has been touchingly-sung by an Assamese singer-composer Ranjan Kumar Bezbaruah.

The 15th-century poet-saint Mehta nor the Mahatma could have imagined what depths and distance these humane verses would achieve. Bezbaruah also lent his voice to songs of Rabindranath Tagore and Bhupen Hazarika after he translated them into Sanskrit.

“Giving musical rendition to ‘Vaishnava Jana To’ in Sanskrit was my concept. All India Radio, Ranchi will air it tomorrow (Wednesday) while DD News will do so on October 5 at 7 pm. Zee News is also likely to air it,” Bezbaruah told this newspaper. The music for the song was arranged by Pranjal Borah.

“This song was Gandhiji’s favourite. He could relate it to his life and teachings. As it is his 150th birthday tomorrow, I thought if I could come up with the Sanskrit version of the song, it will be a tribute paid to him,” Bezbaruah said.

It’s been 20 years that he has been translating popular Indian songs into Sanskrit and lending his voice to them. One of the songs that he translated from Hindi into Sanskrit was “Sare Jahan se Accha”.

“I first translated the songs of Bhupen Hazarika into Sanskrit and came out with the musical renditions. I have always wanted to popularise the Sanskrit language as it is slowly getting obsolete. By translating popular Indian songs into Sanskrit, I am trying to take them to the new generation,” Bezbaruah said.

He said translating lyrics from any language into Sanskrit might help the society in many ways. It can help the upcoming generation in developing an acquaintance and interest with the rich Indian languages as well as the country’s unparalleled literary and musical heritage.

A post-graduate in Sanskrit from the Gauhati University, Bezbaruah is a Sanskrit teacher at Nagaon Government Girls’ Higher Senior Secondary School in Assam.

The New Indian Express

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/oct/01/sanskrit-voice-to-mahatmas-favourite-vaishnava-jana-to-2041801.html?fbclid=IwAR2ubV5lW8VhFdhb_XbfkANfkte0--WkQtWoa_sqSzWkj7Ay6-6mFvf6RUQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeAeRCvkbJI&fbclid=IwAR3UPRuIrn389puM_I8Buegd2lV-59__Zm9lS29XMQPibV02YC72UIsPyUA

Gandhiji's favorite bhajan 'Vaisnava Jana To' now in Sanskrit

The Hindu, Oct. 2. 2019

A Sanskrit teacher in Assam, Ranjan Kumar Bezbaruah, says he wants to pay homage to Gandhiji in a way no one in India has done before. 

As a tribute from Assam to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary on October 2, the first Sanskrit version of  ‘Vaishnava Jana To’, his favourite devotional song penned by 15th century Gujarati poet Narsinh Mehta, will be released.

Ranjan Bezbaruah wanted to pay homage to Gandhiji in a way no one in India has done before. So, as a translator of several Bhupen Hazarika songs into Sanskrit, he conceptualised Gandhiji’s favourite bhajan in the ‘mother of almost Indian languages’.

Mr. Bezbaruah teaches Sanskrit in a premier educational institution in central Assam’s Nagaon and is a trained singer in Indian light classical music.

Although he has translated and sung the Sanskrit version of songs such as Muhammad Iqbal’s Saare jahaan se achchha, Mr. Bezbaruah relied on two Sanskrit pandits for translating the bhajan.

“I needed help since the song was composed in Gujarati. Alok Kumar of Varanasi translated the song and Narayan Dutt Mishra of Jawaharlal Nehru University edited it. Pranjal Bora from Assam arranged the music,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Vaishnava Jana To in Sanskrit will be aired by State-run as well as private radio and television channels on Wednesday, timed with Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary.

Mr. Bezbaruah has been translating popular and patriotic songs from Assamese, Bengali and Hindi into Sanskrit and singing them since 1999. He attributes his zeal to Vaartavali, a weekly Sanskrit programme on DDNews.

“Indian lyrics, especially of modern Indic languages, can successfully be translated into Sanskrit and may also be presented as fresh pieces of musical composition. Assamese lyrics, like other lyrical compositions of Indo-Aryan languages, are loaded with the sound and resonance of Sanskrit,” he said.

He has translated and sung the compositions of 15th Century Assamese saint-poet-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva, besides the songs of Hazarika, often called the Bard of Brahmaputra.

Mr. Bezbaruah has also collaborated with Sanskrit scholars elsewhere in India to sing songs of legends from Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore to A.R. Rahman.

“Translating lyrics from any language into Sanskrit might help our society in many ways. It can help our upcoming generation in developing an acquaintance and interest with the rich Indian languages as well as our unparalleled literary and musical heritage,” he said.
 

                                                                                 

                                                                                   

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/vaishnava-jana-to-gandhijis-favourite-song-now-in-sanskrit/article29571433.ece

youitube link:

https://youtu.be/1RVAViQs_p4