Murugan Bhai

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

 

Another inspiring article on a Muslim singing Carnatic Song in a Hindu Temple.

 

This article appeared in Chennai online some years ago.

See Below

 

MURUGAN BHAI

My friend Abdul often spoke of his visits to Palani, the abode of Murugan, the

Tamil deity symbolizing simple living and high thinking. Still, it never

occurred to me that he was a devotee of the lord of the hills. I put it down to

his great love of nature and travel, his concern for the ecology of the hills,

constantly under threat from mindless development.

I was more than a bit surprised, therefore, when one day last month, he

expressed his disappointment at his inability to place his wedding invitation

card at the lord's feet at the Palani temple. " Somehow, I couldn't get the card

ready in time. I, however, promised to bring my wife on my next visit, provided,

of course, that I could persuade her to visit a Hindu temple, " he told me, to my

growing surprise.

Abdul had always been fascinated by the mythology of Subrahmanya, he

explained. There was nothing unusual about his interest either. Back in his

hometown, there is much intermingling between the two communities, who not only

respect each other, but also participate in each other's festivals to an extent.

During the annual temple chariot festival, the honour of being the first to pull

the car is by tradition reserved for the head of the Muslim community.

Salma's turn to spring a surprise, soon after the wedding, just when Abdul was

about to broach the subject of the promised temple visit to her, knowing that

she was a devout Muslim who prayed five times a day. " I have a confession to

make, " she said, " My father has vowed that he will take me to the Tiruchendur

Murugan temple after my wedding, even if you won't consent to go there with us.

Do you think, you could accompany me just this once?'

Abdul was thrilled. He was quite convinced that it was Providence that had

brought him and Salma together. And to think that he had been so reluctant to

get married, that too through the old-fashioned route of arranged marriages!

Abdul reminded me of an old conversation we had had on my own religious

beliefs or lack of them. I had told him I was no great temple-goer, though I

sometimes enjoyed visiting old, not so wealthy temples that attracted few

devotees. Listening to my wife sing a couple of songs before the sanctum on

those occasions had been an elevating experience, I had told him, maybe because

of the spirit of surrender in which these offerings were made, embellished as

they were by the superb acoustics that invariably featured these temples. I had

described how moved I had been by the tears that ran down the cheeks of a priest

as he listened to her rendering of 'Varadarajam upasmahe', a song in praise of

the daily object of his puja.

Abdul told his new bride how lucky he thought he had been to marry someone

with such a wonderful, eclectic outlook as hers. " But I also expressed my one

regret in my happiest hour, " he told me, " I told her how much I regretted not

being able to listen to her sing at a temple. "

Salma's reply stunned him: " Oh, I have learnt Carnatic music. I haven't sung

for years, but I'd love to take lessons again, practise hard, and sing for you

one day at the Tiruchendur temple, " she assured him.

By V Ramanarayanan

 

 

Devi Bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote:

Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): In India, there are innumerable examples

of people trying to keep alive the country's rich heritage and

promoting brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims.

 

Take the example of teenager Sania Sayyed, a resident of Khandwa in

Madhya Pradesh, who holds her audience spellbound by singing bhajans

or Hindu devotional songs.

 

The bhajans are in praise of Lord Krishna, and Sania knows this is

one way to unite people.

 

Thus recently, she astonishingly sang bhajans for a record 130

hours. She began with an ode to the elephant-headed Hindu god

Ganesha, and than sang bhajans in praise of other gods and goddesses.

 

Sania says she created the record not for worldly praise, but to

bring Muslims and Hindus together.

 

Her proud father Sayed Akbar Ali Kadri adds, " She (Sania) wants to

bring Hindus and Muslims together through her religious songs and

hymns. She wants that she should be famous in the world. People

should know that in spite of being a Muslim, she sings Hindu

religious songs ... she even goes to temples to sing. "

 

However, as she herself puts it that creating a record is not her

target. However, it is bringing together Hindus and Muslims that is

her goal.

 

Sania begins her day with the daily Namaz. But the evenings are

dedicated to song rehearsals, of which the Hindu bhajans form an

integral part. And it does not end there. When Sania begins reading

the Holy Quran, she completes the entire reading in one day. If she

has memorized the Holy Yasir Sharif by-heart, she has around 300

Hindu devotional songs to her credit.

 

Her parents say that as a child, Sania was fascinated by Hindu

bhajans and one day this fascination prompted her to choose the

platform of non-stop singing to spread the message of unity of

faiths. Losing themselves in the rapture of her melodies, the people

too are quite encouraging and are supporting her attempt to

establish religious amity.

 

One of the spectators, Dinesh Kumar Jain, says, " She is a Muslim

girl who has a feeling of unity in diversity of religions, besides

dedication for accomplishing her target of establishing harmony.

This feeling is an icon in itself. She began the feat with Ganesh

Vandana. And in between she sang Qawwalies, which are the Muslim

devotional songs. This way she is definitely going to accomplish her

mission. "

 

In a world that is increasingly becoming divided and polarized on

religious lines, Sania has shown the way to transcend narrow

confines of organized religion to encompass humanity.

 

SOUECE: Dailyindia.com/ANI

URL: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/124836.php/Meet-Sania-Sayyed-a-

Muslim-singer-of-Hindu-bhajans

TINY URL: http://tinyurl.com/2jrsjp