Category: Music and Devotion

Ram Krishna Hari!🙏🏻

Music, devotion, and legendary mastery make up a miraculous spell which we all experienced this Hindu New Year, on Gudhipadwa 2025. It’s amazing to watch how music and spirituality can transcend the boundaries of language and nationality when delivered by a maestro!✨

I’m extremely fortunate and brimming with gratitude to have witnessed the mesmerizing miracle ‘Abhangawari’, and subtly be a musical part of the show. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined I’d get back to classical music in such a gratifying fashion, that too in the Netherlands, miles away from my roots and hometown! I’m blessed and humbled to have been a chorus accompaniment at ‘Abhangawari’ the Netherlands, presented by the legendary classical vocalist, and a revered torchbearer and inspiration for Indian classical music among the new generation, Mahesh Kale.

Here’s a bit about my take, on the theme of the concert and the associated backstory, as an ode to this miracle. ‘Abhanga’ is a form of Indian devotional music that’s based on the Hindustani classical genre, and emerged as a popular art form in the state of Maharashtra in western India. ‘Abhangas’ are pieces of poetry penned down by the saints of Maharashtra and passed down through generations predominantly in oral and written form. ‘Santawani’, or ‘the mouth-words of saints’ has a central significance in the treasure of spiritual knowledge of the state of Maharashtra. Over the years, sages and saints worked relentlessly to convey deep Vedic spiritual messages through simple and lucid language, and these works have collectively taken form of a treasure of knowledge, divine poetry that we know as ‘bhajans’ and ‘abhangas’ today.

The abhangas revolve around the Hindu deity ‘Vitthal’, who’s considered a confluence of Ram and Krishna, in other words, Lord Vishnu himself. Pandharpur, a holy pilgrim site on the banks of the river Chandrabhaga is home to the sacred abode of Lord Vitthal, a holy shrine-the Vitthal-Rakhumai temple. Legendary tales state that Lord Vitthal, also lovingly known as ‘Pandurang’ appeared as a spontaneous incarnation in the temple in Pandharpur, and has been a beloved deity ever since. Legends narrated by saints talk of Lord Vitthal as the Lord of the commons, and describe numerous memoirs and miraculous anecdotes associated with Lord Vitthal. ‘Sagun bhakti’, or devotion in a manifest form, has been considered the most simple and pure path to liberation from the earthly cycle in our ancient texts. Love, faith, and devotion towards a deity has opened doors for spiritual enlightenment for ages, and the saints of Maharashtra have witnessed this during their lifetime. Their transcendental experiences have taken form of abhangas. Abhangas depict a magnificent confluence of ardent devotion and praise for the Lord, and bouquets of life-lessons in a language and dialect that’s relatable to the common man of the era. Saints have raised fundamental life-questions, sought answers, and portrayed ardent conversations with the Lord through these garlands of words. In this era, where spirituality is seeing a decline, the purest form of knowledge in the form of abhangas remains a transformative and sought-after treasure for many.

Saints such as Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Eknath, Namdev, Chokhamela, Soyarabai, Janabai have documented their experiences of experiencing and meeting the divine spirit, be it in the form of Vitthal in Pandharpur, or the realization of the divine’s presence through anecdotal occurrences in daily life. The lives of saints have been celebrated ages after they penned down this bunch of knowledge for us, and is being celebrated till date, in the form of ‘Wari’, a devotional event in Pandharpur.

The ‘Wari’ is a series of on-foot processions that begin from the hometowns of the renowned saints of Maharashtra, with their ‘padukas’ (sacred footprints) placed in a ‘palkhi’ (palanquin) which devotees, dressed in white clothes, and engaged in a seamless chanting of Lord Vitthal’s name, bring to the holy temple of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur. The wari takes place a couple of weeks prior to ‘Devshayani Ashadhi Ekadashi’ (eleventh day of the Hindu month of Ashadh). The processions are planned such that the devotees and palkhis reach Pandharpur on Ekadashi.

Till date, during the month of Ashadh, the holy town of Pandharpur transforms into a celebration of devotion. Devotees sing and dance in the joy and praise of the Lord. They indulge in extensive chants that are believed to have a soul-purifying effect. The devotees, called ‘warakaris’, lose themselves in the name of the Lord. The aura of Pandharpur magically transforms into multifold spiritual euphoria. Modern saints have also documented this transformation, the happiness and the sanctity of Pandhari during the wari through their writings. The bottom line of these abhangas is simple, ‘lose yourself in the name of the lord to find the purpose of your life much better’. And that’s precisely the whole vibe of the wari. It is incredible how the saints have twined the praise of the Lord along with subtle lessons to discover the purpose of human life in such a beautiful way, and this treasure remains a celebrated cornerstone of human life ever since it’s been known.  

As poetry teamed up with music, the abhangas grew even more magical. Prominent composers of the modern era have done a fabulous job putting these divine bits of poetic excellence to tune, to what we know as devotional songs- abhangas, in today’s world. Divine words and divine music make them an ultra-divine, ecstatic, and eye-opening experience, all woven in one!

So, what is the Abhangawari about? It is essentially, a ‘wari’ or a joyful journey of abhangas. A celebration that fills the air with joy, and the eternal spirit of devotion. And we witnessed this very extravaganza on Gudhipadwa in the Netherlands! What’s a better way to start the new year?  

Coming back to the musical experience, what makes this even more special for me, is having witnessed this miraculous musical wari, in the company of a musical maestro!

As an ardent devotee of Indian classical music who had been yearning to get back to its pursuit for over 10 years, Abhangawari was a true ‘wari’ for me. It was an absolute honor to have been chosen to be part of the chorus (vocals) for this divine concert, and to accompany Maheshji on stage. The divine presence of an admirably down-to-earth maestro made this ocassion one that I’d dearly cherish forever!

Classical music has always been an integral part of me and my happiness, though it felt like it had been dormant for a few years. Sometimes, all we need, is a chance, and an opportunity to seek, to realize how much we miss things in life and the quantum of joy we derive from them. In this overwhelmingly euphoric, yet pleasingly humble journey of being part of Abhangawari, I had the most magical, musical time of my life!

Soaked deeply in the ecstasy of devotion and music together, I sailed my way to the performance day on Gudhipadwa, with the wonderful company of my co-singers, the able guidance of the team from MKSM (Mahesh Kale School of Music), and our ever-enthusiastic supportive Netherlands Marathi Mandal. When devotion resonates through multiple in-phase voices, the constructive impact is euphoric and transcendental! This is precisely what I experienced. For an introvert, stage-fearer like me, I was in absolute awe when I found myself swaying to the devotional tunes in pure happiness, without a single mark of anxiety and fear that I’d otherwise expected to have felt. It just felt perfect, and joyful to be present in the moment, losing myself in the melodies presented by Maheshji, while immersing myself in the gratifying splendor of devotion. I remember an ‘alaap’ from one of the abhangas I’d been struggling with, suddenly ‘clicking’ me crystal clear in a moment when I heard Maheshji sing it live! That’s how magical and spellbinding the whole aura felt!

An incredibly rewarding experience, spiritually and musically, yet adorned with the feeling of complete surrender and bliss throughout, this journey has been absolutely one of its kind, and has been musically etched in my heart forever!

My heart brims with gratitude for Maheshji, for making me a tiny part of such a mesmerizing spectacle. Simply full of gratitude for all my well-wishers, my first musical gurus, and the land of rich culture I was born in, for what manifested as a transformative experience in Abhangawari 2025!

अभंगरंगी आणि भक्तिरंगी रंगून या भव्य सोहळ्यात आम्ही स्वतःला हरवूनच बसलो. महेशजींची उत्कृष्ट गायकी, दैवी आवाज आणि संवेदनशीलपणे सहकलाकारांना सामावून घेण्याची हातोटी अलौकिक आहे. या सोहळ्याच्या तयारीदरम्यान अनेक संतवाणीतील अभंगांची तोंड-ओळख झाली. ही सांगीतिक पर्वणी तर होतीच, मात्र वैचारिक आणि आध्यात्मिक पातळीवरही शिकवणींची अमूल्य पुंजी होती. अनेक वर्ष असा आनंदोत्सव अनुभवलाच नव्हता असे वाटले, हा हर्ष काही वेगळाच होता.

आपल्या संत परंपरेत पांडुरंग हा सामान्यांचा देव मानला जातो. भक्तांचिये लोभे, अर्थात, भक्तांची वाट पाहत विटेवरी उभा असलेला, जणु राम-कृष्णाचे रूप धारण केलेला भाबडा देव, विठ्ठल. संत नामदेवांनी अगदी योग्य म्हंटले आहे- “जन्मोजन्मी आम्ही बहु पुण्य केले, तेव्हा या विठ्ठले कृपा केली“, आणि या दैवी सोहळ्याचा आम्हाला भाग होता आले. शास्त्रीय संगीताचे आणि अनन्य भक्तीचे, अनन्य अधिकारी होणे म्हणजे काय, याची झलक मिळाली. मनोभावे नाम घेता ‘भक्त होती दंग‘ याचा साक्षात अनुभव आला.

कार्यक्रमाच्या परमोच्च क्षणांत भक्त भक्तीच्या गुलालात रंगले होते. विठ्ठलाच्या कृपेचाच वर्षाव होत होता असे वाटले. ज्या देवाचे मूळतत्व वेदांनाही उमगले नाही, ते उमगावे नाही तर फक्त जाणवावे लागते याचा प्रत्यय आला. हा कानडा राजा महेशजींच्या रूपात नेदरलँड्समध्ये अवतरला, आणि नेदरलॅन्ड्स चे पंढरपूर झाले. नामाचा गजर अविरत चालू होता. भय, अपेक्षा, प्रांतभाव या सगळ्या इडा-पिडा टळून, सगळे पांडुरंगी नाहले होते. चंद्रभागेचे नीर स्वररूपात सर्वांना पावन करित होते. ठाई-ठाई सुरांच्या रुपात देवाचे दर्शन झाले. म्हणावेसे वाटले, “सदा माझे डोळा जडो हीच मूर्ती“. हा स्वराविष्कार अनुभवल्यावर, भक्तिरसाने नटलेले महेशजींचे ते विलक्षण सूर आजन्म भोवताली गुंजत राहो हीच इच्छा मनी स्फुरली.

आम्ही विठ्ठलाचेच वारकरी झालो, आणि युरोपभुवनी पंढरपूर अवतरले. चंद्रभागेच्या तटी संत चोखामेळांनी वर्णिलेले ‘सुखाचे सुख‘ आमच्याही पाठीशी आजन्म उभें राहो ही विठ्ठलाच्या चरणी प्रार्थना. लहानाहून लहान होऊन, आयुष्यातले मोठेपण, उदात्तता संत तुकारामांनी आपल्याला बघायला शिकविली, आणि याचेच सार मला साथीदार म्हणून सान भूमिकेत या संगीत सोहळ्यात भाग घेऊन उमगले.

जणु विठ्ठलाचीच हाक आली, आणि आम्ही अभंगवारीची वाट धरली. माझ्यासाठी अत्यंत सुखावणारा आणि अत्यानंद देणारा, अविस्मरणीय, अवर्णनीय, असा हा क्षण होता. “ये जमीं है तेरी, आसमाँ है तेरा“, असे नक्की कोणाला म्हणावे? विठुरायाला, विठुरायाचे दर्शन घडविणाऱ्या महेशजींना, की संगीतातील दैवी शक्तीला? “कधी न कोणा लोटे दूरी“, अशा या पंढरीनाथाच्या स्तुतीची ही सांगीतिक पर्वणी होती.

“करूया विठूची अभंगवारी” च्या दिव्य स्वरांनी अशी एक आठवण निर्माण केली, जी मनात खोलवर, कायमची कोरली गेली आहे. अनेक देवांमधील एक अद्वितीय शक्ती दर्शवणारे “येथे का रे उभा श्रीराम” हे गीत कानावर पडले, आणि नवीन वर्षाची सुरूवात अतिशय मंगलमय झाली. सदैव “बोलावा विठ्ठल” आणि “हरिभजनावीण” आयुष्य व्यर्थ आहे, आनंद अपुरा आहे, आणि समाधान केवळ देवाच्या नामातच आहे, याची नव्याने जाणीव झाली. भक्तीचे माहात्म्य हेच तर आहे. लहान होऊन, मोठा आनंद लाभणे. एकरूप होऊन परमानंदाच्या जवळ जाणे. तुळशीमाळ हाती घेऊन निःसंग होणे, सारं काही विसरून जाणे. भक्तिसंगीतात लीन होणे, आणि अंतरंगच पांडुरंग होणे. भगवद्गीतेनेही आजच्या युगात सुखासाठी भक्ति हाच सर्वोच्च आणि सुलभ मार्ग आहे, असे सुचविले आहे.

संगीत आणि भक्ति यासारखा सुरेख संगम नाही. आणि असा सुरेल संगम असामान्य प्रतिभा लाभलेल्या व्यक्तिच्या सान्निध्यात अनुभवता आला यासाठी मी देवाचे, माझ्या हितचिंतकांचे, आणि महेशजींचे खूप खूप आभार मानते!

अभंगवारी ही खरोखरच एक वारी होती, एक प्रवास होता; संगीतात हरवण्याचा, हरवलेला आनंद पुन्हा शोधण्याचा; समाधानापासून परमानंद शोधण्याचा, थोर व्यक्तिमत्त्वांच्या आणि ईश्वराच्या साक्षीने पुन्हा एकदा संगीताकडे वळण्याचा; अनन्य भक्तिरंगात रंगून स्वतःला पुन्हा शोधण्याचा. ही वारी माझ्यासाठी आजन्म प्रेरणास्थानी राहिल!

राम कृष्ण हरि!🪔🙏🏻