Published 14:44 IST, October 2nd 2020
Gandhi Jayanti: Listen to Sparsh Shah's version of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite song
Sparsh Shah shares an Indian Classical version of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional song 'Vaishnava Jana Toh' and dedicates it to the father of the nation.
Listen to Sparsh Shah's Indian Classical version of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional song, 'Vaishnava Jana To' on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. While sharing the video on Facebook, Sparsh wrote a message that read, "Sharing my Indian Classical rendition of “Vaishnava Jana To” dedicated to Gandhiji." This particular rendition of the song sung by Sparsh was originally sung by his Dada Guru, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasrajji.
'Vaishnava Jana To'
'Vaishnava Jana To' was a devotional hymn that gained popularity during Mahatma Gandhi's time after it was rendered as a bhajan by vocalists and instrumentalists in is Sabarmati Ashram. This song which speaks about the values that Mahatma Gandhi stood for was usually played at his gatherings and was popular among freedom fighters. Before Sparsh Shah, Mahatma Gandhi's favourite song saw several renditions including those by Gangubai Hangal and Lata Mangeshkar along with some instrumental renditions as well. In 2018, on Gandhi Jayanti, 'Vaishnava Jana To' was performed by musicians from 124 countries as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
This hymn was originally written in the 15th century and is nearly 600 years old. Gujarati poet-saint Narsinh Mehta wrote the poem in the Gujarati language. It speaks about humanity, empathy, truthfulness and other such ideals of followers of Vaishnavism.
More on Sparsh Shah
Sparsh Shah is a singer, songwriter, rapper and inspirational speaker. Shah, who lives in New Jersey, has a rare disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta which is also known as Brittle Bone Disorder. The award-winning singer had 35 broken bones when he was born and has suffered over 140 fractures till now.
Despite his disorder, Sparsh Shah continues to inspire people and aims to change lives with his motivational speeches and his music. He has won several awards including the ‘Global Indian Award’ in 2018. Sparsh has also been a part of popular shows like ‘Little Big Shots’ and ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ and appeared on TED talks. In 2019, Sparsh Shah sang the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' at the event 'Howdy Modi!' which was held at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Updated 22:51 IST, October 2nd 2020