There was a time when Bhajans were synonymous with Anup Jalota. Be it his iconic ‘Aisi Lagi Lagan’ or ‘Sri Krishna Govind Hare Murari’ — Jalota was a sensation. Known as ‘Bhajan Samrat’, the 70-year-old earned a Padma Shree for his contribution to this genre of music. However, it hardly touched the younger generation as deeply, making it a hit among those in their 50s and above. Nor did many youngsters show interest in this form of music. But not anymore.
With Ram Mandir inauguration in a couple of weeks, many youngsters are learnt to have been planning to visit Ayodhya much like their grandparents as a generation next or Gen Z of Bhajans have emerged, who are devotionally singing tunes of Lord Ram. While they have stayed true to the music form, some have tried to make it more appealing to the Instagram generation by having a look and feel similar to Coke Studio performances. What’s more? It caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is all set to inaugurate the grand Ram Mandir on January 22 in Ayodhya. He has been sharing the work of artistes on social media with his millions of followers with hashtag ‘Shri Ram Bhajan’.
Swati Mishra of ‘Ram Aayenge’ Fame
The work of one of the earlier Gen Z singers PM Modi shared was Swati Mishra from Bihar, who has been obsessed with Bhajans since an early age. PM Modi described her song ‘Ram Aayenge’ (Lord Ram will come) ‘mesmerising’ on X (formerly Twitter).
श्री राम लला के स्वागत में स्वाति मिश्रा जी का भक्ति से भरा यह भजन मंत्रमुग्ध करने वाला है…#ShriRamBhajanhttps://t.co/g2u1RhPpqO— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2024
Her song, which was published on YouTube three months ago, has been viewed more than four and a half crore times. After the Prime Minister’s praise, there has been a barrage of engagements with a total of more than 25,000 comments on that song. The song is not a typical Bhajan but has a contemporary touch that is in sync with the millennials and Gen Z. The soft voice and slow tempo while singing ‘Ram Aayenge to Angna Sajaungi’ is being widely used on Instagram as well for reels — the communication mode of Gen Z.
Mishra told News18 said she is still coming to terms with the attention she is getting. “I sang a Ram tune out of my wish, without any vested interest. But now this is on everyone’s lips. I have met children as young as six months old who don’t go to sleep without listening to this Bhajan. “I think it has been a blessing of Lord Ram,” she said, adding that PM Modi sharing her tune is “simply out of the world”.
Hansraj Raghuwanshi’s ‘Coke Studio’ style Bhajan
On first look, it’s hard to believe Hansraj Raghuwanshi sings Bhajans. Funky attires, braided hair trying to resemble American pop star of 60s Jimi Hendrix and a visual appeal of his performance in a setup that looks similar to a Coke Studio performance. But his Bhajans are making the youngsters groove while slowly nodding their heads in tempo.
अयोध्या में प्रभु श्री राम के स्वागत को लेकर पूरा देश राममय है। राम लला की भक्ति में डूबे भक्तजन इस शुभ दिन के लिए तरह-तरह से अपनी भावनाएं प्रकट कर रहे हैं। भगवान श्री राम को समर्पित हंसराज रघुवंशी जी का ये भजन सुनिए… #ShriRamBhajan https://t.co/kDSO8SNzxW— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024
His ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has gone viral ever since the Prime Minister shared it. PM took to X and said, “The whole country is happy to welcome Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya. Devotees immersed in devotion to Ram Lalla are expressing their feelings in various ways on this auspicious day. Listen to this bhajan of Hansraj Raghuvanshi ji dedicated to Lord Shri Ram…”.
The song where he addresses Lord Ram as ‘Mere Pyare Ram’ (My dear Ram) lent the lyrics a much more casual touch, a deviation from a strict devotional hymn. It has so far been watched more than 1.46 crore times on YouTube with nearly 600 thousand likes.
“I can’t thank PM enough for sharing my Bhajan. I want to also thank my followers who made this Bhajan such a hit. But in the end, it is the blessing of Prabhu Ram,” Raghuwanshi told News18 while sporting a pair of cool earrings.
Jubin Nautiyal’s Ram Bhajan with 3.4 M views
The extremely melodious Jubin Nautiyal is a well-known playback singer in his own right. Known for his performances including ‘Tujhe Kitna Chahein Aur Hum‘ from ‘Kabir Singh’ and ‘Kinna Sona’ from ‘Marjaavan’, Nautiyal is also known for his Bhajans.
भगवान श्री राम की प्राण-प्रतिष्ठा के सुअवसर पर अयोध्या के साथ-साथ पूरा देश राममय हो रहा है। राम लला की भक्ति से ओतप्रोत जुबिन नौटियाल जी, पायल देव जी और मनोज मुंतशिर जी का यह स्वागत भजन दिल को छू लेने वाला है…#ShriRamBhajan https://t.co/qg3vIDyeMa— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 5, 2024
A year-old Bhajan by the name ‘Mere Ghar Ram Aaye Hain’ recently caught PM Modi’s attention. He shared it on social media urging people to listen to this. “On the auspicious occasion of the consecration of Lord Ram, the entire country along with Ayodhya is celebrating Ram. This welcome Bhajan of Jubin Nautiyal ji, Payal Dev ji, and Manoj Muntashir ji, filled with devotion to Ram Lala, is heart touching…”, PM posted on X.
The Bhajan’s music is by Payal Dev and the lyrics by Manoj Muntashir, while it is produced by T Series. So far, the song has garnered 3.4 million views. It is the latest Bhajan that PM shared. It is expected to go see massive traffic in the next few days, like Mishra and Raghuwanshi’s Bhajans.
The song captures the emotion of a long wait (‘lambi intezaar’) of a devotee for Lord Ram and he can’t wait to witness the moment when he finally comes home (‘Mere Ghar Ram Aaye Hain’).
As India warms up to January 22 when the consecration ceremony will take place in Ayodhya, the new breed of Bhajan singers using unorthodox vocals and instruments has touched a generation that has an attention span of an Instagram reel.
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