Need to strengthen Kabir's Ganga-Jamuni culture in era of communal frenzy: Artistes

Varanasi, Dec 27 (PTI) As communal polarisation grows globally, artistes, singers, and scholars associated with the philosophy of the 15th-century mystic poet and Nirguna saint Kabir say that there is a greater need than ever before to strengthen Kabir's Ganga-Jamuni culture in the present times.

Educator Umesh Kabir, who has been living and practising Kabir's philosophy at the Kabirchaura Math in Mulgarhi Ashram in Varanasi for the past 20 years, believes a Kabir is needed in every village and home.

"Casteism is rampant in society. One Kabir is not enough today. We need a Kabir in every village, every town, and in fact, in every home," he told PTI Bhasha on the sidelines of the recently concluded Mahindra Kabira Festival in Varanasi.

From a young age, Umesh was attracted to spirituality, and in his thirst for knowledge, he left his home in Allahabad and settled in the Kabir Ashram here. While studying Kabir's philosophy, he also pursued higher education in computer science and law.

On the question of Kabir's relevance in the present times, Umesh said that "social divisions have deepened, and this is why Kabir has become even more relevant today".

Umesh was one of the many scholars, thinkers, and artistes who attended the ninth Mahindra Kabira Festival, including folk singer Mahesha Ram, musician Aditya Prakash, and vocalist Shivangini Yeashu Yuvraj.

"The well of Kabira is one, but there are many water carriers, Everyone's pots are different, but the water in all of them is the same," Mahesha Ram shared the couplet by Kabir.

The folk and devotional singer from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, said, "There is a great need for Kabir today. When the feelings of Satsang (spiritual gathering) come from within, you become one with Kabir." "To maintain social harmony, we need such gatherings," he added.

The Kabir singer from the Meghwal community is known for setting the compositions of Kabir, Narayandas, and other devotional poets to music with folk instruments.

Shivangini Yeashu Yuvraj of the Dholak Rani Group, which sings Kabir's bhajans in Awadhi, Kannauji, Bhojpuri, Bundeli, Banarasi, and Braj dialects, said that Kabir was not only a Nirguna poet but also a weaver whose "every thread was a question, and every weave, an answer".

"Kabir questioned the evils of every religion, he questioned the system... Kabir teaches us to ask questions, and that is why we need Kabir today so that society can ask questions," she said.

Aditya Prakash, born and raised in Los Angeles, USA, is giving a new international dimension to Kabir's bhajans by combining classical music with jazz, rock music, and folk singing in Carnatic music.

After performing at Shivala Ghat in Varanasi, he spoke about Kabir's relevance, saying, "Kabir ridicules the elements that divide society, he demands accountability from society... Kabir is a force, and that is why we need Kabir so much today." "Kabir transcends the boundaries of time, era, and geography and is timeless. Today, society needs Kabir's philosophy to awaken from its slumber," he added.

Sharing his experience of singing Kabir's bhajans on Kabir's land, Aditya Prakash said that a "special kind of energy is felt in Varanasi".

"Kabir was here, Tulsidas was here... a special kind of energy is felt here. When you see the Ganga Aarti at the Guleria Kothi Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat near Bhonsle Ghat, you also see the burning pyres at Manikarnika Ghat," he said.

"Seeing all this reminds me of Kabir's bhajan 'Ud Jayega Hans Akela...' (The lone swan will fly away...) and evokes a feeling of giving meaning to companionship in the solitude of life." The musician said that "this is why Kabir will be needed not only in today's times but in every era to preserve humanity".

At the MKF, the Rehmat-e-Nusrat group from Uttarakhand, led by Sarvajeet Tamta, sang Kabir's bhajan 'Bhala Hui Meri Gagri Phuti...' (It's good that my pitcher broke...) in the Qawwali style.

Classical singer Rahul Deshpande, sitar player Hidayat Hussain Khan, and Purushottam Agarwal, a prominent Hindi critic, poet, thinker, and storyteller who wrote the book 'Akath Kahani Prem Ki: Kabir Aur Unka Samay' (The Untold Story of Love: Kabir and His Times) on Kabir, also shed light on Kabir's philosophy.

Mahindra Kabira Festival celebrates the teachings and philosophy of Saint Kabir through music, art, and literature. The ninth edition, held from December 19-21, featured classical and fusion music, poetry recitations, and spiritual discussions. PTI NK MAH MAH