'Prayer to Bharat Mata': Mohan Bhagwat releases Sangh's 'prarthana' audio in Nagpur

Nagpur: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday that the organisation's 'prarthana' is a prayer to Bharat Mata and a collective resolve of Sangh volunteers towards the country and god.

While individual resolutions remain within the perspective of each swayamsevak, the shared mission and values stem from the Sangh prayer, which is recited daily, he said.

Bhagwat released the audio recording of the Sangh prarthana, sung by renowned vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, during a special programme held at the Reshimbagh Maharshi Vyas Auditorium in Nagpur. Actor Sachin Khedekar, veteran presenter Harish Bhimani, and musician Rahul Ranade also attended.

"It is an expression of devotion, love, and dedication towards Bharat Mata. It is a prayer of what we can give to the country and then to god to help us serve the country," Bhagwat said.

He said the prayer will reach the maximum people with the release of the audio.

The prayer is an emotion that helps swayamsevaks in their collective resolve of devotion, love, and dedication towards the motherland, he said.

The song was recorded in a London studio with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with all foreign musicians. Mahadevan lent his voice to the musical rendition, while the Marathi voice-over was provided by Khedekar and the Hindi narration by Bhimani.

Voice-overs were provided in eight different languages.

The original Sangh prarthana was penned by Narhari Narayan Bhide and first sung by Yadav Rao Joshi at the Sangh Shiksha Varg in Pune on April 23, 1940. The initial draft of the prayer was prepared during a meeting in Pune in 1939.

"The Sangh prarthana is a prayer to Bharat Mata, and it has been recited daily by volunteers since 1940. The prayer is the collective resolution of the Sangh. The spirit of the prayer is the strength of resolve, and it's a symbol of devotion, love, and dedication to the motherland", Bhagwat added.

He expressed hope that this musical initiative would help convey the deeper meaning of the prayer to a wider audience.

He praised the track for its synthesis of words, emotion, meaning, and melody, noting that the more it is propagated, the more people will be drawn to the RSS.

"The power of music is immense and is an effective medium of outreach", Bhagwat added.