Meet the University of Hyderabad man keeping alive tunes from Sabarmati Ashram

HYDERABAD:

Sabarmati Sangeet

, the name may not ring a bell for many, but this is the genre of devotional music centred around the

Sabarmati Ashram

of Mahatma Gandhi.


It is gradually picking up among youngsters in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, thanks to ‘Violin’ Vasu Devan, cultural advisor at the

University of Hyderabad

(UoH).

Inspired by the music rendered at the Sabarmati Ashram, Vasu Devan has hand-picked the songs that were sung during the times of the Mahatma. Vasu has been popularising these songs among students and so far, has covered one lakh students in government schools across the two Telugu states. He believes that this sangeet is a separate genre of music and needs to be spread far and wide to promote brotherhood in society.

“We are aware of only two bhajans as Gandhiji’s favourites, Raghupati Raghava and Vaishnava Janato. But there are many bhajans, written by saint poets like Meera, Kabir and traditional writers and composers. These bhajans have wonderful musical value and lyrical beauty. In Sabarmati Ashram all these songs were sung in daily bhajan sessions. But, after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, these bhajans faded into oblivion,” Vasu told TOI adding that his resolve is to revive the lost charm and glory.

Vasu said it all began on January 30, 2006 when he organised rendition of Sabarmati Sangeet at Bapu Ghat, where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi are buried. “The concert was a grand success and many people began learning Sabarmati Sangeet after the event,” he said adding that the idea is to bring back the lost charm of these bhajans and transform society by teaching values through Gandhi’s life stories.

“Initially, I used to organise training classes on these bhajans and in doing more and more of these sessions, I understood the hidden beauty and lyrical sanctity, which can literally transform an individual ,” Vasu says, also keeping an eye on his students.