"Aikya Mantra - India at 75" Project

They might not be Indians by birth, but they're Indians by Sanskaar!
NRI kids pay tribute to Mother India.
Aikya Mantra - just released!

Just like the love of a mother supersedes any other form of love, the love for the motherland is an indivisible and core part of every human being. They say you can take a man out of India, but you cannot take India out of the man! This very concept is taken a step forward by our NRI kids at MKSM who together with their beloved Guruji, Mahesh Kale have put together a beautiful presentation as a tribute to India on her special 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' 75th Independence Day!

The song, 'Aikya mantra’ is based on our inimitable Indian Classical music and highlights the NRI community's attempt to uphold our Indian culture and traditions despite being thousands of miles away. Each stanza of the song is based on a different raga and it aptly presents the theme of ‘Unity in Diversity' which is the foundation of our Indian ethos. It is a reminder of the fact that the entire Indian global diaspora, however diverse in our geographies, is unified by the common threads that bind us to our motherland.

In some ways, this patriotic feeling is even more poignant for the NRI community which though geographically distanced, is deeply connected in mind and soul and carries a burning awareness of our motherland's role in shaping us into who we are today.This presentation by the ICMA kids is also especially significant since they are the second generation of the NRIs, and in spite of being born and raised abroad, they still carry the flame of our culture and unique Indian identity deep in their psyche.

This initiative is being led by ICMA founder and world-renowned classical vocalist, Mahesh Kale who has been a passionate champion for spreading the sublime joy of Indian Classical music across the world and especially among the younger generations. Speaking about the sincerity and earnestness with which the kids worked on the project, Kale said, " They might not be Indians by birth, but they're Indians by Sanskaar! They may not carry Indian passports but they definitely carry the Indian cultural ethos in their hearts. These NRI kids are paying tribute to Mother India through Aikya Mantra!"

The 50+ kids who are a part of this song are from different parts of the world including the USA, South America, Canada and the Middle East. Working on this unique and historic project has given these young music students a chance to revisit India's history and reinvoke their patriotic feelings through music!

Who

Produced by Indian Classical Music and Arts (ICMA) Foundation under its ICMA Youth Squad program, this project was conceived by Mahesh Kale. The song has been performed by Mahesh Kale along with a group of young kid NRI students from MKSM (Mahesh Kale School of Music) spanning US, Canada, South America and Middle-East.

Lyrics

English Translation

अनेकता में ऐक्य मंत्र को, जन-जन फिर अपनाता है।
धीरे-धीरे देश हमारा, आगे बढता जाता है।

इस धरती को स्वर्ग बनाया, ॠषियों ने देकर बलिदान॥
उन्हीं के वंशज आज चले फिर, करने को इसका निर्माण।
कर्म पंथ पर आज सभी को गीता ग्यान बुलाता है ॥1॥

जाति, प्रान्त और वर्ग भेद के, भ्रम को दूर भगाना है।
भूख, बीमारी और बेकारी, इनको आज मिटाना है।
एक देश का भाव जगा दें, सबकी भारत माता है ॥2॥

हमें किसी से बैर नहीं है, हमें किसी से भीति नहीं।
सभी से मिलकर काम करेंगे, संगठना की रीति यही।
नील गगन पर राष्ट्र ध्वज यह, लहर लहर लहराता है ॥3॥

We rise again to the mantra -
“In many, we are One!”
To our country, our motherland, that
surely, truly, marches on!

This sacred land of noble souls
verily, a paradise on Earth,
This vow we make to our forefathers
their dream to bring forth.
The wisdom of the Gita ever guides us
Do Thy Duty, a solemn Oath

Let us slay these phantoms - Caste, Creed, and Custom -
that divide You and I
Heal the sick, the hungry, and the hopeless
Banish these evils, we boldly try
The loving gaze of our Mother upon us
As one nation, we rise!

We bear no grudges -
We hold no fear!
We strive to come together
These truths we hold dear

Behold! there, our beloved banner -
flutter proudly upon the boundless sky!

- Translation by MKSM teacher, Badri Ananthanarayanan

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