Jagran (an all nighter filled with devotional songs)

This past Friday our temple organized 'Jagran'. Its a night where devotional songs are sung and usually with professional singers and orchestra ! If you grew up in India, you probably have heard about 'Narendra Singh Chanchal' . He is probably the most popular 'Jagran' singer in India and I was very interested in attending the night.

 Dinner was served and red bandannas were distributed . We tied them to our foreheads, sunk in the chairs and listened to the orchestra music. While we waited for Chanchal to arrive, my thoughts raced back in time. Personally its always been hard for me to connect spiritually to Jagran. No matter what they say and convey in the words but if they are tuned on popular Bollywood numbers, they become just that - songs and nothing more ! In my head 'Mehendi laga ke rakhna' tune is only going to bring back memories of a dark cinema hall, sitting hand in hand with my boyfriend (now husband) and romantically imagining ourselves as hero and heroine of DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge) , no matter how much you turn around the lyrics to "palkein bicha ke rakhna , daman phaila ke rakhna, ayenge prabhu ji , ye ankhe khuli hi rakhna''. Its not going to evoke anything close to term devotional to me - period ! 

I grew up in a town where people not only organized 'Jagran' in their homes but shared their devotion through loudspeakers for the entire neighborhood. You could not keep that music out even by shutting the windows, drawing curtains and hanging 20 more sheets on top of that. It did not matter if students needed to concentrate for board exams or sick people needed sleep to get better. During 'Navartri'  Jagran played out oh so loud everywhere. As a teenager I remember being invited to a couple of my friend's houses for Jagran and I can recall my excitement which had nothing to do with devotion but for a permitted late night stay. I remember us dressing up, helping prepare the ''prasad', spreading sheets on the floor for friends and neighbors , giggling in between and staring at a cute young boy on ''dholak' , embarrasing him and facing the glares of our guardians for this inappropriate behavior'. I don't remember feeling anything other than having pure fun.

Twenty or so years later why was I looking forward to attending Jagran? Two things - First, that the king of Jagran was going to be there and secondly (and more importantly ) that I wanted the kids to experience something that was part of my cultural shape-up. Culture - that's it ! It was more of a cultural thing than religious. I wanted them to be exposed to a way of life that I experienced - wheather I understood it, embraced it , bore no relevance!

No disappointments with Chanchal ! He knows his business well and none of his songs are tuned on any Bollywood music. He made a grand appearance and kicked off the mood. His popularity had pulled a good crowd and into his third song he came down the stage, started hugging people and distributing 'çhunaris''. People started swaying to the songs and started clapping. My kids did not want to join in the dance even after coaxing. I am grateful to them and to my husband who tried to support my enthusiasm by their quiet presence. They did not say in words how ridiculous they felt in those Bandnnas because Mommy told them a hundred times that they looked absolutely adorable. They did not complain when they could not understand a word of song because the loud music masked them. They looked at their excited  mother clapping and saying 'Jai Mata Di' and smiled tiredly. In the end , I had to respond to my children's sleep requirements and had to say goodbye to Jagran !