The Ram Lalla Series - What?

"Why were film stars invited? They lead a depraved lifestyle"

"Why didn't the cricketers come? They are so arrogant"

"Congress boycotted and BJP celebrated"

"Modi is hogging the limelight"

And finally when they unveiled the idol, nothing really mattered.

I wasn't a big fan of Anup Jalota growing up. For one, his Bhajans were boring and didn't enthrall like a Kishore Kumar song. Secondly, he had a voice that was heavier than Chanchal but softer than Bhupinder. It felt like Manhar Udhas with a cold. Nevertheless his Bhajans were all around and one couldn't but hear and memorize them over the years. 

So when I saw the idol of Bala Rama, all I could say to myself was - like what Anup Jalota sang in that Bhajan, Goswami Tulasidas was right when he said there is nothing in the seven worlds that could compare with the radiance of young Ramachandra. "Raghuvar ki chavi samaan, Raghuvar mukh baniyaa" - the only thing that matches the grace of Rama's face is Rama's face. So the sculptor got it absolutely right. You watch the face of Bala Rama once and nothing else matters. All the things that seemed important feel like fluff. Who came, who didn't. Who is hogging the limelight and who is suffering irrelevance. Or whatever else. Nothing matters.

Arun Yogiraj, the sculptor, did the greatest service to mankind by bringing out young Rama exactly the way Tulasidas visualized. Simple, elegant, beautiful and, divine. For all the battles fought and all the wait of generations, Arun Yogiraj gave the perfect closure. Anything less would have left people wanting more and probably would have pushed them for another Rama temple in another place of significance. What we got completes the quest and quenches the thirst. One wouldn't feel like building another grand Rama temple after this. Rama has manifested himself thru the sculptor. Do not know what the agreement between the two was but they conspired to come out with completeness. Rama needed the sculptor as much as the sculptor needed Rama. Take a bow, Arun Yogiraj. And to quote from another Bhajan of my now favorite Anoop Jalota, Arun can remind Bhagavan Ram that "kabhi kabhi Bhagavan ko bhi bhakton se kaam pade, jaana tha ganga paar, Prabhu kevat ki naav chade" and then ask for a return gift with "paar kiya maine tumko, ab tu mohe paar kare"

Thank you, Anup Jalota. Better late than never.

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