“It is Sai’s grace, that I got the unique opportunity to give my voice to the Sai Mantra”

In Kalyug Namasmarna is given utter importance. The Namasmarna has the power to ferry safely the devotee across the worldly ocean. The Namasmarna of the principle deity, family deity, or guru results in contentment in our life.

‘Om Shri Sainathaya Namah’ and ‘Om Shri Sai, Jai Jai Sai’ these two Sai Mahamantra give us immense joy, which all devotees of Baba I am sure have experienced. Just imagine what would be the divine experience of the person who sang this Mantra!

These two Mahamantras are sung my Shri Mahendra Kapoor and Smt. Anoopama Deshpande. I got an opportunity with Sai’s Grace to speak to Anoopama Deshpande. She was blissfully overjoyed while reminiscing about her experiences during the recording of the sound track of the Mahamantra. She recalled, “This incident took place in 1996 when I was singing for Venus Cassette Company. It was during this time that the Company decided to release the Sai Mahamantra cassette. They asked me whether I will lend my voice to the cassette and I tell you that I was simply overwhelmed; because, right from my childhood I was devoted to Baba, so I always thought, ‘everything happening in my life is Baba’s wish’. Hence, I presumed to myself that the Mantra should be in my voice is also Baba’s wish. So I immediately agreed.”
She added, “The recording took place at Radio Gyms studio in Worli. I never thought I am singing for the cassette. It was as if I am doing Mantra japa for Baba! This resonated with me even more vibrantly when I saw Baba’s picture in the studio. It was as if I was sitting right in front of Sai Baba and reciting the Mantra! Hence, I sang it with my eyes closed with heartfelt devotion. My destiny is so divine that the thought that I want to sing before Baba manifested, when I got this opportunity.”

She informs, “Shree Sai Sansthan at Shirdi plays this Mahamantra in the Samadhi Mandir morning till evening. Till date I feel it is a dream. The Mahamantra playing in the Samadhi Mandir is possible only with Baba’s wish, because, not even a leaf will shake without His wish. While singing this Mantra the joy I got, the satisfaction I got is indescribable. Even today when I do Baba’s Namasmarna, I relive the whole experience.

“I have to travel for doing programmes because of which I have to stay sometimes outside the house at night, but in spite of it I have never felt alone. This is because Baba’s Namasmarna is on. There are many incidents which I could deal capably with because of the Namasmarna. Baba’s miracles are unlimited. When Sansthan released the Aarti cassette- CD did I experience Baba fame. The sound track was recorded at Napoleon studio in Juhu, Mumbai. Even at that time there was a picture of Baba in front of me, and again I felt as if Baba is sitting in front of me when I was singing. This experience was divinely mystical. The recording of the sound track was to take a day or two longer as the musical score of some Aarti’s were being redone; but to everyone astonishment they all were recorded in a day!”

She avers, “By Baba’s Grace I have sang about 3,000 songs and they are in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Bengali, Odissi, Kannad, Nepali, etc. I have sung filmy numbers, Bhavgeet, Balgeet, Bhaktigeet, etc. With Baba’s blessing my programmes of film songs and Bhakigeet are becoming very popular. In India I have sang in Delhi, West Bengal, Goa, Lucknow, Raipur, Jharkhand, Bhopal, etc. and abroad in United States of America, Nairobi, Holland, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Muscat, Dubai, etc. My programme at Toronto’s world famous Waderland Stadium was very well received. Today, whatever I have accomplished in the field of playback singing is because of Baba.

“I feel I should do Sai Seva while doing cine Seva, because my voice is Baba’s boon. For the past few years I am involved in propagating Sai Bhakti through music. I am reaching out Baba’s teaching through my programmes. At the end of it I feel it His Boon, which I am trying to sublimate at His Feet, rest is Allah Malik.”

   
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