Ministry of External Affairs shared the music video from its official Twitter handle. “The world joins in paying homage to Bapu through his favourite Bhajan 'Vaishnav Jan To'. PM Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj release a medley version of bhajan from artists of 124 countries at function at Rashtrapati Bhawan”, the MEA said.
The video was launched by the PM during the closing ceremony of the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Conference in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti.
The famous Gujarati hymn was penned by the 15th century poet Narsimha Mehta and was one of the favourite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi who included it into the roster of prayers routinely sung before his meetings, the Ministry said in a press release.
Amongst the star performers in the video is President Baron Divavesi Waqa of Nauru. President Waqa’s gesture was not just a special tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th Birth Anniversary but was also a personal gift from him to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
All Indian Missions abroad identified local artists or group to record the bhajan in the run-up to Gandhi Jayanti. The result is an eclectic, colourful and rich rendition of the hymn infused with the local flavour of the region.
From Armenia to Angola, Sri Lanka to Serbia, Iraq to Iceland, prominent local singers/groups have showcased their talent to this favourite hymn of the Mahatma. 1-2 videos from different regions of the world were then put together in a fusion video of about 5 minutes to give a flavour of the bhajan as recorded by different artists. It is expected to have a contribution from all the countries recognised by the United Nations, the ministry said.