An Ode To Gurudev

On the eve of Pujya Swami Swaroopanandaji’s final day in London this year, Chinmaya Swaranjali UK and the entire CMUK family came together to commemorate the 108^th Jayanti of our beloved Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda. It was a beautiful evening filled with soul-stirring music and personal reflections, aptly named "An Ode To Our Gurudev."

Musicians and vocalists from both wings of Swaranjali - Fusion and Traditional - harmoniously uplifted the hall with breath-taking performances while members of the CMUK Committee captivated the audience with moving orations on how Gurudev has impacted our lives and touched our hearts. We were utterly blessed with a special involvement from Pujya Swami Swaroopanandaji himself who began the evening with his own profound insight and unique personal experiences of Gurudev.

Our resident Archarya, Brni. Shripriyaji enlightened us all with her thoughts on Gurudev’s boundless compassion for his devotees. Special guest Br. Darshanji also contributed, beautifully conveying the meaning of “Chinmaya” itself.  The concert explored many of the inimitable ways in which Gurudev blesses and inspires us in all aspects of our lives; each unique musical composition was paired with a speaker’s reflection inspired by ten names from the Sri Chinmaya Astottara Sata Namavalih – a hymn of 108 glorious names of our Gurudev composed by Guruji, Swami Tejomayananda.

The melodies had the audience swaying in their seats, clapping to the beats and shedding joyful tears of gratitude. Some of the most memorable highlights include Swamiji’s recitation of the shloka ‘Brahmanandam Parama Sukhadam’ during the opening piece; the seamless flow between instrumental-backed reflections from various speakers and stunning musical compositions; and lastly the striking fusion of Classical and Western instruments, melodies and styles such as a call-and-response between vocals and electric guitar during the grand finale - Gurudeva Tava Mahaniya Kripa, another of Guruji’s cherished compositions.

This beautiful performance promises to be one of many to come from Chinmaya Swaranjali UK who aim higher and go bigger with each successive event. We are truly grateful to the audience for bringing a joyous spirit to the concert, the sevaks who worked diligently to make this happen and lastly, to all the performers for their dedication, devotion and talent.  Please keep a lookout for more musical offerings coming soon!

Hari Om!