Since very long time, I have played the track from the album Aman ki Asha called Mehram by Meenal Jain for the soulful rendition of this Punjabi song(ohhhh I have an affinity for that language and get invariably attached to music from that province more than often). My love for the land of five rivers actually goes deeper with the creaminess of their lassi, richness of their curries and the crispness of their paranthas. The song continues to play on loop on my system through the entire length of most solitary nights and brings about a swaying calmness. In the foreground there has been innumerable beautiful conversations. Also there has been times when silence has spoken, interpreted and instilled some interesting and perpetual thoughts.
For many years I believed I was only a rhyme and rhythm person. Music for me was mostly about the notes; highs and lows. Music for me was about the rhythm and my love for fitting things in their designated place only accentuated this affinity to measure and tempo. Rhythm is a tricky thing and yet is what has some mathematics, so some calculations and therefore some definite logic. Somewhere deep inside of me or perhaps everyone is a strong sense of rhythm. Rhythm of how life is happening to us. Rhythm of how we see things appearing and disappearing from our lives. Rhyme is another of those interesting parameters. We spend most of our lives believing that it will all rhyme at the end. But I feel that there is a reason why a free verse is called a free verse.
And though my mind vehemently debates- DO NOT GROW UP. Its a MYTH. And I possibly eventually did. And then my focus shifted from rhyme, rhythm, beats and feel to the most intrinsic variable of music - the LYRICS.
“Disappointment came to me, and booted me,
and bruised and hurt me, but that's how people grow up.” - Morrissey
Bringing you back to where we started. "MEHRAM". A colleague and friend of mine took the holy pilgrimage that every able-bodied Muslim endeavors to undertake at least once in their lifetime called Hajj last year. That is when I learnt many interesting details about one of the largest annual religious congregations that fellow humans participate in. What I learnt among other things is that every woman pilgrim who decides to undertake this holy journey must be accompanied by one male member of her family. This relative member with whom she is permanently forbidden to marry because of blood ties, breast-feeding or ties through an existing marriage is called a Mehram(sometimes spelt mahram). When my friend nonchalantly used the word one day, it took me back to this song that I have been listening to for a while. Took me to read up and understand the significance. Though for a person originally not of that faith, I do find some of the regulations pretty staunch and strict but growing up has taught me to exercise restraint in developing negative opinions about things I am not in complete know-how of.
But as I continue to listen to the mesmerizing Punjabi lyrics, I can't help but fall in love with the concept of "Mehram". I want to state in earnest; that may be this is conceivably my own interpretation of this term and but then so is the length and breadth of my entire blog. Read Up anyways. If you like it, leave a note. If you don't, just leave. :)
Mehram; a person so sacred and sacrosanct that is prohibitory. A bond you share that doesn't let you traverse boundaries. A person who is responsible for you. A person without whom you can't take this journey. A person who in some way validates your presence at the court of lord. A person who in all senses circumambulates the holy house of God with you- step in step.
My inquisitive self found it disappointing to learn that Only & Only Muslims can perform Hajj and Umrah. But then there are rules, I understand. So lets just for a moment, if we feasibly allow ourselves to imagine our lives as a journey where it is mandatory to have a Mehram- how would it really be? Please park the feminist sentiments aside and just think how beautiful(allow yourself to read romantic) the concept is.
Mehram; a relationship so sacred and sacrosanct that is prohibitory to continue without. A bond doesn't let one traverse boundaries and take in infringements A person who is responsible for you, without whom you can't take this journey of life. A person who in some way validates your presence in this universe A person who circumambulates the power source of all energies, the SUN with you year after year.
The post must end with what it started- a stanza from Mehram, the song
Ishaq Khumaari Laake Badla Naal Udaari
Chadhdi Jaanve Ishq Khumaari
Laake Badla Naal Udaari
Ki Gum Hai Do Toli Jaanva
Mehram Mehram Boli Jaanva
I will not even attempt to translate the above. But please feel free to ask.
P.S- look up and listen to the song. It has some magic of Its Own.
For many years I believed I was only a rhyme and rhythm person. Music for me was mostly about the notes; highs and lows. Music for me was about the rhythm and my love for fitting things in their designated place only accentuated this affinity to measure and tempo. Rhythm is a tricky thing and yet is what has some mathematics, so some calculations and therefore some definite logic. Somewhere deep inside of me or perhaps everyone is a strong sense of rhythm. Rhythm of how life is happening to us. Rhythm of how we see things appearing and disappearing from our lives. Rhyme is another of those interesting parameters. We spend most of our lives believing that it will all rhyme at the end. But I feel that there is a reason why a free verse is called a free verse.
And though my mind vehemently debates- DO NOT GROW UP. Its a MYTH. And I possibly eventually did. And then my focus shifted from rhyme, rhythm, beats and feel to the most intrinsic variable of music - the LYRICS.
“Disappointment came to me, and booted me,
and bruised and hurt me, but that's how people grow up.” - Morrissey
Bringing you back to where we started. "MEHRAM". A colleague and friend of mine took the holy pilgrimage that every able-bodied Muslim endeavors to undertake at least once in their lifetime called Hajj last year. That is when I learnt many interesting details about one of the largest annual religious congregations that fellow humans participate in. What I learnt among other things is that every woman pilgrim who decides to undertake this holy journey must be accompanied by one male member of her family. This relative member with whom she is permanently forbidden to marry because of blood ties, breast-feeding or ties through an existing marriage is called a Mehram(sometimes spelt mahram). When my friend nonchalantly used the word one day, it took me back to this song that I have been listening to for a while. Took me to read up and understand the significance. Though for a person originally not of that faith, I do find some of the regulations pretty staunch and strict but growing up has taught me to exercise restraint in developing negative opinions about things I am not in complete know-how of.
But as I continue to listen to the mesmerizing Punjabi lyrics, I can't help but fall in love with the concept of "Mehram". I want to state in earnest; that may be this is conceivably my own interpretation of this term and but then so is the length and breadth of my entire blog. Read Up anyways. If you like it, leave a note. If you don't, just leave. :)
Mehram; a person so sacred and sacrosanct that is prohibitory. A bond you share that doesn't let you traverse boundaries. A person who is responsible for you. A person without whom you can't take this journey. A person who in some way validates your presence at the court of lord. A person who in all senses circumambulates the holy house of God with you- step in step.
My inquisitive self found it disappointing to learn that Only & Only Muslims can perform Hajj and Umrah. But then there are rules, I understand. So lets just for a moment, if we feasibly allow ourselves to imagine our lives as a journey where it is mandatory to have a Mehram- how would it really be? Please park the feminist sentiments aside and just think how beautiful(allow yourself to read romantic) the concept is.
Mehram; a relationship so sacred and sacrosanct that is prohibitory to continue without. A bond doesn't let one traverse boundaries and take in infringements A person who is responsible for you, without whom you can't take this journey of life. A person who in some way validates your presence in this universe A person who circumambulates the power source of all energies, the SUN with you year after year.
The post must end with what it started- a stanza from Mehram, the song
Ishaq Khumaari Laake Badla Naal Udaari
Chadhdi Jaanve Ishq Khumaari
Laake Badla Naal Udaari
Ki Gum Hai Do Toli Jaanva
Mehram Mehram Boli Jaanva
I will not even attempt to translate the above. But please feel free to ask.
P.S- look up and listen to the song. It has some magic of Its Own.
5 comments:
Though I couldn't at first understand what "Mehram" meant and why something with is incestuous in it's original meaning...would make a person glee...and sing a happy song to it. Your blog fixes this dilemma and I like your interpretation of "Mehram", which in itself clarifies the paradox that the song "mehram" creates with its islamic meaning.
Guess, the song signifies the upliftment of soul, traversing this earth plane with that special One, gleefully accepting & enjoying our very being presence here, the highs n lows of this conjugal bliss translating the fact that "when you love, love as if the person is God, not less than that"
Everytime I play this song, it twangs a chord beneath the everyday mundane understanding of our bonds with fellow human beings. This I feel is about a subliminal connection between souls.I wish more people lived and laughed, accepted and enjoyed love and bliss in a gentle & kind life. That in my opinion would be living a true essence of the word Mehram.
Everyone, each soul should do its bit in understanding its role, the need for rekindling the forgotten essence, to experience the transcend phenomena....as very well put and another classy thought of urs! Salute!!!
Nice thoughts.. did not have a clue what this ment before.. thanks Soh
Post a Comment