The bhent (devotional song) in Punjabi has gone viral on social media within hours of being filmed live at a religious congregation in New Delhi.
In his signature style, Mr Chanchal can be seen asking the Hindu goddess Durga a question as he croons, “Maiyya ji, kithon aaya corona? (Oh Mother Goddess, from where did the coronavirus emerge?”).
While his orchestra played the music, the choir and the devotees in attendance provided chorus and clapped along.
Highlights:
- Indian devotional singer Narendra Chanchal's song on coronavirus goes viral
- Mr Chanchal's Australia tour has been postponed due to the outbreak
- He insists people must "Keep the faith" in these trying times
SBS Punjabi spoke with him over the phone about what inspired him to not only sing the song but also pen the lyrics.
“I have always written songs about pressing social issues. People are panicking about the coronavirus, so I thought why not address this issue at my annual Holi function at New Delhi,” he says.
Further along in the song, Mr Chanchal goes on to give the message of maintaining good hygiene and being positive.
“Through my bhent, I wanted to insist that people should not panic but follow the instructions given by medical practitioners like washing hands, using sanitisers and wearing masks. And because I’m a devotee of Goddess Durga, I assure people that we should keep the faith,” he adds.
One of India’s most popular devotional singers for the past four decades, Mr Chanchal is known not only for his peppy songs dedicated to Durga but also for the surprise he springs when a social phenomenon gains traction.
“I try to make maximum use of the opportunity I get at public events to spread important social messages. I’ve written and sung songs on female foeticide and patriotism during the Kargil War,” says the veteran singer who also performed a song on the theme of popular general knowledge quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati many years ago.
Mr Chanchal was scheduled to perform at Shri Kali Mata Mandir, a Hindu temple in Melbourne later this month, in addition to another performance in Sydney. His tour has now been postponed to May.
“We took this decision last week to ensure the health and safety of everyone who would have attended the jagrata (overnight devotional singing),” Mr Chanchal said.
Ever since the video was shared on YouTube, it has garnered over 44,000 views, thousands of likes and hilarious comments from netizens.
While another user wrote, it sounded as "contagious" as the coronavirus itself.
From March 16, the Australian government has advised the of cancellation of all non-essential public events across Australia as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
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The song was sang before a live audience at a jagrata in New Delhi recently.
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 83, many are practicing social distancing to curtail the spread. Some are also singing bhajans for the almighty to fight the novel coronavirus. After a group of Rajasthani women went viral for singing a song asking the virus to leave India, legendary bhajan singer Narendra Chanchal too has joined the bandwagon, and the video is going viral too.
The 9-minute-long bhajan starts with talking about swine flu, dengue, chikungunya and finally arrives at the recent outbreak with the main theme, “Kithon Aaya Corona….maiya ji…kitho aaya corona.” It even talks about how the pandemic started in China as it says, “Chin (China) ne saada chain hai khoya, sab kuch kha gaye — jinda moya, hun saanu pa gaya dhona.”
The song also talks about washing hands, using hand santizers and using masks as well. Ending the song on an optimistic note, the singer urges people not to panic, while reassuring his listeners that God will protect everyone.
The video has left netizens in splits online but many agreed that the tune is catchy and they seem to have been enjoying it too much.
