Unique Experiments
Baba Mourya and his mission
By Shachi Rairikar
An ordinary looking bearded man with extraordinary talent, that is, Satyanarayan Mourya, fondly known as Baba to his friends and admirers. Well known for his famous Bharat maa ki aarti, Baba is a gifted poet, musician, singer, orator, painter, cartoonist and above all a patriot. A philosopher by nature, Baba endeavours to bring about an awakening in the Indian masses in his own unique way.
Born in a humble family of a school teacher at Rajgarh in Byaora district of Madhya Pradesh in 1965, Baba rose to fame with his extraordinary talent with the paintbrush. Painting became a hobby at an early age and without any formal training. To begin with, Baba funded his high school education by painting signboards in his town. After completing his Masters in commerce, Baba received a gold medal in Masters of Arts in drawing and painting from the Vikram Vishwa Vidyalaya, Ujjain.
Baba has an impressive collection of art work. His paintings include a wide range of subjects, from Kargil to Badrinath. His depictions include idyllic village life as well as the frenetic routines of city life. From rails to fairs and from prisons to temples, he has painted it all. The speed with which Baba is able to capture an idea and express it meaningfully in a painting is truly fascinating. He is especially dedicated to painting Gods and Goddesses.
Just like painting, poetry was also a God'sgift. Baba'spoems reflect the pain he feels for the plight of Mother India and her children. Through his poems, he tries to shake the Indians out of their deep slumber and inspire them to work towards building a strong nation. More than 20 audio cassettes of his poems have been released, the most famous being ?Aur ab Baba bhee roye re?.
Baba also tried his hand at writing and found that it came as a natural extension of his poetry. He has authored many dramas, television script and articles. He has about 250 series of television episodes to his credit.
Baba'spoems reflect the pain he feels for the plight of Mother India and her children. Through his poems he tries to shake the Indians out of their deep slumber and inspire them to work towards building a strong nation. More than 20 audio cassettes of his poems have been released, the most famous being Aur ab Baba bhee roye re.
Baba worked with Zee TV for more than six years as a script writer for Sanskar and Bhakti. He has produced more than 2,000 episodes of Jagran and Bhakti bhav series. The credit of identifying and promoting many good saints on that series goes to him.
With his intensive research and study of Indian history, culture, scriptures, Baba is an authority on ancient Indian sciences. He has created a wide range of exhibitions to share his knowledge. His exhibitions include Aitihaasik Ram, Swadeshi, Goraksha, Ved?The way of light, Understanding Hinduism, The Child, Hindu customs and traditions, Hamare Vanvasi.
The brilliant fusion of Baba'smultiple skills can be witnessed in his programmes like Bharat maa ki aarti and Shiv Parvati vivah. During his programmes his charismatic and charming personality keeps the crowd enthralled while he conveys his message through music and painting and in a language that appeals to all. In spite of his at-times harsh, highly critical comments on the status of the present Indian society, right from an illiterate farmer in the village to the sophisticated urban professional, Baba?a darling of the masses?is loved and understood by all. During, what inevitably turns out to be a power packed session, Baba'smessage comes out loud and clear. Bharat maa ki aarti begins with Baba'sown beautifully composed song which he sings with his team.
?Bharat bhakton Bharat phir se vaibhav paye param,
Sab dharmon se badhkar bhai hota rashtra dharam!?
As the progamme gradually unfolds offering paintings of national heroes, patriotic songs, poetry and talk, it concludes with an aarti of Bharat mata, Baba'sanother excellent composition:
?Do shabdon ki divya chetna rashtra bhav sancharati,
Vande Mataram gakar karlo Bharat maa ki aarti!?
Having extensively travelled and performed throughout the country, Baba has made forays into the western world, with exhibitions and private commissions in the US, Europe, Hong Kong and the Caribbean countries. He is specially adored by the Indians abroad, including heads of states of Indian origin. With his patriotic poems and exhibitions depicting the various aspects of Indian culture, Baba has played a vital role in helping the non-resident Indians find their roots, their religion and their culture.
Much of the success of the Divali Nagar celebrations, the premier Indian cultural festival in the Caribbean, has been due to the monumental work of this very talented artist. He has been responsible for the research and preparation of the exhibitions that depict the themes of the Divali Nagar. Exhibitions produced so far include, The Vedas, Understanding Hinduism, Indian contribution to science and technology, The Child and Hindu customs and traditions. Apart from the thousands who eagerly imbibe their contents, Baba'sexhibitions have been regularly visited by the top echelons of the Trinidad society, including the Presidents of Trinidad and Tobago, its Prime Ministers, Members of Parliament, members of the Senate and the clergy of other religions.
In various cities in the US, like New Jersey, Washington D.C., Rale, Houston, Atlanta, Baba is in high demand and eagerly awaited by the audiences of Kavi Sammelan.
Baba has great regard for our soldiers who shed their blood so that we live in peace and security. His reverence for our brave jawans made him travel to the borders during the Kargil war to motivate them and salute them for their great sacrifice.
At a very early stage in his career, Baba joined the Ram Janmabhoomi and Cow protection movements. Later, he was also a part of the Swadeshi movement. Soon, he became a part of every nationalist movement as he was able to effectively capture and promote the movement'smessage.
Currently, Baba has become an integral part of Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad'songoing project, Shivganga Abhiyan in Jhabua district. He has been visiting the interior villages of Jhabua inspiring the Vanvasis to work for their villages with his programmes. He has lived with the Vanvasis for days and worked with them in the hot sun to make check dams, contours, etc. for conserving water.
International fame and adulation have failed to change him one bit. He still remains simple, down to earth, easily approachable sans the typical celebrity attitude and tantrums. His lifestyle, food, dressing, accommodation are still those of an average middle class Indian.
Throughout his career, Baba has looked upon money, not as a motive of his expression but merely as a way to compensate and finance the pursuit of his mission?to awaken in the heart of each countryman the love for our motherland. His mission is best understood when in one of his poems he says,
?Main duniya se aisi gandi reet mitane aaya hoon.
Jaago, jaago, jaago, jaago, Tumhe jagane aaya hoon.?
Baba has founded Bharat Bhakti Sansthan which propagates love for Bharat Mata by establishing Bharat Mata statues, conducting patriotic programmes, exhibitions, audio CDs and cassettes. Baba severely criticises and is vehemently opposed to people who only give lip service to patriotism. He believes in people who are patriotic and honest to Bharat Mata in practice and invites such people to join him in his mission. It is Baba'sdream to see Bharat Mata crowned once again as the Jagat guru, and every passing minute he is busy pursuing his goal.
(The writer can be contacted at [email protected])
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