With just a 52-second video in which she sings "Ram Bhajan" for just 25 seconds Syeda Batool Zehra, a Muslim teenager from Uri tehsil of the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, becomes a star on social media.
The Ram Bhajan sung by Zehra is being discussed all around and her song is becoming increasingly viral before the consecration of Ram Lalla in the grand Ram temple being built in Ayodhya.
Syeda Batool Zehra, 19, who is studying in college, comes from the Syed community and was inspired by the Bhajans sung by singer Jubin Nautiyal. Zehra told media persons who approached her after her Ram Bhajan became so popular on social media.
"Recently, I sang a Ram Bhajan which has gone viral and became popular on social media," Zehra told reporters in Kupwara, where she had come to meet Director General of Police R R Swain at a public durbar organized by the police department, on Monday.
"After listening to some Hindi Bhajan of Jubin Nautiyal on social media, I decided to sing a Bhajan in our mother tongue Pahari. I translated Ram Bhajan in Pahari, used various resources to write this four-line bhajan, and posted it online," she added.
Nothing wrong with singing a Ram Bhajan
Zehra said she did not see anything wrong in singing a Ram Bhajan despite being a Muslim.
"Our Lieutenant Governor is a Hindu but he does not discriminate against us based on religion while carrying out development work. Our Imam Hussain has also taught us that the followers of the Prophet love the country in which they live. Loving one's country is part of being faithful," she said.
"Our LG is going from place to place to solve people's problems and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving priority to Jammu and Kashmir. We also have to cooperate with them because I believe that Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians are brothers," she said.
Zehra has chosen to lend her voice to the nationwide celebrations surrounding the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. Her initiative reflects her musical talent and serves as a bridge connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the historic event.
The Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, scheduled for January 22 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has captured the hearts and minds of people across the nation
Batool Zehra's musical tribute is not only a celebration of this historic occasion but also a testament to the unity in diversity that defines India.
