Mahesh Kale’s Song Lahanpan Dega Deva Strikes a Chord, Evoking Longing for Childhood Innocence
New Delhi [India], September 28: There is a difference between wanting to return to childhood and wanting to preserve something of the child within us. That distinction lies at the heart of National Award-winning Hindustani classical vocalist Mahesh Kale’s recently released ‘Lahanpan Dega Deva’, a composition inspired by the words of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and by a simple but increasingly relevant idea – as we grow in knowledge and experience, can we still retain our innocence, curiosity and capacity for wonder?
‘Lahanpan dega deva, mungi sakharicha rava’ – Sant Tukaram Maharaj’s much-loved words are often understood as a plea to God to grant one the simplicity of childhood. For Kale, however, their meaning goes beyond nostalgia. ‘Lahanpan Dega Deva’ is not really about wanting to become a child again,” says Kale. “It is about asking whether we can grow up without losing the qualities that make a child so receptive to life… curiosity, openness, trust and wonder.”
