This Ganesh Chaturthi, get into the festive mood with these divine and serene releases. Be it in Marathi folk songs or Bollywood tunes, this Hindu festival has served as a theme for many Indian tracks, especially in the Marathi and Hindi languages. This year is no exception as we receive several independent releases on the same.
Jaidev Jaidev Aarti by Shreya Ghoshal, Gulraj Singh
A popular aarti dedicated to Ganesha, this version has been sung by the legendary Bollywood and multi-lingual playback singer Shreya Ghoshal while Gulraj Singh serves as producer. An accompanying music video also depicts an interesting sand art piece by Neha Umak on the elephant-headed god.
Aingarane (Pancha Nadai Varnam) by Dr. L Subramaniam
Acclaimed Indian classical violinist Dr. L Subramaniam along with an ensemble including the morsing, ghatam, and mridangam composed this tribute to Ganesha in the kanada raga. Kanada is a diverse raga that evokes tender emotions like sorrow, love, and pain. Aingarane is an original composition of Subramaniam’s which he also used for helping learning musicians and music students to enhance their rhythmic strength.
Moraya Vinayaka by Shankar Mahadevan, Ankush – Mayur
The title of this Times Spiritual release includes Vinayaka, one of the many names by which Ganesh is referred to. With lyrics by Guru Thakur, Bollywood maestro Shankar Mahadevan blesses the track with his rich vocals. The duo of Ankush-Mayur ( Ankush Boradkar, Mayur Bahulkar) handles the production on this energetic, foot-thumping Marathi number. If you wish to get into the festive mood for Ganpati bappa, then look no further.
Maha Ganapathim by Ambi Subramanian featuring SaPa Students
Maha Ganapathim is yet another soothing violin composition dedicated to Ganesha with violinist and educator Ambi Subramanian reinterpreting this composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar. He’s also assisted by the vocals of students from SaPa (Subramanian Academy of Performing Arts), an institution for which he serves as an Associate Dean.
Ganesh Chaturthi 2021 by Sachet-Parampara
The composer-lyricist duo of Sachet Tandon and Parampura Thakur have contributed their musical prowess to several songs in Hindi films but they have also attained newfound fame on social media for their covers of devotional chants and tunes. Recently, they joined forces yet again for a composition in praise of Ganesh, released a few days before Chaturthi.
Ganajan by Sachet Tandon and Shabbir Ahmed
The aforementioned Sachet Tandon sang yet another Ganpati-themed song called Ganajan, that’s increasingly euphoric and catchy right from its opening seconds. Shabbir Ahmed handled the composition while also co-writing it along with Shamim Ahmed Shaikh, and Ankita Raj.
Om Gan Ganpataye Namo Namah by Amruta Fadnavis
Sung in Amruta Fadnavis’s melodious voice, Om Gan Ganpataye Namo Namah is a soothing chant that can be heard before and after the energetic songs of the festival. Even though the other songs on the list might suit Chaturthi events such as the ‘visarjan’ (washing away of the Ganpati idol), this composition contrasts with a calming energy.
