THE BEAUTY OF THE FIFTH LAMP











Beauty, as they say, always lies in the eyes of the beholder! And, there is so much beauty all around us; but, there are only two eyes to behold it!

Yes, at times, I regret having only two eyes and not been able to behold every thing around me… And, at times, I regret seeing some amazing things around me with my biased eyes and ruining the real experience!

Nevertheless, I do try to take off my biased glasses and view the beauty in all things different around me…

Truly, that ability to appreciate and celebrate the beauty in ‘variety and difference’ – the cross culture – Yes, I think, it’s a true endowment from the Creator… Why can’t we all simply look for the beauty in our differences – whatever they be?

Yesterday, my friend, Vivek, a Sindhi, sent to me this beautiful mash-up from the movie ‘Dhanak’…






Obviously, the song speaks about love, peace and brotherhood… a dream state as John Lennon’s iconic song, ‘Imagine’, evoked:

“Imagine there are no countries…
It isn’t hard to do…
Nothing to kill or die for.”







Through this mash-up, I was drawn back to the varied versions of ‘Dam Mast Qalandar’ from across our borders… I was stunned to note the origin of this gem… the significance of the lyrics… the power of the Sufi philosophy… How ‘The Saint in the Red Rob’ – Jhoole Lal… is the common Saint for Hindus and Muslims… Yes, my eyes, now, were able to behold the beauty in things which were different from mine… but, yet, seemed mine!










The core is always one… The essence is always one. If I recognize this truth, my biased glasses fall off my eyes, at once… and, I am able to appreciate and celebrate the beauty in the difference…

All over the world, people yearn to find that simple joy in the sameness of their difference… Joy, love and peace have no territorial borders, no guardians, no gatekeepers and, no Gods… They are like the colours of the rainbow – different, yet, same… born out of the same Sun… and for the same reason… to bring that promise of hope, joy and brotherhood…

And, at times, I really wonder, if eyes are needed to behold the beauty… just as the l’le boy, in ‘Dhanak’, shows us while singing:

 “O the red-robed Saint,
Your shrine is always lit with four lamps,
and here I come to light the fifth lamp in Your honour.”





GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Videos: 1. Bilal Ahmad 2. Juan Pablo Della Cueva 
             3. Muslim Ummah TV 4. Andante Records
             5. Vinatha Sreeramkumar



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