The vanishing culture of India. Devotional singers like this man would go from house to house ostensibly to beg for alms but actually, they were keepers of our beautiful, ancient culture. I saw them in Bengal, I saw them in Karnataka; actually, I saw them all over India while (1)

growing up. The songs were different, the languages too but a delicate golden thread seemed to bind them all together. I never thought they would start disappearing from cities one day. But I will not take them for granted any more. (2)

When I visited Bengaluru recently I kept my eyes and ears on the street. To my delight, I heard this man from a distance and waited with mobile phone in hand. He was taken aback to see me standing at the gate instead of averting my glance & pretending I had not seen him. (3)

After all, he had been shooed away from most of the houses on the streets. At my request, he sang. The glory of Shri Rama seemed to reverberate from across the millennia as he sang with all his heart. He was carrying a book with him and I wanted to see the cover thinking it (4)

was a book of bhajans. But it turned out to be a notebook with pictures of deities and gurus interspersed by song lyrics. There was a lump in my throat as I gave him money - too less for the service he was rendering - but he was genuinely happy. (5)

Happy Ram Navami everyone! If you see keepers of our civilization like this man anywhere, do stop to talk to them and show your appreciation. (6)

We go to museum to see well-preserved artifacts. Well, here is a cultural artifact preserved in human form and when it comes to your doorstep don’t shoo it away.