Dear Editor,
We were extremely shocked and saddened to learn of the death of a singing legend, Shri Hari Om Sharan, at a New York City hospital on Monday, December 17, 2007 after a brief period of hospitalization. He was 75. For Indian music lovers, especially of the bhajan type, this loss is monumental. Shri Hari Om Sharan, more than anyone else, revolutionized bhajan singing in the west. During his singing lifetime that spanned over 35 years, Shri Hari Om Sharan sang hundreds of bhajans, and sold millions of albums that won the hearts of not only Caribbean people, but also, those throughout the world.
Says Pt Newal Prashad: “A bhajan is an experience in which an individual vocally expresses his/her love for God with the intention of complete union with the divine. Bhajans are beautifully set to traditional Indian ragas and are sung in praise of God in all facets of life with gratitude and devotion.” And who, among us, can doubt that these wonderful bhajans sung by the late Maestro will not take us closer to this goal?
Needless to say, Shri Hari Om Sharan’s name was a household word in the Caribbean region. Not only that, he had developed intimate relationships with that part of the world, too. He was married to a Guyanese, Nandani; was at one time the house guest in Ozone Park, New York, of Shri Prakash Gossai and his sister Dora, for over six months; and was at the time of his death, the house guest of popular musician, Anoop Dhanpat.
We, at the Bhuvaneshwar Mandir, under the distinguished leadership of our Guru, Shri Prakash Gossai, extend to his wife, Nandani, his relatives, and friends, our deepest condolences on the passing of this legend.
We regard Shri Hari Om Sharan as one of the greatest bhajan singers coming out of India.
In a tribute on Shri Hari Om Sharan’s passing, our noted Spiritual Leader, Shri Prakash Gossai, himself an accomplished singer, says: “Hari Om Sharan influenced me more than anyone else as a bhajan singer.”
Yours faithfully,
Dr Tara Singh
PRO, Bhuvaneshwar
Mandir
