A Musical Visit to Sahasra Deepika

Over the past 12 years, my parents have been strong supporters and well wishers of Sahasra Deepika Foundation. I have memories of visiting the ashram as a child, and my family has instilled in me the practice of keeping connections alive and making efforts to visit. This summer was no exception, as we made sure to stop by and spend some time with the girls of Sahasra Deepika. Furthermore, we’d been told about the girls’ love for music, so I decided to surprise them by bringing along a few of my instruments.

I was initially elated when I found out that I had the opportunity to share a musical hour with the girls, since music has been a sense of comfort and joy for me throughout my life. It has always uplifted and inspired me, and I wanted the girls to feel that same bliss. We were greeted with a warm welcome at the entrance and soon seated in front of all the girls who looked excited and eager to learn. I started by describing my journey through music and then introduced them to the violin, the ukulele, and the kalimba. I played a small melody on each instrument and then taught a few girls how to play some basic notes. Seeing such enthusiasm on all the girls’ faces comforted me to even serenade them with a little Carnatic music.

I have always known that music has a magical way of connecting people from all walks of life. It transcends language barriers, cultural differences, and personal experiences. It has the power to unite and create an indescribable bond. As our musical aernoon progressed, I could see the girls fall in love with the musical experience and the various elements of the beautiful art. Before we ended our time together, we decided to all sing together. The girls suggested popular movie songs and we all sang our hearts out. We even got my parents and the teachers involved, and it was an unparalleled experience to hear so many melodious voices uniting.

I felt blessed to have been surrounded by such positive energy and compassionate individuals and didn’t want the day to be over. My time spent with the girls is one of my most cherished memories, and I will never forget their sweet smiles, curious eyes, and giggles. I remember showing them pictures and videos of my life back in America, and feeling as though they were my own sisters. The respect and love with which they treated me was incredibly touching, and I am forever grateful that I got to spend time with them and experience their warmth and brilliance. I am very lucky to have seen first handedly the love and compassion that exists within all the girls of Sahasra Deepika and cannot wait to visit them time and time again.

– Vaishnavi Bhat is a sophomore Engineering major at Texas A&M University. She enjoys music, traveling, and meeting new people.