In 1978 ISKCON produced and released an album featuring the renowned singer Lakshmi Shankar performing several classic songs composed and sung by the 15th century Princess and Saint Mirabai also known as Princess Meera.

Rescued from an old 1970s audio cassette this Gem is a true treasure of historic and artistic excellence. The singer, late Lakshmi Shankar, was a noted Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. She was known for her performances of khyal, thumri, and bhajans. She was the sister-in-law of sitar player Ravi Shankar and the mother-in-law of violinist L. Subramaniam, the father of Gingger Shankar.

In a world of popular music Mirabai is one fo the world's greatest. Even today, 500 years after she wrote them, her songs are widely sung and recorded and sell millions.

Mirabai (Meera) was a Rajput princess born in about 1498 in Kudaki, Rajasthan.  She later became a renowned as a Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She was one of the most significant Sants ("true" or "saints") of the Vaishnava bhakti movement. Some 1,300 pads (poems) commonly known as bhajans (sacred songs) are attributed to her. These are popular throughout India and have been translated and published worldwide. In the bhakti tradition, they are in passionate praise of Lord Krishna. In most of her poems, she describes her unconditional love for her Lord and promotes Krishna bhakti as the best way of life because it helps us forget our desires.

Meera's love for Krishna was at first a private thing but at some moments it overflowed into an ecstasy that led her to sing and dance in public with others who shared her religious zeal. She would quietly leave the Chittor fort at night and join Satsangs (religious get-togethers) in the town below. 

Now hear some of those beautiful poems of love and devotion. Enjoy!

(Please note that there are slight defects in the audio track and thus you will experience a couple sound distortions during playback.) 

Brannon Parker

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