Hundreds attend Ram Lalla music concert in Fremont

This is the first-ever music concert dedicated to Lord Ram, the organizers said.

A musical performance at the Ram Lalla concert. / Courtesy Photo

Hindu devotees in Northern California on May.18 celebrated Ram Lalla’s homecoming in India’s Ayodhya town with a music concert dedicated to the Hindu God. The concert was held in the outdoor amphitheater of Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, with organizers estimating that over 600 people attended the event.

The concert, akin to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) Ram Rath Yatra — a monumental journey where a Ram Rath visited approximately 850 temples across North America — brought akshath (sacred rice grains) and prasad from the Pran Pratishthan (consecration ceremony) held on Jan.22 in Ayodhya.

This is the first-ever music concert dedicated to the Shri Ram theme, organizers said. The chants of Hanuman Chalisa and Ram ji songs resonated throughout the Bay Area. The main musical act for the concert was the devotional music band Kirtaniyas, with support from DJ Ananta Govinda.

Indian Americans enjoying the performances. /

Deepti Mahajan, the coordinator of World Hindu Council of America-VHPA in the SF Bay Area, and co-convener of HinduPACT said, “This enchanting evening of musical devotion to our beloved Shri Rama is a unique opportunity for all Hindus of North California to come together, celebrate, and partake in a truly transcendental experience. This religious music concert is not just a musical event, but a small step towards fostering unity and celebrating the spirit of Ram Janma Bhumi within the Bay area Hindu community.”

Another major attraction of the concert was the distribution of akshath from the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration to attendees. This was part of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America’s nationwide campaign, which aims to distribute akshath from the consecration ceremony to over a thousand temples across the US.

The organizers, Deepti Mahajan, Daipayan Deb, Bimal Bhagwat, Deepak Bajaj, Param Desai, and Rohit Sharma, were excited to bring this event to California, aiming to further strengthen the Hindu community. This same group had successfully orchestrated the Bay Area car rally on Jan.22, which drew over 2,000 Hindus and 1,000 cars.