பல்தேவ் (மஹாஷேய்) அவர்களுக்கு அஞ்சலி

டிரினிடாட் டுபாகோ நாட்டின் மிகச்சிறந்த புத்திரரான பல்தேவ் அவர்களுக்கு அஞ்சலி
Mere Desh pays tribute to Baldeo Girlwarr
By SEETA PERSAD Saturday, March 24 2007

The Chaguanas-based Mere Desh committee met last week to pay tribute to the late USA-based Trinidadian Baldeo Oudit Girwarr also known as Mahashay. A graduate of Eureka College in the United States, Girwarr passed away on March 12 at his home in Miami, Florida, and was cremated on Saturday.

Mahashay was one of the first persons to record his voice singing Ramayan in TT. In 1959, he released the LP entitled, “Bharat Nishad Sambad.” Compliments were received from the late Lalbahadur Shastri, Prime Minister of India. According to Ajeet Praimsingh of the Mere Desh Committee, the pioneering efforts of Mahashay’s group ‘‘Ramayan Sewak Sang’’ and the first album release were the benchmarks for other Ramayan groups and subsequent recordings.

Mahashay was the son of Nanga Sadhu, born in Trinidad, on October 2, 1932. He was a prodigy, singing from the time he could talk. Inspired by his grandmother, who came from Varanasi, India, as an indentured labourer at the age of seven, he began singing the Ramayan. He became a Hindi schoolteacher in 1947.

In 1961, Mahashay left TT for the US to further his education, where he wrote an essay in defence of Hinduism — “Hate or Tolerate.”

He received second place in a contest of 75 colleges for his effort. He later obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Government, Philosophy and English.

In 1989, he was invited to attend the week-long conference for the seventh International Ramayan Conference held in Suriname. In 1995, for the 150th anniversary of Indian Arrival in Trinidad, he received an award of the Ramcharitmanas plus a gold medal from the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) at the Divali Nagar in Chaguanas.

In 1997, Mahashay produced a booklet, Hanuman Chalisa in English rhyming verses, dedicated to Goswami Tulsidas 500-birthday celebration. In August 1997, he organised the first Ramayan Recital Contests at the Shiva Mandir, Oakland Park, Ft Lauderdale, Florida, with children under 17 years of age and again in August of 98. On August 10, 1997, Florida Hindu Organisation Inc of Ft Lauderdale presented Mahashay with a plaque of “Appreciation For Dedicated Service to Humanity The World Over Through The Holy Ramayan.” On May 30, 1998, The Florida Hindu Cultural and Religious Association Inc of Ft Worth, Florida recognised Mahashay with an award “for his contribution in perpetuating and preserving Hinduism in the Western World.” In August of 1998, Pundit Lallan Prasad Vyas of New Delhi, India, the president of the 15th International Ramayan Conference held in Trinidad, invited him to present a paper entitled “Message of the Ramayan to the Modern World.”

The then PM of TT, Basdeo Panday, pa1*id special homage in his inaugural remarks to Mahashay, “My brothers and sisters, among those scholars is a man who I know would not wish to be classified as a visitor; and I do not intend to do so. But I would like to extend a special welcome to one of the scholars who has come in specifically for the conference. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming back, in welcoming home, a devotee who has been singing the Ramayan for 60 years. He is a son of the soil who has been honoured for his work in promulgating the message of the Ramayan. For some 40 years, his recordings of the Ramayan have been in demand the world over. That man, is Baldeo Oudit Girwarr! We welcome you home brother Baldeo! As you continue to lead others to Godliness, may God continue to come your way, Mahashay.”

On April 24, 1999 The Indo-Cultural Society/Vishnu Mandir of SW Miami, Florida, presented a plaque to Mahashayji “In Celebration of Forty Years Of His First Musical Ramayan Record, (1959-1999).” On May 1st, 1999, he received from “The Federation of Hindu Mandirs” of South Florida, an award “For Dedicated Community Service.” On June 20, 1999 Mahashayji again received a plaque at Fort Lauderdale from the South Florida Hindu Community “In Appreciation for Your Outstanding Leadership and Community Service.”

For December 1999, he wrote a paper: “The New World Order Based on the Ramayana” for the International Ramayan Conference in India. This paper was selected and printed in a book in India.

On February 26, 2000, The FHO Inc 1981, Shiva Mandir, presented him a Meritorious Service Award. He also released a CD with the Ramayan and the Gita in choupaie? In May of 2001, the Broward county board of county commissioners presented him with a “Certificate of Award — In Recognition of Your Outstanding Contribution to the East Indian Culture.”

Mahashay has been singing the Ramayan for South Florida Hindu Temple, the University of Miami Campus organised by the Hindu students and other temples and homes whenever requested to do so since 1978 in the South Florida area. Praimsingh said that Mahashay’s ability to sing the Ramayan from memory with love in his heart and tears in his eyes continues to amaze scholars and audiences alike. “Any time I sing or hear the Ramayan,” he says “it increases the adrenaline in my blood stream.” He has a practical, realistic and devotional approach to the Ramayan. He did work in Trinidad, Canada, USA, Suriname, Guyana, and India.