A Sanskrit teacher and singer from Assam, Ranjan Bezbaruah, has given a Sanskrit makeover to the national anthem of Bangladesh.

Bezbaruah took the initiative on the eighth death anniversary of Assam’s legendary artiste Bhupen Hazarika.

At the age of 85, music maestro Bhupen Hazarika died on November 5, 2011.

Bezbaruah has already translated scores of Assamese, Hindi and Bengali songs into Sanskrit and sung them.

Bezbaruah has included the Sanskrit version of the national anthem of Bangladesh in his 11-song album released on Tuesday.

The Hindu reports that Ranjan Bezbaruah negates any political motive behind accommodating the Sanskrit version of ‘Aamaar Shonar Bangla’, the national anthem of Bangladesh, in his album.

‘Aamaar Shonar Bangla’ was composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

In his new album, Bezbaruah has also accommodated the state anthem of Assam ‘O Mor Aaponaar Dex’, which was written by Lakshminath Bezbaroa, who revolutionised modern Assamese literature,.

The report quoted Bezbaruah as saying: “Bhupen Hazarika, who called himself a cultural nomad, believed in building bridges between communities and countries divided by political boundaries. Besides, he was and is as popular in Bangladesh as he is in Assam and elsewhere in the country.”

‘Amaar Shonaar Bangla’ features in ‘Anandini’, the new Sanskrit album that Bezbaruah has conceptualised, as ‘Ayee Swarnila Bangla’ and ‘O Mor Aaponaar Dex’ as ‘Aho Atmanah Desha’.

The two anthems on either side of the Assam-Bangladesh border feature alongside some of Bhupen Hazarika’s popular compositions as well as two of A.R. Rahman’s hit songs.

The songs of A.R. Rahman, which have featured in the album, are ‘Bharat Humko’ (Bharatam Hi Nah) and ‘Dil Hai Chhota Sa’ (Hrin Me Laghutaram).

The album also features a Bhajan by Meerabai, a Borgeet by Srimanta Sankardeva, Assam’s Vaisnavite saint and reformer, Saare Jahaan Se Achchhaa (Sarvalokeshu Ramyam) and Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite Bhajan, Vaishnava Jana To.

Bezbaruah has sung the songs along with Pronoti Baruah, Krishna Borah and Riturani Mausumi.