Temple dedicated to Rafi in Lucknow
It has been 30 years since he died and the world has moved on. But for Sanjeev Dixit, a school teacher, time always stands still on December 24 which also happens to be the birth anniversary of singer Mohammed Rafi.
A hardcore Rafi fan, Sanjeev Dixit has built a temple to commemorate the memory of the legendary singer in his house in LDA colony on Kanpur road.
The temple has innumerable photographs of Mohammed Rafi in various moods and a handful of mud brought from his grave in Mumbai is kept at the centre. A marble status of the singer is under construction and will be installed soon. “I first heard Rafi’s song Kaun hai jo sapnon mein aaya in 1987 and was left spellbound. As I went on to hear more of his songs, I realised that the singer was worth worshipping and then I started collecting his photographs, songs, albums and anything even remotely connected to him. Finally, the idea of building a temple dedicated to his memory took birth and here it is,” he says, pointing to the room that has been converted into a temple of sorts.
Songs of Mohammed Rafi play softly in the background all day at the temple.
Sanjeev prays at the temple everyday before he leaves his house for work and now his family members, particularly his wife, also share his passion for the singer.
“There is something ethereal about Mohd Rafi and his songs. Despite being a Muslim, he sang ‘bhajans’ like Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj (Baiju Bawra) with such reverence that the songs still brings tears to our eyes,” says Shashi.
The Dixit family, incidentally, has travelled to all places connected with the singer—his birthplace in village Kota Sultan Singh near Amritsar, his house in Mumbai and his resting place in Mumbai. They have met his family members too and visited the recording studios where Rafi sang most of his songs.
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