Dhaka: Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has said the translation and musical rendering of Lalan Shah Fakir's songs into Hindi will contribute in an unprecedented way to popularizing his incomparable compositions in all parts of India.

The Indian President made the remarks while receiving the first copies of book 'Lalan Shah Fakir Ke Geet' written by Prof Muchkund Dubey and DVD of selected songs of Lalan Shah Fakir at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on Saturday evening.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali, Prof Emeritus Dr Anisuzzaman, author of `Lalan Shah Fakir Ke Geet' and iconic diplomat Prof Muchkund Dubey, devoted Lalan singer Farida Parveen along with the organisers ICCR President Professor Lokesh Chandraand, Sahitya Akademi President Dr Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari and eminent scholars were present.

Pranab said Rabindranath Tagore was the first to publish a significant number of songs of Lalan Shah Fakir and played a central role in bringing Lalan Shah Fakir's compositions to a wider audience.

"Today, while Lalan Shah Fakir is an icon and Lalan geeti is in the mainstream of Bengali folk music in Bangladesh, at the same time, he is equally regarded and celebrated among Bangla knowing people of India," Indian Press Information Bureau quoted Pranab as saying.

He congratulated Prof Muchkund Dubey who had served as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh for his pioneering work and for giving an opportunity to recognise and pay tribute to Lalan Shah Fakir, a great saint, poet and social reformer.

He also congratulated all for publishing the book and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations for supporting the project of producing a DVD containing the Hindi rendering by Farida Parveen.

Pranab said Farida Parveen had enthralled all at the gathering with her soulful presentation of songs of Lalan Shah Fakir both in Hindi and Bengali.

He said there is hardly any Bengali who does not know the songs of Lalan Shah Fakir.

The Indian President said Lalon's poetry is an invaluable treasure of the Bengali literary tradition. "This outstanding saint didn't lean on any one religion or ideology, but picked up the best from Vaishnavism, Sahajya Buddhism and Sufism."

Farida Parveen voiced two Lalan songs in Hindi that concluded the ceremony.