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Indian Express

With 4.6 billion views, this devotional song is the most viewed video on YouTube; Hariharan recalls a priest ‘almost touched his feet' because of it

Singer Hariharan has been gracing the Indian audience with his soulful voice and unmatched skill of singing since the early 1990s. The singer, who recently held a Soul India program in Pune, for local artistes and musicians to showcase their talent, has sung many Bollywood hits and has also been celebrated in the independent music space. But, his biggest hit on YouTube with over 4.6 billion views, is his rendition of Hanuman Chalisa. In a recent interview, the singer talked about his rendition of Hanuman Chalisa, and shared that at one point, a priest almost touched his feet and got emotional upon meeting him. While talking to Radio Nasha, the singer talked about his career as a playback singer in Indian films and spoke about his version of Hanuman Chalisa. He shared that the love he gets for this baffles him to this date. He said, 'I was completely flabbergasted by the response it got. I didn't understand how it became such a huge thing and the kind of belief people have in it… It truly humbles me.' ALSO READ: AR Rahman reveals real reason behind his recent hospitalisation; calls it a 'humanising' experience: 'Realised that people wanted me to live' Hariharan shared a beautiful anecdote about this particular track and talked about his visit to Pushkar, where a priest's behaviour towards him completely took him by surprise. He said, 'I once visited the Brahma temple in Pushkar. The priest at the temple came up to me, folded his hands and nearly touched my feet. I asked him 'Maharaj ji yeh aap kya kar rahe hai (What are you doing?)'. He told me that they start the day with my rendition of Hanuman Chalisa.' The track which has transcended geographical boundaries worked wonders for Hariharan, who believes that every time someone listens to it, they pray for his well being and success. 'Not only in the north, but even people from the south tell me that they listen to my Hanuman Chalisa, it is the greatest blessing for me,' added the singer. At the time of publishing, Hariharan's Hanuman Chalisa stands at 4.6 billion views on YouTube, making it the most viewed Indian video on the platform.