New Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the trend of 'Bhajan clubbing' among youth, stating that this combination of culture and Gen Z lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular.

Addressing the countrymen in the 130th edition of the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, PM Modi mentioned the rising trend among the youth, known as Bhajan clubbing, where youth sing along to devotional songs.

'Bhajans and kirtans have been the soul of our culture for centuries. Today's youth have incorporated the spirit of devotion into their experiences and lifestyles,' he said.

Highlighting that this growing trend is being adopted by many parts of the nation, he said, 'The stage is decorated. There are lights, music, along with other arrangements, and the atmosphere is no less than a concert. But whatever is sung there is with complete dedication, devotion and Rhythm is the resonant of Bhajans.'

'It is heartening to see that the dignity and purity of Bhajans are fully respected in these events. Devotion is not taken lightly. Neither the sanctity of words nor the depth of feeling is compromised,' PM Modi added.

Furthermore, he lauded the efforts of the Indian community in Malaysia towards language diversity in schools. 'There are more than 500 Tamil schools in Malaysia. In addition to teaching the Tamil language, other subjects are also taught in Tamil. Furthermore, along with Telugu and Punjabi, there's also a lot of focus on other Indian languages.', he said.

Recalling the Lal Paad Saree walk in Malaysia in December, he highlighted the large number of participants in the event. 'Last month, the 'Lal Paad Saree' iconic walk was organised in Malaysia. This sari has had a special connection to our culture of Bengal. This event set a record for the largest number of people wearing this sari, which was recorded in the Malaysian Book of Records,' he said.

He named the 'Malaysia India Heritage Society' as a key player in strengthening the historical and cultural ties between India and Malaysia.

The PM also referred to a social media trend in which people are refreshing their memories of 2016 and said he, too, wished to share one such memory with the country. PM Modi recalled that a decade ago, an ambitious but crucial journey was initiated for the youth and the future of India -- the Startup India mission. 'Ten years ago, in January 2016, we started an ambitious journey. At that time, many could not even understand what it was,' PM Modi said, adding that the true heroes of this journey are India's young innovators who stepped out of their comfort zones and created history.

Highlighting the progress made over the past decade, the Prime Minister said India has today emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem. 'These startups are out of the ordinary. They are working in sectors that could not have been imagined ten years ago - AI, space, nuclear energy, semiconductors, mobility, green hydrogen, biotech, you name it, and you will find an Indian startup there,' he added. (ANI)