This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
HAPPY DASHEHRA TO ALL READERS.
This is a season of Festivals in India. First it was Shri Ganesh ji, now it is Durga mata and soon it will be Deepavali. In between there was an Eid also. Later there will be Christmas, followed by Sankranti,then Holi and then……
In India Festivals do not get exhausted. Throughout the year some or the other Festival is going on in some part of the country. In an unique country of divergent faiths, Religions and cultures, Festivals are unlimited. While there are few Festivals celebrated universally all over the country, Like Holi,Deepavali etc, there are many Festivals which are celebrated in certain regions, like, Bihu in Assam or Chhat Pooja in Bihar. Every state, language or Region has its own exclusive festival. Even the nationally celebrated festivals have their regional variations and specialities like for example, during Navratri,it is Garba Dances in Gujarat and Durga Pooja in Bengal and Eastern parts of India. In Maharashtra,it is also celebrated as Saraswati Pooja.
Durga Pooja is the most important event in Bengal- bigger than even Deepavali. Durga Puja festival is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of bright lunar fortnight (shukla paksha) in the Hindu Calendar month of Ashvin. This period falling in the fortnight corresponding to the festival is called Devi Paksha, “Fortnight of the Goddess”. Devi Paksha is preceded by Mahalaya, the last day of the previous fortnight Pitri Paksha, “Fortnight of the Forefathers”, and it ends on Kojagori Lokkhi Puja (“Worship of Goddess Lakshmi on Kojagori Full Moon Night”).
Durga Puja festival marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasur. Thus, Durga Puja festival epitomises the victory of Good over Evil.
Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of Assam, Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal, Jharkhand, Manipur, Orissa,Tripura and West Bengal, where it is a five-day annual holiday. In West Bengal, Tripura, which has a majority of Bengali Hindus, it is the biggest festival of the year. In Assam due to presence of huge number of Bengali Hindus and quite a large number of Assamese Hindus of Shakta sect of Hinduism (Assam is predominantly Vaishnavites Hindu populous state), it is one of the biggest religious festivals there. The biggest festival in Assam is Bihu which is secular in nature.
Not only is it the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the stateof Bengal, it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali Hindu society. Apart from eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Durga Puja is also celebrated as a major festival in Nepal where 82% population is Hindu, and in Bangladesh, where 8.5% population is Hindu. Nowadays, many diaspora Assamese and Bengali cultural organisations arrange Durgotsab in countries such as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Singapore and Kuwait, among others. In 2006, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was held in the Great Court of the British Museum.
The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal and erstwhile Assam. After the Hindu reformists identified Durga with India, she became an icon for the Indian Independence Movement. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Baroyari or Community Puja was popularised. After independence, Durga Puja became one of the largest celebrated festivals in the whole world after independence. It is also the largest open Air Art Exhibition in the World.
Durga Puja also includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga’s consort (Durga is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati) as also the worship of Lakshmi and Saraswati.Ganesha and Kartikeya, who are considered to be Durga’s children, are also worshipped. Worship of Mother Nature is done, through nine types of plant (called “Kala Bou”), including a plantain (banana) tree, which represent nine divine forms of Goddess Durga.
Modern traditions have come to include the display of decorated Pandals and artistically depicted sculptures (Murti) of Durga, exchange of Vijaya greetings and publication of Puja Annuals.( adapted from Wiki)
In consonance with the Festival-mindedness of people of India, Film producers also took advantage and Mythological and Religious films were made to cater to this class of audience. The decade of the 50s was the best period for this Genre of films in India. As many as 120 religious films were produced in these 10 years. This works out to almost one such film per month for 10 years. Clever producers used to release appropriate films during the related festivals. For example, this film Durgapooja-54 was censored on 22-9-1954 was probably released in next month of October, which is the Pooja period, in India.
I have been watching Mythological and religious films since my childhood. I liked the costumes and the Trick scenes in these films. Although, these days religious films with trick scenes are not produced anymore like that era, the SFX ( special Effects) used in modern films are no less than the trick scenes in the Mythological films of the yore. I am sure, even The Gods must have accepted their defeat in doing Tricks looking at these SFXes !
Film Durga Pooja-54 was produced and directed by a stalwart of religious films, Dhirubhai Desai ( 1908-1990 ). He started his career from the silent film era and continued till 1975. In this period he directed about 55 films-Hindi and Gujarati. After the 1940 period,his films were mostly B and C grade,cheap Mythologicals like, Maya Nagari, Bhakta Prahlad, Dev kanya, Satyawadi Harishchandra, Bhakta Pundalik, Jai mahakali, Bhakta pooran, Shuk Rambha, Shiv Kanya, Durga pooja, Sati Anusuya, Jai Bhawani, Kailashpati, Bhakta Dhruv kumar etc etc.
The patently popular pair of Mythological films, namely Trilok Kapoor and Nirupa Roy were in the main roles,assisted by Shahu Modak, Ratnamala, S N Tripathi, Yeshwant Dave etc . Music was by S N Tripathi. There were 10 songs in the film. This film makes its debut in the Blog with this song.
The film story was-
Mahishasoor, the mighty Demon-King had spread a reign of terror in every nook and corner of the world. Blood of innocent people flowed like water. There was no safety of person of property. Religion and chastity of women were in jeopardy, every moment, at the hands of the vulture-like Rakshasas. People were cowed down, as the hands of the beastly tyrant had crushed all opposition. All the vanquished Kings and Princes cowardly accepted his slavery to save their lives.
Prince Shatrughna was the only exception. For not accepting his sovereignty he was ordered to be killed by throwing down from a hill-top. But he excaped bravely. . Saranyu, the beautiful and daring daughter of Mahamuni Twashta had undertaken the task of spreading the spirit of revolt against the oppressive rule of Mahish. But as fate would have it, Mahish happened to see her one day and her charming beauty captured his heart. He proposed to make her his queen and on her declining that offer, tried to molest her. Luckily, however, Prince Shatrughna arrived at the nick of time and saved her honour. Cupids dart struck the young herarts of Saranyu and Shatrughna.
But they preferred to dedicate their lives to the service of the people and some how bring about the destruction of Mahish. . The fragrance of saranyus beauty had reached even the celestial heights of Swarga-lok. And Devraj Indra, personally went to Mahamuni Twashta to request for her hand. But the splendour and riches of even Indra-lok had no attraction for Saranyu. She rejected Indras offer too.
Mahish sent his soldiers to abduct Saranyu forcibly, But before they could succeed, Indra took her away. This enraged Mahish so much that he ordered to invade Swarga, immediately. But Narad Muni advised him to first acquire superior strength than Indra, by performing Tapasya. . When saranyu refused to marry him, Indra tried to fulfil his desire by force-but Shachidevi, Indras wife, interrupted him and sent her back to her fathers Ashram.
Mahish pleased Brahma by his penance, and obtained a boon of virtual immortality from him viz. No one, except a woman, could kill him in the three worlds. Intoxicated by this boon, he proclaimed himself as God-issued a fiat to worship none but him and mercilessly persecuted and put to death thousands of devotees who persisted in worshipping Lord vishnu, shanker and Goddess Adya Shakti, in defiance of his orders.
Suloma, the kind-hearted queen of Mahishasoor several times tried to persuade and prevent Mahish from the path of sin-but to no purpose. He invaded Swarga-lok also, defeated Indra in a war and humiliated him as well as Indrani, by inhuman tortures. In the meantime, Mahamuni Twashta had married Saranyu to prince Shatrughna.
But Mahish had, still, not forgotten Saranyu. He got her kidnapped just on her wedding night. When Saranyu did not yield to his several tactics-mahish blinded Mahamuni Twashta’s eyes with hot iron bars, in her presence and also killed her husband, before her eyes. But the true Sati, as she was, Saranyu remained firm in her pious resolve. . Then from the Lights of all the Gods-Goddess Durga was born. Bhagwati Durga Mata kills the proud Mahishasoor. she revives Sati Saranyu’s husband to life, the blind Mahamuni Twashta regains his lost eyesight and Suloma sacrifices her life for a just and noble cause.
On this auspicious occasion of DASHEHRA, here is a devotional Bhajan of Maa Durga. It is sung by Asha Bhonsle, Rafi and chorus. Saraswati Kumar Deepak is the lyricist. Music is composed by S N Tripathi.
Song-Jai hey durga maata (Durga Pooja)(1954) singers-Asha Bhonsle, Rafi, Lyrics-Saraswati Kumar Deepak, MD-S N Tripathi
Chorus
Asha Bhonsle + Rafi
Lyrics
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
saare jag ki paalanhaar
bhawaani bhakton ki aadhaar
tumhaari maaya aprampaar durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
tum ho mahashakti kalyaani
tum ho mahashakti kalyaani
tum se nirbhai jag ke praani
tum se nirbhai jag ke praani
ho o o
o o
tum ho mamta ki avtaar
daya ke bhar do maa bhandaar
tumhen pooje saara sansaar
durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
jai hey ae durge ae
jai hey ambe
jai hey ae durge ae
jai hey ambe
jai durge bhawaani
jagdambe mahaaraani
teri chhavi hai suhaani
nainon mein chha rahi
devi maiyya vardaani
tu hai jagat bakhaani
saari duniya deewaani
tere gun gaa rahi
jai hey durge
jai hey ambe
sinh vaahini
khadag dhaarini
jai hey
jai hey
jai hey
jai hey
paap naashini
vishwa taarini
jai hey
jai hey
jai hey
jai hey
ambe ??
?? ghaatini
ambe ??
?? ghaatini
chandi mahishasur vinaashini
chandi mahishasur vinaashini
kaali mahaakali
tumne kiya daitya sanhaar
tumne kiya daitya sanhaar
saare jag ki paalanhaar
bhawaani bhakton ki aadhaar
tumhaari maaya aprampaar durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
jai hey durga maata
jai jai hey durga maata
