I started this series on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne on 18 Aug 20. Since then, many other members have put up these songs. Here, I shall be giving you one of my own, per day.
This is the Song #24 in the series. I hope you liked Song #23 – Poochho na kaise maine raen bitayi.
Song #24
Tumhi mere mandir, Tumhi meri pooja
Theme-word: In the last stanza: Bahut raat beeti chalo main sula doon
Devotion of a Wife and Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS)
SGGS is my favourite book. I learnt Punjabi only so that I could read it. On my birthday in 1985, one year after my father died in a jeep accident, my mother presented a copy of SGGS to me. Here is one basic thing that I learnt:
As written by Sri Guru Nanak, God is to be worshipped as a woman would her husband; God is to be seen as your kant, suhaag etc. I was able to see that Sri Guru Nanak felt that the worship of a woman of her husband is the purest form of worship. I read SGGS everyday. If you too have read then you would know that this simile is given by Guru Nanak at innumerable places in SGGS.
Devotion of a Wife and Sri Bhagawat Gita (SBG)
SBG, most of you already know, went one step further. It made relationships stand on their head; as per SBG, the only correct relationship is that of Love (since Radha was not even married to Krishna in the worldly sense). Her devotion for Him ensures that Her name is taken even before His; you always call them Radhe Krishan and never Krishan Radhe!
I wrote a piece only on this topic and for those of you who are interested (a person like Lata Gandhi would never be since in the time and effort taken by me to write one post she can write a dozen and share in dozen groups; which we have sworn not to do in this group) you may read it here:
Khandan – 1965 Movie
The movie was directed by A Bhimsingh who directed predominantly Tamil movies especially for AVM Productions. This movie was remake of Tamil movie Bhaaga Privinai starring Sivaji Ganesan.
Sunil Dutt is Govind in the movie and Nutan is Radha. Due to an electric shock Govind gets paralysed. And yet, the devotion of Radha to Govind is exactly how you would find in SGGS or SBG. There is great Beauty that comes with True Love. She is loaded in gold in the movie but, you soon realise that the best ornament she wears is that of Love.
The Popularity of This Song
All lyricists of that era were rooted in scriptures; so, indeed was Rajinder Krishan. His lyrics remind you of the actual scene between Radha and Krishan.
Of course, Ravi composed this song so well that as soon as it was played people wanted to listen to it again and again. Lata’s singing is simply beautiful.
But, I feel that one reason for the popularity of the song is Nutan. She displays the emotions of the song so well that lyrics and notes come alive with her histrionics. The song belongs to her just as Krishna belonged to Radhe.
My Own Poetry
I shall take only one word of the song “Mandir” and tell you in my poem as to where to find this “Mandir”. I wrote this when I watched a scene in Calcutta:
Temple of God
“Hurry”, said the man from his rickshaw seat,
“Else, we would be late for the Mangal Pooja”.
His wife tugged nervously at the flowers,
She had gathered as an offering to the gods.
Her face was red with accusation,
Not just against the frail rickshaw puller,
But also against her husband,
“I told you not to hire this man,
He hardly has strength to pull,
Let alone pull with speed.
We shall have the curse of the gods
For being late for the Pooja”.
The City of Joy,
Mother Theresa’s adopted city,
Was as unkind to the rickshaw puller,
As ever it used to be;
He could have been a slave under the British yoke.
Pot holes and filth on streets were not enough
To chastise the rickshaw puller;
It had rained heavily and hence,
He stood behind the pulling bar
In knee deep squalid water.
He had promised his family of three children
And an ailing wife, food,
After two days of starvation.
Their hope of meals, on the seat behind him,
Blasphemed him with all their might
For making them late for the prayers.
I saw the sweat on his muscles,
I saw the wetness of his brow
As he tried in vain to get the wheels
Out of the unseen ditch.
I thought how wretched was the man,
How cruel was life for him;
Could anything be worse?
And then,
And then, I looked at the couple on the seat.
Fuming and fretting,
Cursing and abusing,
Little did they know,
How close they really were,
To your temple, O God!
The Song
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy: Tumhi mere mandir, tumhi meri pooja…
तुम्हीं मेरे मंदिर, तुम्हीं मेरी पूजा, तुम्हीं देवता हो
कोई मेरी आँखों से देखे तो समझे, कि तुम मेरे क्या हो
तुम्हीं मेरे मंदिर, तुम्हीं मेरी पूजा, तुम्हीं देवता हो
जिधर देखती हूँ उधर तुम ही तुम हो
न जाने मगर किन खयालों में गुम हो
मुझे देखकर तुम ज़रा मुस्कुरा दो
नहीं तो मैं समझूँगी, मुझसे ख़फ़ा हो
तुम्हीं मेरे मंदिर, तुम्हीं मेरी पूजा, तुम्हीं देवता हो
तुम्हीं मेरे माथे की बिंदिया की झिल-मिल
तुम्हीं मेरे हाथों के गजरों की मंज़िल
मैं हूँ एक छोटी-सी माटी की गुड़िया
तुम्हीं प्राण मेरे, तुम्हीं आत्मा हो
तुम्हीं मेरे मंदिर, तुम्हीं मेरी पूजा, तुम्हीं देवता हो
बहुत रात बीती चलो मैं सुला दूँ
पवन छेड़े सर्गम मैं लोरी सुना दूँ
तुम्हें देखकर यह ख़याल आ रहा है
कि जैसे फ़रिश्ता कोई सो रहा है
तुम्हीं मेरे मंदिर, तुम्हीं मेरी पूजा, तुम्हीं देवता हो
I hope you liked my choice of Raat or Din Song #24.
Please await Raat or Din Song #25- Zikr hota hai jab qayamat ka.
