Kankar kankar se main poochhoon
Posted by: Atul on: April 30, 2012
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
For many years now, and please correct me if I am making this statement in error – for many years now, I do not recall having seen or heard about a film on mythological theme coming from the mainstream film industry. Maybe it is a sign of time, to be aware of. The industry seems to be getting more and more aligned with a global market and a global audience, that this genre of movie making appears to be dying out. And to think that the film industry started off in the first place with stories and themes based on mythology. Even in the 70s and somewhat in the 80s, some production banners dared to attempt making such films, but in the 90s and after, this genre has pretty much disappeared from the screen.
A lot more is happening on the small screen, with many TV serials having been created based on religious and mythological themes. But still, I feel that the impact of a normal full length feature film, is much more than a TV serial that is stretched across multiple weeks of telecast, and is riddled with commercial breaks. No doubt, subjects of epic proportions, viz. Ramayan, Mahabharat would be dealt better in the multi episode, small screen format. But still, the episodic topics from mythology would be better served in terms of feature length films.
‘Har Har Mahadev’ is a 1950 production from the banner of Jayant Desai Productions, Bombay. It is produced and directed by Jayant Desai. The star cast for this film includes Nirupa Roy, Trilok Kapoor, Jeevan, Shanta Kunwar, Durgabai Khote, Kanta Kumari, Meenakshi, Kusum, Savitri, Hira Sawant, Niranjan Sharma, Satyanarayan, Master Dhulia, Ram Shastri, Praveen Kumar, Suryakant Shukla etc. The lyrics are written by Ramesh Shastri and Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’. This particular song is penned by Dr. Ramesh Shastri. The music composition is by Avinash Vyas.
In its time, this film was one of the biggest hits of that year, its popularity and earnings surpassed only by the film ‘Jai Santoshi Mata’ in 1975 (for the category of mythological films). A major contributor to it success is the music and songs, most of which went on to become popular hits in their time. Avinash Vyas, who had been working as a composer in Gujarati films, made his debut in Hindi cinema, with this film. There is a very detailed and interesting write up posted on the Anmol Fankaar web site. Click here to read more about this film and its music.
This song is rendered by a very young Geeta Roy (later Geeta Dutt). Barely twenty years of age in 1950, Geeta Roy was already considered one the top lady singers in the industry. Out of the 10 songs in this film, she has sung eight of them as solo or as duet/group songs. And guess what interesting thing happened at that time. Another film, ‘Jogan’ was also released in 1950, in which Geeta Roy has rendered 12 out of the total 15 songs, all bhajans, under the baton of Bulo C Rani. And with the popular success of the songs for these two films, this young singer got typecast as a bhajan singer, for some time, and it took her some time and OP Nayyar’s direction, to break out of that mould.
On screen, the song is performed by a very young Nirupa Roy, who plays the role of Parvati in the film. In the historic tale of Shiv – Parvati, the situation of this song is before the time that matrimony is solemnized between the two. Parvati, having realized her destiny from her Guru, i.e. Muni Naarad (played by Jeevan), is in a state of penance searching for and awaiting the arrival of Lord Shiv into her life.
Although Shiv and Parvati are eternal consorts and companions, the history tells of the various incarnations that the Mother Goddess takes on in different eras. In every incarnation, she prays for her union with Lord Shiv, and the two are always betrothed. In the previous incarnation as Maa Sati, daughter of Prajapati Daksh, there are episodes that lead to Maa Sati sacrificing herself for the honor of Lord Shiv, in the fires of the Yagna (ceremonial religious offerings to God) being performed by her father.
After her departure from that incarnation as Maa Sati, she is reborn as Parvati into the family of Himachal (the Lord of the Himalayas) and his wife Sunaina. On the occasion of her birth, Muni Naarad visits the home of Himachal, and tells about the future and the destiny of the newborn daughter, and indicates towards her divinity and her future betrothal to Lord Shiv. When Parvati comes of age, and comes to understand herself and her destiny, she sets out on a path of prayer and penance, to achieve her destiny. This song is set in this interlude, as Parvati, in a mode of penance is in the forest, and calling out to her Lord, wishing him to appear and fulfill the providence.
This write up is coming in response to a request posted by our dear Arun ji, reminding us of the death anniversary on 30th April (i.e. today) of the poet scholar Dr. Ramesh Shastri, the lyricist of this song. And I also must thank Khyati ji, for nudging my memory earlier yesterday, to do this write up. Khyati ji, thanks for the reminder. 🙂
kankar kankar se mein poochoon, shankar mera kahaan hai
koi bataaye
(I wander)
Asking of each stone, big and small
Where is my Lord Shiv
Pray, someone tell me
NOTES:
kankar = small stone, pebble
shikhar shikhar se pooch rahi hoon, shankar mera kahaan hai
gauri-var gangadhar har har, shankar mera kahaan hai
koi bataaye
I ask of the mountain tops
Where is my Lord Shiv
O the consort of Gauri
O the bearer of the mighty Ganga
O the cleanser of all sins
Tell me
Where is my Lord Shiv
Pray, someone tell me
NOTES:
shikhar = mountain top, peak
Gauri = a name for Mother Goddess
Gauri-var = spouse or consort of the Mother Goddess, i.e. Lord Shiv
Gangadhar = one who bears the mighty river Ganga in his tresses
Har = one of the many names of Lord Shiv
Literally, ‘Har’ is a root word that means ‘to take away’
One of the key eminence of Lord Shiv is that He dispositions everything. He is, in a way, the “ultimate disposer”. In its most extreme form, He is the disposer of this entire creation, annihilating and absorbing every last speck of existence into Himself. In more moderate form, He is the one responsible for the disposition of any residual material entities, leftover at the end of any natural process. And for that reason, the Hindu belief system requires that in every ritual, every offering, every prayer, every action, indeed in everything in our daily routine and our lives, there must be a portion set aside for Lord Shiv, as a mark of honor for his propensity to disposition everything as the final outcome.
ho neel gagan ki chandra kalaa, tu rehti un ke paas bhalaa
mera kahaan gayaa preetam batlaa, meri bigdi kaun banaaye
koi bataaye
O the crescent moon in the dark blue skies
Your eternally adorn His forehead
And keep Him company always
O pray tell me where is my Dear One
Else for him
Who would make my abject destiny
Pray, someone tell me
NOTES:
chandra = moon
chandra kalaa = phases of the moon; in context – a crescent shaped moon always adorns the forehead of Lord Shiv
preetam = One who is very dear to the heart
bigdi = something that is un-made, that is in disarray, that is not right; in context, it is a reference to Her own destiny that is in disarray
haule haule chal phanidhar, mein bhi tere sang chaloon
tu liptegaa galey swami ke, mein charnon mein reh loon
mera dhanya jeevan ho jaaye
Slither slow, o hooded python
Slither slow
For I want to accompany you
(Let us together go to Him)
You adorn His neck in your embrace
And I will dwell at His feet
And my existence would be blessed
NOTES:
phanidhar = another name for “naag”, the serpent, the hooded cobra, that is another eternal companion of Lord Shiv
liptegaa = variant of ‘lipatnaa’, to encircle like a garland, like an embrace
swami = master, Lord
dhanya = blessed
jeevan = life, existence
Song-Kankar kankar se main poochhoon (Har Har Mahadev)(1950) Singer-Geeta Dutt, Lyrics-Ramesh Shastri, MD-Avinash Vyas
Lyrics
kankar kankar se main poochoon
shankar mera kahaan hai
koi bataaye
kankar kankar se main poochoon
shankar mera kahaan hai
koi bataaye
shikhar shikhar se poochh rahi hoon
shankar mera kahaan hai
gauri-var gangadhar har har
shankar mera kahaan hai
koi bataaye
ho neel gagan ki chandra kalaa
aa aa
ho neel gagan ki chandra kalaa
tu rehti un ke paas bhalaa
mera kahaan gayaa preetam batlaa
meri bigdi kaun banaaye
koi bataaye
kankar kankar se main poochoon
shankar mera kahaan hai
koi bataaye
haule haule chal phanidhar
haule haule chal
main bhi tere sang chaloon
tu haule haule chal
tu liptegaa galey swami ke
main charnon mein reh loon
mera dhanya jeevan ho jaaye
koi bataaye
koi bataaye
koi bataaye
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3 Responses to "Kankar kankar se main poochhoon"
May 1, 2012 at 6:51 am
Thanks. It is an unforgettable song from my childhood. The film was a great hit.Every relative from villages ( without a cinema hall, or tent as it was truly called) visited our town to see it. Since they did not have to buy a ticket for me I accompanied all 🙂
A toungue in cheek comment is made by some one that after success of ‘Barsat’ Husnlal Bhagatram started singing this ‘….Shankar mera kahan hai…”
K S Shenoy
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August 30, 2012 at 11:12 am
Heard this song after ages. Very pleased to get the meaning of the lines
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
April 30, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Sudhir ji,
Thank you for posting this evergreen song.It was very famous in the early 50s and people in the bracket of 60 t0 80 will definitely remember it.
It was not famous for its religious flavour alone but the wordings and tune also was very loveable.
Thanks to Khyatiji too for following it up in the right time.
-AD
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