O raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
Posted on: March 9, 2026
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 other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
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Today’s song is from a Mythological film Ayodhyapati-1956.
The Producer was A.A.Nadiyadwala, the Director was S. Fattelal and the Music Director was Ravi – an assistant to Hemant Kumar for a long time. Ravi had just become an independent Music Director for the film Vachan-1955. However, he still continued for a few more years as Hemant Kumar’s assistant. It was a rare case of Ravi giving music to a Mythological film, if you look at his later years’ performance. But, being a new independent MD, I guess, he accepted whichever film he got.
The cast of the film included Usha Kiran, Abhi Bhattacharya, Achala Sachdeva, Manorama, Rajkumar Khatri, Ratnamala, Anant Kumar, Balraj Mehta, Rajan Haksar, Dar Kashmiri (elder brother of actor Jeevan), Baby Asha Parekh and many others.
If you count films made on stories involving Shri Ram and Shri Krishna, you will find there are more films on Shri Ram stories. Though, personally,I like stories of Shri Krishna’s life. I feel that while Shri Ram showed how to be a good administrator, a good son, a true servant of people and a principled man, Shri Krishna teaches us how to be street smart, how to destroy social enemies using all measures and how to uphold the right and true principles.
Shri Ram came in Treta Yug and Shri Krishna in Dwapar Yug. Most people have vague knowledge of our scriptures like Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharat and Geeta. How many of us know that there were 4 Yugas….
Satyayug (Krit yug) – Duration 17,28,000 years
Treta Yug – Duration 12,96,000 years
Dwapar yug – Duration 8,64,000 years and
Kali Yug – Duration 4,32,000 years.
All 4 yugs together make 1 Mahayug. 71 Mahayugs make one Manu and 14 Manus make 1 day of Lord Bramhadev. Equal periods make his 1 night. So far 50 such years have passed and the current period is the 51st year of Bramhadeva.
Similarly, how many of us know that the real mother of Shri Krishna – Devki was Kaikeyi in her earlier birth and his foster mother Yashoda was Kaushalya in her earlier birth. Thus Devki had to suffer Putra Viyog for 14 years and Yashoda got Putra Sukh for 14 years in Dwapar Yug – thus redempting their ‘Karma’s of Treta Yug ! if you read original Ramayan by Valmiki and the Puranas like Bhagwat Puran and Vishnu Puran, you get such information. I have a copy of Valmiki Ramayana and a book on ‘Hindu Dharma’ by S.A.S.Murthy.
Film Ayodhyapati-1956 was slightly different from the normal movies of this genre, viz Ramkatha. The story content of this film was based on a little known but interesting chapter of Ramayana. It was related to an episode before Rama’s birth.
The central theme of the film ( and it occupied a major portion of the film ) was focused on King Dasaratha and queen Kaikeyi.
The name Kaikeyi, when uttered, brings hatred, anger and disgust to one’s mind, as she is branded as a ” Villain” in Ramayana. If one reads the original version of Ramayana, written by the sage Valmiki, one will find that the truth is entirely different. In the film Ayodhyapati, the focus is on Kaikeyi- explaining how she got those two Boons, which changed the course of Ramayana, from king Dashrath.
When I went into details, I learnt so many new things. It seems, all was planned with a purpose. Lord Rama, being an incarnation of Bhagwan Vishnu, had a specific mission on this earth and Kaikeyi was made a vehicle to initiate this mission.
Rama accorded Kaikeyi full respect; he gave her his abode and released her from the cycle of births and deaths. Yet Rama’s devotees find it difficult to forgive her for banishing him to the forest. Tulasidas, however, says it was all a Cosmic Play to destroy the demons. But devotees argue that Rama could have gone to the forest anyway, to destroy the demons. Why drag Sita along? Yet a reading of Ramayana shows that all those who met Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were blessed and they attained life’s goal by seeing, meeting, serving, talking to Rama. Many lives were transformed by the vision of Rama with Sita and Lakshmana. Only one person was forever disgraced and disrespected, and that person was Kaikeyi.
No girl is named Kaikeyi lest she takes on her characteristics. This is the bhakti perspective as Kaikeyi is seen in a negative light. A jnani would know what Kaikeyi contributed to the Cosmic Drama. Hers was the greatest sacrifice as she embraced infamy forever. Rama acknowledges her sacrifice and gives her due respect when they all come to meet him in the forest and when he comes back to Ayodhya later.
Kaikeyi’s maid Manthara’s motives are clear as she wanted to serve the king’s mother. But Kaikeyi’s change of behaviour is strange. Kaikeyi was the daughter of King Ashwapati and the only sister of seven brothers. She was brave, daring, rode chariots, fought wars, was extremely beautiful, played instruments, sang and danced. King Dasaratha saw her on a hunting expedition in Kashmir and fell in love with her. Kaikeyi’s father extracted a promise that her son (his grandson) would ascend the throne. Dasaratha agreed as he had no son from any of his wives. But Kaikeyi did not bear a son and so Dasaratha married Sumitra.
It is only in old age that Dasaratha gets four sons due to a yagna ceremony and Rama is the beloved of all. Kaikeyi loves Rama more than her own son Bharata, so it was inconceivable that she would banish Rama to the forest for 14 years. Sages say all this was going according to a Cosmic Plan. Just as there are several grounds for God’s incarnation as Rama and the creation of Ravana, there are several reasons for Kaikeyi’s actions. Firstly, Dasaratha had promised the throne to Kaikeyi’s son and the promise had to be honoured as was the rule of the Raghu Dynasty- ‘Pran jaye par vachan na jaaye’- ‘Our words must be honoured even at the cost of our life.’ Second, as a child, Rama told Kaikeyi that since he was the incarnation of Vishnu, he needed an excuse to destroy demons and save sages. He needed someone to banish Him for 14 years and chose Kaikeyi as she was the boldest of the queens. Thirdly, as a child, Kaikeyi had blackened the face of a sage in meditation and he cursed her that she too would get a similar black reputation.
Ramkatha exponent Morari Bapu, gives us a fourth reason. Kaikeyi’s guru Sage Ratna, an astrologer, predicted that she would marry the king of Ayodhya who would die due to grief for his sons. To save the Raghu Dynasty, Kaikeyi would have to ensure that for 14 years no one sat on the throne for that would lead to misfortune. Sage Ratna was the father of Shravan Kumar’s grandparents. Shravan Kumar was later killed accidentally by King Dasaratha’s arrow. Shravan Kumar’s grandfather was Sage Dhoumya whose parents were Ratnavali and Sage Ratna. Sage Ratna was a royal priest of Nandigram ruled by King Ashwapati. Sage Ratna had warned her that life as a queen would be very testing and her husband would die of grief for his son. Guru Vasishtha knew of this and decided that grief for a son could be the death of a son so rather than one son and king dying it would be better that only the king dies. So grief of separation was introduced and Dasaratha was allowed to die. Vasishtha advised Kaikeyi to ask for her two boons — for Rama to be exiled for 14 years and the throne for Bharata. He knew that Bharata would never sit on the throne as long as Rama was living. It was Vasishtha who advised Bharata to install Rama’s wooden slippers on the throne if Rama disagreed to return to Ayodhya. The whole drama was planned and the players merely acted.
Kaikeyi had been given two boons for her fighting skills. When Indra, king of gods, requested Dasaratha to fight demon Samhasura, Kaikeyi accompanied him. In the battle Dasaratha’s chariot wheel got loose and Kaikeyi put her little finger in the spoke. Soon she took the chariot to a safe place, changed the wheel, nursed the wounded king and again went to the battlefield and they won. Dasaratha promised her two boons which she laughed away. She had forgotten about these boons but not Vashishtha and Manthara. They advised her to use these boons, but the intentions were different.
Kaikeyi inherited obstinacy from her mother. Once when King Ashwapati and his queen were strolling he heard a pair of birds talking and laughed uncontrollably. Ashwapati, King of Kashmir, had the boon of understanding the language of birds, insects and animals. The queen wanted to know what the bird had said but the king replied that according to the boon if he disclosed it he would die. The queen said she didn’t care whether he lived or died but he must tell her what the birds had said. The king banished her forever to her parental home. Kaikeyi was raised by maid Manthara who wanted Kaikeyi to enjoy the highest status.
Kaikeyi knew she would be abused, hated and disliked for all times to come but she agreed to be a part of God’s leela or play.(thanks to speaking tree.in for some information.)
Film Ayodhyapati-56 was produced by A.A.Nadiyadwala, under the banner of Pushpa Pictures. The film was directed by S. Fattelal. Sheikh Fattelal Yasin Mistri was born on 20-10-1897, at Kagal in Kolhapur state of Maharashtra. He was the son of a stone Mason.He took artistic education from Abalal Rehman in Kolhapur. At the age of 21 years, he co-founded Maharashtra Film Company in Kolhapur, with Baburao Painter. He worked as an all round technician, learning many aspects of film making, including cinematography to a perfection. He had a friend Vishnu Govind Damle here, who was with Fattelal till he died.
In 1929, Fattelal left Maharashtra Film Company, along with his friends, Damle, Shantaram, Dhaiber and Sitaram Kulkarni, to establish Prabhat Film company. He was popularly known as ‘ Saheb Mama ‘. In Prabhat, Fattelal became head of the production department and built sets for all the major films of Prabhat. His sets were appreciated even in Hollywood in those days. He made a team with Damle and they first directed a silent film ” Maharathi Karna “. Their next venture was the Talkie film ” Sant Tukaram”-36. This film won laurels all over India and also in the Venice film festival. He worked on films ” Gopal Krishna”-38, ” Sant Dyaneshwar”-40 and ” Sant Sakhu”-42. After Damle died in July 1945, Fattelal directed the film ” Jagadguru Shankaracharys”-55 and his last film as a Director was ” Ayodhyapati”-56. Then he retired.
Fattelal died on 24-1-1964 at Bombay.
Fattelal had married actress Gulab bai alias Kamla Devi. She was an actress in Maharashtra film company and later on in Prabhat film company. Most of our readers must have seen the famous Logo of Prabhat Films. It shows a bent lady, blowing ” Tutari “. The lady was Gulab bai, on whom this logo was filmed…by Fattelal himself.
Film Ayodhyapati-56 had 11 songs. There is a 3 part very melodious song in this film, which depicts the preparation for young Rama’s proposed coronation, which never took place then.
The cast of the film was Usha Kiran ( Kaikeyi), Abhi Bhattacharya (King Dashrath), Rajkumar-Khatri ( Rama), Ratnamala (Seeta), etc etc. We also find a name ‘Baby Asha Parikh’- who was to debut as a Heroine within 3 years from then on.
Here is a nice song sung by Asha Bhosale and chorus. Enjoy….
Song- O raaja teree chamke sada talwaar (Ayodhyapati)(1956) Singer- Asha Bhosle, Lyricist- Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, MD-Ravi
Chorus
Lyrics
Chhumak chhum chhum
Chhumak chhum chhum
Chhumak chhum
nananananananana chhum
Chhumak chhum chhum
Chhumak chhum chhum
Chhumak chhum
nananananananana chhum
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
ye dhartee gaaye
ye ambar gaaye
rangeele raaja teree jaikaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
ye dhartee gaaye
ye ambar gaaye
rangeele raaja teree jaikaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
dekh rangeeley
naina raseeley
ras ke pyaale hain peele ae
do din kee hai ye duniya
tu pal bhar hans ke jee le
tere gun gaaoon raaja
teree ban jaaoon
meree paayal kare hai pukaar
ye dhartee gaaye
ye ambar gaaye
rangeele raaja teree jaikaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
aayee main tohree nagariya
o more bhole raaja
o more baanke raaja
laagee hai tohse najariya
aayee main tohree nagariya
aayee hoon chanda sa mukhda sajaa ke
karke main solah singaar
ye dhartee gaaye
ye ambar gaaye
rangeele raaja teree jaikaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
ye dhartee gaaye
ye ambar gaaye
rangeele raaja teree jaikaar
o raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar
2 Responses to "O raaja teree chamke sadaa talwaar"
March 9, 2026 at 11:52 am
Arun Ji
Thanks for the post.
It was interesting to read about how Kaikeyi was reborn in Dwapar yug as Devaki & Kaushalya as Yashoda. I have so far not read about this narration anywhere.
I ,of course , have known about Kaikeyi’s valour,& how she saved Dasharatha and came to get two boons.
Todays song is good on the ears
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
March 9, 2026 at 11:06 am
Good Morning Sir Ji,
Very beautiful song.
Old songs always pleasant to listen.
Thanks for sharing.
Blessings
Uma🙏
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