Is Vrat Sa Koi Vrat Nahin Dooja
Posted on: August 6, 2026
- In: Devnagri script lyrics by Sudhir | Festival song | Gaj Gauri Pooja Song | Guest posts | Lyrics by Sudhir | Lyrics contributed by readers | Post by Arunkumar Deshmukh | Songs of 1950s (1951 to 1960) | Songs of 1958 | Spiritual song | Sudha Malhotra solos | Sudha Malhotra songs | Yearwise breakup of songs
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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.
| Blog Day : | 6593 | Post No. : | 20491 |
Today’s songs from a Mythological film ‘Gaj Gauri’ (1958). The cast of this film consisted of Sulochana (Latkar), Ratnamala, Shahu Modak, Anant Kumar, Nana Palshikar and a host of mostly Marathi artistes plus an elephant named Ram Prasad.
When the talkie films era came to India, the early filmmakers tended to make films on folk tales and mythological stories in the first decade, i.e. 1931 to 1940. In the second decade of 1941 to 1950 many religious films were made. Some of them like ‘Ram Rajya’ (1943) being an all India blockbuster. And the third decade from 1951 to 1960 achieved the peak for mythological films made, worth calling it ‘The Golden Period of Religious films’. As many as 124 such films were made in this decade. From 1961 to 1970 and 1971 to 1980 were ok, but 1980 onwards there was a decline in such films and mythological films became scarce except some dubbed films from the South, where such films are made even today regularly. The television became a competition to this as many dharmik serials were shown on TV.
The reason is not that such films do not bring profit, but where was the audience to see them ? The interest, respect and knowledge of our heritage, the glorious past and our culture has diminished to a depth. Due to lack of reading habits, children have no knowledge of our religion or interest in mythological stories. Today if you ask the following simple questions to Boys and Girls of the age group of 15 to 25 years, you will be shocked with their guess work , ignorance or blank faces….
- Can you name the 4 Yugas ?
- Which are the 4 Vedas ?
- Can you name the 10 Avatars of Vishnu ?
- Who were the wives of Laxman, Bharata and Shatrughna ?
- For how many years the Pandava went to Vanvas and why ?
The reason for this apathy is not just modern life or modern gadgets. The causes are deep, like lack of reading habit, text tooks not having religious stories, no sanskars from parents, treating such knowledge as ‘ backward ‘ etc.
I immensely like mythological and religious films for many reasons. First of all, I have been seeing such films since my childhood. I liked the film’s costumes, big palaces, trick scenes and the final ‘triumph of the good over the evil’ stories.
The film ‘Gaj Gauri’ (1958) was made by Prabhat Chitra, Bombay. This is not the famous Prabhat Film Company of Poona (Same Name Confusion even in Film Company names ?),
This film was directed by Raja Thakur. Rajaram Dattatreya Thakur was born on 26-11-1923 at Ponda in Goa. He did work as an assistant to Master Vinayak and later Raja Paranjape. Raja Thakur had produced an English film ‘Birbal – My brother ‘ (1973). His another film ‘Mumbaicha Jawai’ (‘मुंबईचा जवाई’) (1970), was remade in Hindi as ‘Piya ka Ghar’ (1971) by Basu Chatterjee. He directed only 3 Hindi films – ‘Gaj Gauri’ (1958), ‘Zakhmee’ (1975) and ‘Raeeszada’ (1976). He died on 28-7-1975, at Bombay.
Let us take a look at what was happening in Hindi films this year. The prominent films of 1958 were ‘Madhumati’, ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’, ‘Yahudi’, ‘Phir Subah Hogi’, ‘Sadhna’, ‘Phagun’, ‘Parvarish’, ‘Kaala Pani’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Dilli Ka Thug’, ‘Al Hilal’, ‘Aji Bas Shukriya’, ‘Jailor’, ‘Lala Rukh’, ‘Light House’, ‘Mausi’, ‘Mujrim’, ‘Panchayat’, ‘Post Box 999’, ‘Ragini’, ‘Samrat Chandragupta’, ‘Sitaron Se Aagey’, ‘Sone Ki Chidiya’, ‘Suvarna Sundari’ and ‘Zimbo’.
All major actors – Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Kishore Kumar etc. had their jubilee films in this year. Some notable films were ‘Sadhana’ which had taken inspiration from V Shantaram’s film ‘Aadmi’ (1939); ‘Al Hilal’ – a C grade film which became immortal due to one qawwaali “Hamen To Loot Liya Mil Ke Husn Waalon Ne”; ‘Jailor’ -Sohrab Modi’s remake of his own film of same name from 1938; and ‘Yahudi’, based on the Parsee costume drama of Agha Hashr Kashmiri, which was filmed in 1933 earlier.
(Bimal Roy had also remade New Theatre’s ‘Devdas’ (1935), in 1955. Usually remakes are not successful, but Bimal Roy’s these two films became popular, just like Mehboob’s remake of ‘Aurat’ (1942) as ‘Mother India’ in 1957.)
Bimal Roy’s film on rebirth or reincarnation,’Madhumati’ was yet another blockbuster. The neo-socialists, some with IPTA background, came with a bang with ‘Phir Subah Hogi’. It was based on the Russian novel ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The combination of Khayyam, Sahir, Mukesh and Raj Kapoor provided excellent meaningful lyrics and songs. Raj Khosla established himself with Dev Anand’s ‘Kaala Pani’. The team of Dev, SD Burman, Rafi and Majrooh was a perfect match in music for ‘Phir Subah Hogi’.
Entertainers like ‘Parvarish’, ‘Ghar Sansar’, ‘Dilli Ka Thug’ and ‘Howrah Bridge’ along with the all time hilarious hit ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ made the year almost a carry forward to 1957 with equal vigor and variety. 1958 also marked the death of old timer Yakub. Shashi Kapoor and Jeniffer got married on 2nd July this year.
Gaj Gauri Vrat is hardly known to people. Maybe very senior married people with children have heard about it in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Nowadays, anyway, knowledge about our religion and traditions, rituals etc. is almost nil in the new generation. Gaj Gauri Vrat is a unique ritual observed by mothers for the welfare of the children. The ritual is of great importance in Karnataka and Maharashtra. This vrat is observed on the Kartik Purnima or on the next day of Makar Sankranti according to family tradition. A wooden or bronze or clay idol of Gauri, seated on an elephant preferably white elephant, will be worshipped during this puja. This vrat is either observed on one day or for nine days as per family tradition.
Nine flowers, nine strands vastra, nine line thread with nine knots will be offered to Gaj Gauri. This thread will be tied to the right wrist of the person who performs the vrat. Nine married women (suvasini) will be invited to home and festive food will be served to them on the day of puja if vrat is observed for one day. If the vrat is observed for nine days each day a suvasini will be invited and suvasini puja will be performed accordingly. Except these specialties puja procedure will be as usual.
The greatness of Gaj Gauri Vrat is mentioned in the Mahabharata and it is said that Gandhari, the mother of Kauravas, and Kunti, the mother of Pandavas, had performed it for the welfare of their sons. Sage Narada had advised Gandhari to perform Gaj Gauri Vrat for the welfare of her children. She is believed to have made an elephant from mud and performed the vrat. But she did not invite Kunti and her son the Pandavas for the ritual. Kunti felt sad about being ignored and her sons promised her that they will help her in performing the vrat. It is said that to help Kunti perform the vrat, the Pandav brothers Bhim and Arjun, had brought Airavat, the white elephant of Lord Indra, from heaven to earth.
Gandhari had asked her son Duryodhana to stand completely nude in front of her, as she was going to remove the cloth that she had tied upon her eyes after performing Gaj Gauri puja. While opening the eyes the holy rays will make the body of the person standing before her as strong as diamond (vajradehi). While Duryodhana was going to his mother’s puja room, completely nude, Lord Krishna came there and laughed at him. He told Duryodhana to at least cover his thighs and private parts. Gandhari opened her eyes after puja and realized that all parts of her son’s body have become strong except thighs. She understood the plan of Lord Krishna and cursed him that there be a big fight among the yadava clan, relatives of Lord Krishna. This fight is famous as Yadavi Kalaha.
The story of the film was…..
Narad Maharshi had advised Gandhari to perform Gaj Gauri Vrat for the welfare of her children. She is believed to have made an elephant from mud and performed the vrat.
As can be expected Gandhari invited all for the Gaj Gauri Vrat except Kunti and her children.
Kunti came to know about this and she was eager to attend the vrat, but her children stopped her from going there as they were not invited. They planned to conduct the Gaj Gauri Vrat by Kunti itself. Gandhari had done it with a mud elephant, but Pandavas wanted to bring real Airavat from dev lok for the Gaj Gauri Vrat. Bheem told Indra to send Airavat for the Gaj Gauri Vrat to bhoo lok. Arjun threw his arrows and made a staircase from dev lok to bhoo lok for the Airavat to come down. Krishna ensured that the steps made of arrows must not fall when the Airavat steps on them. So the Pandavas helped their mother to perform Gaj Gauri Vrat with a real elephant that too with the Airavat, in a great style.
Now let us know more about the film’s lead actress, Sulochana. Sulochana Latkar (born Rangu Diwan/Sahib Jaan, 30 July 1928 – 4 June 2023), known by her screen name Sulochana, was an actress of Marathi and Hindi cinema. She made her debut in films in 1946, and had an illustrious career in both Marathi and Hindi films. She worked in 248 Hindi films and around 50 Marathi films. She was lead actress in Marathi films from 1946 to 1961. She was most known for her performances in Marathi films such as ‘Sasurvas’ (1946), ‘Meeth Bhakar’ (1949), ‘Vahinichya Bangdya’ (1953), ‘Dhakti Jaoo’ (1958) and ‘Sangte Aika’ (1959), ‘Laxmi Ali Ghara’, ‘Mothi Manse’, ‘Jivacha Sakha’, ‘Pativrata’, ‘Sukhache Sobti’, ‘Bhaubheej’, ‘Akashganga’ and ‘Dhakti Jau’. in the lead roles. as well as for the mother roles she played in Hindi cinema right from 1959 film ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ to the year 1995. She and Nirupa Roy epitomized the ‘mother’ roles right from 1959 until the early 1990s.
She was often paired opposite Nazir Hussain, Trilok Kapoor and Ashok Kumar throughout her career in Hindi films. She quoted in an interview that she loved playing mother to three actors – Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna. She often played mother or as close relative in Hindi films with Sunil Dutt as the leading man such as in ‘Heera’, ‘Jhoola’, ‘Ek Phool Char Kaante’, ‘Sujata’, ‘Meharbaan’ (1967), ‘Chirag’, ‘Bhai Bahen’ (1969), ‘Reshma Aur Shera’, ‘Umar Qaid’, ‘Muqabla’, ‘Jaani Dushman’ and ‘Badle Ki Aag’. She was a regular in films with Dev Anand in the lead roles, where either Dev Anand was her son or relative and some of their films together were ‘Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai’, ‘Pyar Mohabbat’, ‘Duniya’ (1968), ‘Johnny Mera Naam’, ‘Amir Garib’, ‘Warrant’ and ‘Joshila’.
Since 1969, she often played an on-screen close relative to the character played by Rajesh Khanna and some of their famous films included ‘Dil Daulat Duniya’, ‘Bahraon Ke Sapne’, ‘Doli’, ‘Kati Patang’, ‘Mere Jeevan Saathi’, ‘Prem Nagar’, ‘Aakraman’, ‘Bhola Bhala’, ‘Tyaag’, ‘Aashiq Hoon Baharaon Ka’ and ‘Adhikar’ (1986). Her other best known films include ‘Nai Roshni’ (1967), ‘Aaye Din Bahar Ke’, ‘Aayi Milan Ki Bela’, ‘Ab Dilli Door Nahin’, ‘Majboor’, ‘Gora Aur Kala’, ‘Devar’, ‘Bandini’, ‘Kahani Kismat Ki’, ‘Talaash’ (1969) and ‘Azaad’ (1978).
In 2003, she was awarded the Chitrabhushan Award instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Baburao Painter, one of the founders of the modern Marathi cinema.
Latkar lived in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. She was married at the age of 14. Her daughter’s name is Kanchan Ghanekar who was the wife of Marathi stage superstar Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar.
Latkar died from respiratory failure at Shushrusha Hospital in Dadar, Mumbai, on 4 June 2023. She was 94. Latkar was a recipient of the civilian honour of Padma Shri (1999). She was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2009, she was awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan Award by the Government of Maharashtra.
Here is a song from this film, sung by Sudha Malhotra and chorus. Enjoy….
Song – Is Vrat Sa Koi Vrat Nahin Dooja (Gaj Gauri) (1958) Singer – Sudha Malhotra, Lyricist – Bharat Vyas, MD – Sudhir Phadke
Chorus
Lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
is vrat sa koi vrat nahin dooja
aao karen gaj gauri ki pooja
is vrat sa koi vrat nahin dooja
aao karen gaj gauri ki pooja
jai gaj gauri
jai gaj gauri
haathi ko nagar dagar mein ghumaavo
baandhav jan ke ghar ghar jaavo
bhar bhar thaal suvarn lutaavo
mann vaanchhit janani phal paavo
ye sab jeevan safal banaao
is vrat ki sakhi mahima gaavo
oo oo
oo oo
oo oo
is vrat sa koi vrat nahin dooja
aao karen gaj gauri ki pooja
jai gaj gauri
jai gaj gauri
gaj gauri ka vrat jo manaati
usko miley airavat haathi
indr ka sab aishvarya wo paati
putr sahit din sukh se bitaati
gaj ki savaari se sukh barsaati
bhori si naar amar ho jaati
oo oo
oo oo
oo oo
is vrat sa koi vrat nahin dooja
aao karen gaj gauri ki pooja
jai gaj gauri
jai gaj gauri
jai gaj gauri
jai gaj gauri
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
इस व्रत स कोई व्रत नहीं दूजा
आओ करें गज गौरी की पूजा
इस व्रत स कोई व्रत नहीं दूजा
आओ करें गज गौरी की पूजा
जय गज गौरी
जय गज गौरी
हाथी को नगर डगर में घुमावो
बांधव जन के घर घर जावो
भर भर थाल सुवर्ण लुटावो
मन वांछित फल जननी पावो
ये सब जीवन सफल बनावो
इस व्रत की सखी महिमा गावो
ओ ओ
ओ ओ
ओ ओ
इस व्रत स कोई व्रत नहीं दूजा
आओ करें गज गौरी की पूजा
जय गज गौरी
जय गज गौरी
गज गौरी का व्रत जो मनाती
उसको मिले ऐरावत हाथी
इन्द्र का सब ऐश्वर्य वो पाती
पुत्र सहित दिन सुख से बिताती
गज की सवारी से सुख बरसाती
भोरी सी नार अमर हो जाती
ओ ओ
ओ ओ
ओ ओ
इस व्रत स कोई व्रत नहीं दूजा
आओ करें गज गौरी की पूजा
जय गज गौरी
जय गज गौरी
जय गज गौरी
जय गज गौरी
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
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