Handlooms in Marathi Films - Leaf 1

My first encounter with handlooms must have been watching this soulful song on Doordarshan in the program 'Chhaya Geet'. I must have been around 10 - 11 yrs old. Of course knew nothing about the loom. Nor did my parents know anything about it. As I started understanding about looms, I loved this song all the more.

It is a pit loom. The fact that a lady is shown weaving (the beautiful and elegant Sulochana bai), means that there was weaving going on during the 1950s in Maharashtrian homes too... In rural Maharashtra. Pu La Deshpande not only understood the village mileu, but also showed it to the world. And got an apt song written by Ga Di Mad Pu La composed it keeping in mind the sound of the loom. The rhythm of the loom is the high point of the song.

Though Pu La was more famous as a humorist, his talent as a thinker, observer, and music director can be seen in songs like these. 'Dev Paavla (1950) was a movie belonging to the comedy genre... With Damu Anna Malvankar and Sulochana bai in lead roles.

The lyrics touch your heart..

daas Ram naami range

Ram hoi daas

ek ek dhaaga gunte

roop ye pataas

Saint Kabir sang dohas while weaving cloth on the loom. The poet imagines Lord Ram becoming the slave of Kabir and letting him rest for a while. And then, Lord Ram himself weaves the cloth.

The song is sung by another stalwart of classical music, Manik bai Varma.

Composed in raag yaman, one of the most beautiful raagas, her voice touches divinity and comes back to us to deliver this soulful rendition.

The song speaks volumes about devotion and surrender. It is about being one with our work. Whether you are a believer or not, sincerity in work and truthfulness in whatever you do, is somewhere close to divinity.

Can't get over it's Musikalität even after listening to it over and over again for so many years.

Music n Fabric

The bubbly emotions of Nimmi can't contain themselves inside her youth. They explode and fill romance in the minds of the on looking ladies working in the 'sarson' fields.

Tiny yellow flowers of mustard plants represent the smallest of small emotions that make her happy by just the thought of being loved by her beau.

Dil ke hindole pe koi jhoolna jhulaye

Seeing Nimmi so joyful is rare. In Barsaat she's seen celebrating the same thought. But the way she sways with the breeze and let's herself get carried away by her emotions, is something I liked more in this song.

Rang meri jawani ka liye jhoomta ghar aaya hai sawan

Again, the feeling of oneness with nature!!

It's not because the month of 'sawan' has brought a rainbow of colors over the horizon. She says, nature is just a reflection of her thoughts. So beautiful a thought! Shakeel Badayuni ji.. Salaam

Naushad Saab weaves these youthful emotions with bhimpalasi to make a song that makes you sway in the chair you're sitting right now, even if it isn't a rocking chair

That's the beauty of classics! A song from a 1952 film makes me dance and swing even today!

Now, coming to the color version of this song, I just loved the drapes. Nimmi's blouse catches my attention. It is kutchi block print with mirror work. And her ghagra is of bandhej material. Love the half saree concept! I wish I wore such!

And later, when she is pulled up on the horse's back to travel along with her beloved, loved the color of Dilip Kumar's turban. Pink turban against the blue sky.

Black and white had it's own charm. But digital colors add a beautiful tone to the picture.

Chadariya jheeni re jheeni

Kabir Das, the 15th century saint poet, explains the origin, meaning and purpose of human body in easy words by using the symbol of the Charkha (the spinning wheel). 

The human body is like 'Jheeni chadariya'.. The fabric/shawl of life is very very transparent and thin. When this body immerses itself in Bhakti rasa, by chanting 'Ram Naam', all sins are washed away. The body is then pure.  

How and where does life start? Where does it end? 

Life was at the beginning of the universe and will last till the end and beyond that too. 

Life, for the human soul, starts in the Mother's womb. 

Chadariya jheeni re jheeni  

Ram naam ras bheeni chadariya jheeni re jheeni 

Ashtakamal ka charkha banaya 

Paanch tatva ki pooni 

Nau-das maas bunan ko laage 

Moorakh maili kinhi 

Chadariya jheeni re jheeni 

Kabir mentions that the basic structure to weave the 'chaadar' is 'Charkha' and the 'pooni' or the spindle is the tool that facilitates weaving. The human body is structured on the spinning wheel of the 8 chakras in the human body. 

Mooladhar, Swadishthan, Manipur, Anahat, Vishuddha, Aagya, Bindu, Sahasrar. 

And the spindle, made of the five elements of nature viz Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Ether, is used to weave the beautiful fabric of the human body. 

God, the master weaver, weaves it to perfection. The time taken to weave this fabric is 9 - 10 months. But once woven, and handed over by God to the human being, the user spoils it by letting 'Ego' print it’s impressions on it.  

Jab mori chaadar ban ghar aayi 

Rangrez ko deenhi 

Aisa rang ranga rangrez ne 

Laalo laal kar deenhi 

Chadariya jheeni re jheeni 

Kabir further says that when his fabric/shawl was woven by God and before it came in use, it was given in the hands of the master dyer, the Guru! He dipped it in the brightest hue of red color (which symbolises energy).  

Chaadar odh shanka mat kariyo 

Ye do din tumko deenhi 

Moorakh log bhed nahin jaane 

Din din maili keenhi 

Chadariya jheeni re jheeni 

Dhruv Prahlad Sudama ne odhi chadariya 

Shukdev mein nirmal keenhi 

Das Kabir ne aisi odhi 

Jyon ki tyon dhar deenhi 

Chadariya jheeni re jheeni 

He goes on to say that one gets this body just for two days. One shouldn't doubt one’s mortality. 

The human body has been worn by great devotees like Dhruv, Prahlad and Shukdev. Their devotion towards the Lord made their fabric purer. Kabir is aware that he has received this fabric, woven by God. So, he will return his shawl in the same condition that he had got it in from the master weaver.  

There are many versions of this doha, sung by many singers. I like the one rendered by Mukhtiyar Ali too. 

The doha may start by the verse in some of the renditions available on YouTube

Kabira, jab hum paida hue 

Jag hanse hum roye 

Aisi karni kar chalo 

Hum hanse jag roye' 

I'm no one to comment on the dohas of Sant Kabir. But my gut feeling tells me that this verse must have been a later addition, since it doesn't fit his usual 'style' of writing. 

He always refers to himself at the end. 

I found two versions sung by Mukhtiar Ali, where, in one version, he starts with the above-mentioned verse. And in another, he doesn't. 

Remembering Meerabai on 'Dev Utthani' Ekadashi

Meerabai, the princess of Mewar, turned hermit at the end of her journey and spent her life in search of her 'Madhav'. She was free by then from the bondages of regular 'grihastashram'. She had lost her husband, Bhoj Raj, within a year of her marriage. A person never lured by the riches around her, this incident resulted in her renouncing all worldly pleasures and seeking her 'love of life'... 'Krishna/Madhav. She suffered a lot of criticism from the members of the royal family and wrath from the then Rana of Mewar.  

She was considered to be a mad woman, who dressed up like a 'jogan' in the palace and considered 'Madhav' to be her husband. 

Having sought advice from Goswami Tulsidas, she left the palace one day and reached Vrindavan...the place where her Beloved resided. In due course, she became a travelling saint, an outcast, where she was once a princess! 

She sang hymns in His praise, calling him to visit her just once.  

In this bhajan, she requests Lord Krishna to make her His servant. That would be her way to have His company. Vrindavan, which is a 'kunj', a dense forest with Tulsi shrubs, is where He comes to meet His Gopis. She shall sing songs/bhajans in His praise there, just to please Him.  

chaakar raakho ji, mhane chaakar raakho 

chaakar rahisu, baag lagasu, 

nit uth darsan paaasu 

Vrundavan ki kunj galin mein  

teri leela gaasu .. 

And, how is He? He adorns the peacock feather in His head gear, dresses up in a 'Pitambar' and carries a garland of 'Vaijayanti' flowers. He will definitely visit Vrindavan, since He brings the cows to graze there. The entire forest will be enchanted by the tunes of His flute.  

mor mukut peetambar sohe 

gal vaijanti mala 

Vrundavan mein dhenu charaye 

Mohan muraliwala .. 

oonche oonche mahal banaun  

bich bich raakhu baari 

hare hare nit baag lagasu 

bich bich raakhu kyari 

Saanwariya ke darsan paasu 

pahar kusummi saari .. 

Who all have arrived in Vrindavan? Ohhh...There are the yogis/jogis, who have come here to do 'yog sadhana', to seek enlightenment. Then, there are the sanyasis, who have abandoned the worldly desires and come to Vrindavan to meditate and to seek the ultimate truth. And then there are the Sadhus, who, through their bhajans for 'Hari' or Krishna, fill the entire atmosphere with 'Bhakti Ras'.  

Never will one otherwise find a clear distinction between the three titles ... Yogi, Sanyasi and Sadhu.  

Vrindavan is, thus, a pious place, where Krishna will surely visit. She consoles herself by saying that her Lord is a serious person and not someone who will easily please His devotees. One should have faith and patience. Love Him truly... as if there are just Him and you in this world.   

jogi aaya jog karan ko 

tap karne sanyasi 

Hari bhajan ko saadhu aya 

Vrundavan ke vaasi 

tere Vrundavan ke vaasi .. 

meera ke Prabhu gahar gambhira 

hriday dharo ji Dheera 

aadhi raat prabhu darsan dehe 

prem nadi ke teera .. 

mhane chaakar raakho ji  

The music was inspired by Dilip Kumar Roy's hymns. The bhajan, though traditional, is an adaptation by Pt Narendra Sharma for the movie Meera; the character immortalized by MS Subbalakshmi. 

Dilip Kumar Roy was a follower of the Vaishnava movement in Bengal and co-authored 'The Beggar Princess' along with Indira Devi in 1955. The title created much furore amongst some closed German language circles when it was translated recently. 

Today, being Kartik Ekadashi, this post is my offering to the Lord.  

Yah sangeet pushp aur mere man ka bhaav pushp Prabhu ki seva mein arpan 🙏