Several years back, poet, friend and fellow Sahir Ludhianvi fan Karthika Nair and I were discussing Sahir’s poetry. After a while, we arrived at the conclusion that, while everybody acknowledges the brilliance of Sahir’s more revolutionary poetry—of the Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye or Chini-o-Arab hamaara—and some of his more angsty and emotional lyrics (Chalo ek baar phir se, anyone?), many people tend to overlook the fact that Sahir was also one of those poets who could describe nature brilliantly.
When I mentioned having studied Pighla hai sona in school (it was in our school textbook), Karthika remarked that, in that song, “nature became an active agent, not a landscape.” That reminded me of a theme I’d been toying with for a long time, for a song post. Songs that celebrate nature, songs that appreciate the beauty of nature. Nature or an aspect of nature should be an important part of the song; it should not merely be an incidental pretty backdrop for romance (or any backdrop for any other emotion).
Here’s my list, therefore, of ten pre-70s songs that are about nature. As always, these are all from films I’ve seen, and are in no particular order.
1. Pighla hai sona door gagan pe (Jaal, 1952): I thought it appropriate to start with the song that inspired this post in the first place. One of the most beautifully poetic metaphors for a sunset that I’ve come across: gold has melted on the distant skies. Sahir describes the evening amazingly: the birds settling down for the night, the trees with their ‘heads bowed’. With Lata’s voice, which provides the playback for Geeta Bali, there’s a chorus that chants praises to God, exalting the Almighty for creating such a beautiful world. The picturization, sadly, doesn’t do justice to the song (I can imagine it looking spectacular in colour), but the song itself—lyrics, music, rendition—is lovely.
2. Yeh kaun chitrakaar hai (Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti, 1967): This, despite being picturized on someone I am not especially fond of, and being from a film that I didn’t particularly like, is one of my favourite ‘in praise of nature’ songs. Jeetendra’s rather sanctimonious schoolteacher, along with his class of rather stuff and awkward teenaged boys (for whom a women’s chorus should probably not have been singing playback), marvels at the beauty all around. The deodars, standing tall as dhwajas (flags); the valleys, winding serpent-like between the mountains that soar, tall and immovable. Which artist dreamed these up, he says, whose brush has wrought these marvels? A paean not just to nature, but to God, and winding up with a bit of advice: draw inspiration from nature, make yourself as pure and upright as nature is.
3. Parbaton ke pedon par (Shagoon, 1964): Sahir again, and writing about another evening. Unlike the sunset-on-the-sea of Pighla hai sona, this is a sunset in the mountains. Although the two lovers (played by Waheeda Rehman and her future real-life husband, Kamaljeet) finish this song by declaring that their love makes the rest of the world unnecessary for their happiness, the first couple of verses are sublime in their description of the beauty of the evening: Parbaton pe pedon par shaam ka basera hai, surmayi ujala hai champayi andhera hai (The evening dwells on the trees on the mountain; the light is dark as surma, the darkness is as white as the champa)—which may sound paradoxical, but is wonderfully explained in the next line: The two meet, the darkness and the light, the black and the white, in this moment of neither-night-nor-day. As two hearts meet. There is more, too, about the lake, the melodies of the breeze, and the tranquility.
4. Mila hai kisi ka jhumka (Parakh, 1960): Romance is definitely in the air, with the heroine singing of the love that has taken over her life. But the entire scene—the fields in the background, the herd of goats, the village pond, the trees—is of nature in all its beauty. There is the neem tree, under which she has found someone’s jhumka, as she labels it: a little hibiscus flower, looking very much like a bejeweled jhumka indeed. In a film that had some lovely songs—among Salil Choudhary’s best—this one is especially light and frothy, and the metaphor of a jhumka for a flower is charming.
5. Thandi hawa yeh chaandni suhaani (Jhumroo, 1961): This song (which, by the way, is one of my husband’s favourites) is an odd one in some ways. It starts off with a pep and vigour that suggests a visual (as well as a song, in its entirety) along the lines of the title song of Jhumroo. Then it segues into a gentler, sweeter tune that supports lyrics that combine philosophy with a drawing of attention to the beauty of the singer’s natural surroundings.
Kishore (who composed the song) lifted the tune pretty blatantly from Domani, but Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics always take my breath away: Saare haseen nazaare sapnon mein kho gaye/Sar rakhke aasmaan pe parbat bhi so gaye (“All the lovely sceneries are lost in dreams/The mountains have laid their heads on the [pillow of the] sky and gone to sleep”) and Aise main chal raha hoon pedon ki chhaaon mein/Jaise koi sitaara baadal ke gaon mein (“I am walking under the shadow of trees/Like a star in a village of clouds”). Sublime. The refrain, of a destination that is unknown and a path that is long, always seems to me just an afterthought; this is really an ode to nature.
6. Suhaana safar aur yeh mausam haseen (Madhumati, 1958): When I thought of Thandi hawa yeh chaandni suhaani, the other song that automatically came to mind was this one. Dilip Kumar’s character, like Kishore’s in Jhumroo, is walking through the mountains, and cannot restrain himself from singing of the beauty around him. And in this case, barring a brief reference at the end to a hoped-for happiness, the song is all about nature. Birdsong, wildflowers in bloom, the frothing of fast-flowing rivers, the meeting of sky and earth… each verse conjures up an image of natural beauty. It’s also interesting to see Dilip Kumar’s expressions: there’s a sense of exhilaration and of wonderment in his face as he gazes all around.
7. Hawaaon pe likh do hawaaon ke naam (Do Dooni Chaar, 1968): Gulzar’s lyrics and Hemant’s music: you would expect a film with credentials like that to have one hit song after another (Khamoshi, released the following year, had the same combination and boasted of one unforgettable song after another). But Do Dooni Chaar, while an entertaining film, fell rather flat when it came to songs—except for this wonderful little song, sung by Kishore Kumar’s character as he walks through a forest, enticed by a charming little girl (Neetu Singh, as a child artiste; her character is supposedly the ban devi, the forest goddess). Gulzar’s lyrics are lovely and so evocative: the sunshine, reaching out to touch the hand of a branch; the bird, singing a message to only it knows whom; the evening playing with the morning… beautiful, and such a vivid picture of nature’s child-like innocence (which is so in keeping with the presence of the little ban devi prancing along ahead).
8. Hariyala saawan dhol bajaata aaya (Do Bigha Zameen, 1953): In a country where the monsoon is so eagerly awaited an annual phenomenon—so crucial to the very life of the land—it’s not surprising that at least a few of the best ‘nature songs’ are those in praise of the monsoon. In this beautiful song from Do Bigha Zameen, the word-pictures (conjured up by Shailendra) are very appropriate for a sense of celebration and of happiness: the thunder of clouds is likened to the joyful beating of drums, the land cloaked in new green is a bride, her head draped in a green chunariya, blushing and beautiful.
9. Sharaabi-sharaabi yeh saawan ka mausam (Noor Jehan, 1967): Another monsoon song, and one that’s very different from Hariyala saawan dhol bajaata aaya. Instead of the rustic, unfettered joy of the villages, this is the sedate and sophisticated ambience of the imperial court. The Mughal ladies party in an exquisitely laid-out garden, with flowers, fountains and flowing water all around—and a song is sung. Interestingly enough, while Meena Kumari’s Noor Jehan (lip-syncing to Suman Kalyanpur’s voice) says that the beauty of the monsoon would be much diminished if it were not for love, her song actually is more about describing the monsoon as it is, love or no love. The call of the koel, the clouds dripping intoxication; the blushing ‘faces’ of the flowers, the fragrant breezes: it’s all about the saawan.
10. Chham-chham naachat aayi bahaar (Chhaaya, 1961): And, to end, a paean to another season: spring. Like the monsoon, the spring is a season that’s much celebrated in Hindi film music. And, like the monsoon too, usually in the context of its setting for a bit of romance. In Chham-chham naachat aayi bahaar, Asha Parekh’s character does make a fleeting reference to the effect of all this natural beauty on her heart, but the primary focus of the song is on nature itself: each leaf has stretched and unfurled, each branch is dancing. The gardens are fragrant, each flower and each bud has decked itself out. Spring in all its glory is here.
Which are your favourite songs of nature? Please share!
Dustedoff 
Madhu ji,
When you mentioned Sahir ,I was certainly expecting Neele Gagan ke tale Dharti ka pyar pale…. HUMRAAZ, 1967.
6 of the songs I had expected to be in the list on reading the title are there.
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Neele gagan ke tale had been on my shortlist too, but I dropped it because I thought that in comparison to most of the other songs, it had a greater emphasis on romance. But I agree that it fits. :-) As you can see, I did retain it to some extent – the first screenshot in the post is from that song.
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Saawan ka mahina pawan kare sor…. MILAN.
Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai… LOAFER.
Bagon mein kaise ye phool khilte hain…
CHUPKE CHUPKE
Khilte hain gul yahan….SHARMILEE
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The songs from Loafer and Chupke-Chupke are nice, though it’s been so long since I heard them, I don’t remember to what extent they focus on nature. Khilte hain gul yahaan is, in my opinion, more about human relationships than nature itself.
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Hello,
Excellent post Madhuji.
I remembered my post on the same topic, in February last month. A few songs obviously overlap.
I’ll share
Jyoti kalash chhalake from Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan
rituyen badi suhani from Kavi Kalidas
Hari Hari dharti hai from Mahabharat
mausam hai jawan from Tower House
The link for the Parakh song is not working. May be it needs updating.
But, my query, it is not describing the nature. For me, it’s a romantic song. She’s singing about her own state of mind. Though the picturisation of the song is marvelous and Sadhna looks (as usual) very pretty. I Just love her in the song.
:-)
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Thank you for alerting me to the broken link for Mila hai kisi ka jhumka – I have corrected it. As for the song itself – well, I guess I am a little biased, because I absolutely love the metaphor of the jhumka for the hibiscus, and the thande-thande hare-hare neem tale evokes such utter coolness…
I had a lurking suspicion that someone else had done a similar post, but couldn’t remember who it was, whether you, Anu or AK. I didn’t want to go looking, just in case I got inadvertently influenced! Thank you for posting your choices. The song from Mahabharat had been on my shortlist too.
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Lovely theme for a post, lovely post!
Most of the songs I immediately thought of are in your list.
Here’s one more:
Neele gagan ke tale from Hamraaz
My link embedding skills have gone for a toss again!
Let me figure out more songs meanwhile.
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Yes, Neele gagan ke tale is a lovely song. It was on my shortlist, and ended up appearing somewhat tangentially (and anonymously) on this post – the introductory screenshot is from this song. :-)
Thank you for the appreciation – I’m glad you enjoyed this post!
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It´s way off-topic, but I wish good singers would sing more of Batalvi´s works.
For e.g. I have always loved the poem “Ucheyan paharan utte ..” but haven´t found a recording yet. Batalvi himself sung all his poems, so I am sure he had tune for it…
Here´s the translation into English, in writing
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/high-mountains/
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That poem gave me gooseflesh, Bawa, it was so good! Thank you so much for sharing this. I had never come across this before.
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How nice! Especially since we have begun shivering with cold here and the trees are bare. :) Would Saanwle salone leke dil bahaar ke fit in with this theme? It talks of glorious Spring throughout.
And this one? Also sings of the beauties of Spring. Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya from Suvarna Sundari.
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Two lovely songs, Anu! Thank you for these. Saanwle salone aaye din bahaar ke was on my shortlist too, so I’m especially glad to see it here. And Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya is a wonderful song – I’ve not seen the film, though.
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Dear Madhulika,
First your condition “it should not merely be an incidental pretty backdrop for romance (or any backdrop for any other emotion)”. Taken to its subjective extreme, this can be used to shoot down any submission. But, as they say, one should never argue with the Blog Writer. So, it is with great trepidation that I am offering two songs which you may pl consider :
First “THANDI HAWAYEIN” from the 1951 Film “NAUJAWAN”, Sahir Saab’s first composition for the great SD Burman :
As most of us know, this tune, sometimes the mukhda, at other times the entire song was copied a number of times (at least 10). The earliest was for a Tamil Film in 1952 and it is not known whether SD’s permission was taken :
Sometime in 1954, Music Director ROSHAN approached SDB with a request to copy the mukhda of this tune and it was readily granted. ROSHAN first used the tune in the Film CHANDNI CHOWK
and then again in 1966 in the Film MAMATA – “Rahein na rahein hum”.
But the reason that SDB readily agreed was because he himself had copied the tune from a part of a song “C’est La Vie”, sung by CHARLES BOYER in the 1938 Film ALGERIA :
(the way he sings the words “C’est La Vie”will remind you of “Thandi Hawayein”. The rest is the genius of SD Burman.
The second song I am more worried about is from the 1963 Film “Mujhe Jeene Do” :
[ I know the rendition is different but I have deliberately selected it to showcase the creative genius of the uploader Mukhtar Lyallpuri ].
Excellent choice of songs, as usual and a great write up.
With warmest regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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This is such an interesting comment, Parthaji – thank you so much! So insightful and informative in the way you’ve traced the song and how it’s travelled. I have long loved Tera dil kahaan hai (I actually like it more than Rahein na rahein hum) and knew of its relation to Thandi hawayein, but didn’t know of Konjum purave. And while I’ve watched Algiers – a long time back – I’d failed to notice the similarity between C’est la vie and Thandi hawayein.
Thank you so much for this.
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Hear this :) On thandi hawayein and more..
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Wrong link !! Hope this turns out right…on thandi hawayein and more..
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funny things happening with links..apologies…
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No problem. :-) Maybe you should try again today. Please?
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Good Evening Madhu ji,
Good selection, my favorite is “Hawaaon pe likh do hawaaon ke naam”.
I got one for time being, I don’t know whether you approve or not as they are bit romantic mic.
Yeh Hawa Yeh Bata – Rekha, Lata Mangeshkar, Ghazab Song
Navrang..(HD) 1080p hit song Adha hai chandrma raat aadhi raha na jaye…..
Chanda O Chanda, Kishore Kumar, Mehmood, Lakhon Mein Ek Song
Yeh Sama, Sama Hai Ye Pyar Ka | Jab Jab Phool Khile Songs | Shashi Kapoor | Nanda | Lata Mangeshkar
Well anyway all are good songs, at least to listen and enjoy.
Blessings
Uma
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Lovely songs, Umaji! Thank you for these.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
Few more and one very important song I missed to add, though more patriotic..
mere desh ki dharti sona ugle ugle heere || New Video Song || मेरे देश कि धरती सोना उगले
Woh Chand Khila – Raj Kapoor – Nutan – Anari – Lata Mangeshkar – Mukesh – Evergreen Hindi Songs
Blessings from Uma
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I agree. Both Mere desh ki dharti and Woh chaand khila have wonderful descriptions of nature. The latter, especially, is among my favourites. Such a beautiful song!
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Good Evening Madhuji
Two more very popular and beautiful song
Tu Ganga Ki Mauj – FULL SONG – Baiju Bawra (1952)
o raat ke musafir chanda jra film miss mary
Blessings from Uma
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While these are both lovely songs, I would say the element of nature is there only very briefly. But it’s subjective, as Parthaji mentions. :-)
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
I read the comments of Parthaji and very interesting to find “C’est La Vie” as the original of “Thandi Hawayein”.
Anyway, we all thank you so much, because of your amazing articles, matching or not, so much of Valuable treasure is being exposed.
I may post some more, because there is no time limit for such activities of treasure hunting:)
Blessings
Uma
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Please, do go ahead and post more songs (I see that you have, and am very happy to see some favourites there).
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Good Evening Madhuji,
I succeeded in finding one more Jewel in my treasure hunt, very much qualified to fit in the jewel box.
Superhit Song of Nargis पंछी बनू उड़ती फिरूँ मस्त गगन में By Lata Mangeshkar Movie – Chori Chori
I checked for this song, if submitted already by other members, but it is not there, but if I missed, then apologies.
Blessings
Uma
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Oh, yes! Lovely song. :-)
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Madhu,
You have selected some of my greatest favourites. From the topic I thought ‘Suhana safar aur ye mausam rangeen’ would be an automatic choice. An inadvertent miss? Readers haven’t mentioned it either.
That is a very common song. A very special favourite is ‘Farishton ki nagri mein aa gaya hun main’ from ‘Hamari yaad ayegi’ (1961), sung by Mukesh.
AK
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“From the topic I thought ‘Suhana safar aur ye mausam rangeen’ would be an automatic choice. An inadvertent miss? Readers haven’t mentioned it either.”
I don’t recall a Suhaana safar aur yeh mausam rangeen. Do you mean Suhaana safar aur yeh mausam haseen? If so, not missed. It’s at #6 on the list. If you did mean … mausam rangeen, please link to that – would like to hear.
Farishton ki nagri mein was a song I’d forgotten about – thank you for that. Lovely song.
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I hope this song from Aaj aur Kal fits the theme, with a tinge of romance.
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Yes, Yeh waadiyaan yeh fizaayein is a lovely song. And lots of natural beauty to be seen there!
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So many suggestions already.
My brain is a bit fogged theses days. I have been having fever on and off for over a month now, for some reason or another. I cannot anything that fits the theme right now. Maybe, my brain will work later-( it needs to if I am to start writing again.)
Ok, I did remember “Neele-2 ambar par”. But I don’t think it fits, besides “chand to kaale-2 ambar par nikalta hai, hai na?”.
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Yes, I think Neele-neele ambar par does fit. It has some nice descriptions of the night.
I hope you’ve got yourself checked out? Fever on and off doesn’t sound good. :-( Take care of yourself, and get well soon.
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It was majorly because of throat and related infections. The rains have been so-so generous this year. There is constant dampness in air, rooms, cupboards- just everywhere. That’s the main culprit. But I am fine now, Thanks🙂. And my brain’s beginning to work a little too. So here’s the first:
“Yeh dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye”. The first two stanzas have such a good description of mountainous regions- “Pahadon ko chanchal kiran chumti hai, hawa har nadi ka badan chumti hai……”
The second one is from Stree (1961): “Aaj madhuvatas dole”- We discussed it in your post on ‘Bharat Vyas’.
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Oh,
Yeh dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye
is a lovely fit, I think! Madhuji, do you agree?
I was trying to remember the song,
I could remember the picturisation from old Chhaya Geet days
but the words just kept eluding me.
I couldn’t find a link to the video. It would be great to see it again.
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@Aditi: Glad you’re fine now!
And yes, Yeh dil aur unki nigaahon ke saaye is a lovely song. Aaj madhuvatas dole was on my longlist, but since I’ve never seen the film, I had to skip it. I was hoping someone would post it in the comments – so thank you for that!
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@Meena: As others have commented too, that film is a lost one – so there are no videos of the song available any more. Such a shame.
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Dear Aditi,
“Yeh dil aur unki ……” doesn’t qualify since it is a 1973 Film and therefore outside the purview of Madhulika’s Post since she restricts herself to pre-1970 Films only.
But I couldn’t resist the temptation of placing this Video of the song below :
This Video requires special attention since it is not the Original. As most of us know, the Negatives and all the Prints of the Film “PREM PARBAT” were destroyed in a Fire in a Lab in Central Bombay where they were stored.
The uploader of this Video has used shots from one (maybe two) Tamil Film (s), but what is remarkable is that he has taken pains to match the words with the visuals from the Film (s) almost perfectly. One really has to closely observe the Video to notice this.
Here comes the bouncer. The uploader is one Mukhtar from Lyallpur in Pakistan and doesn’t know a word of Tamil.
This Video is a collector’s Item.
But what has driven me crazy is that I have not been able to locate the name(s) of the Tamil Film(s) which form the basis.
Get well soon,
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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This video is truly a labour of love! Thank you for pointing this out, Parthaji.
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Sir,
Thanks for that video. As you have pointed out- the video is a collector’s item- I am going to download it right away.
When we visited “Yumthang Valley” in Sikkim, some time back- this song immediately popped up in my mind. It felt like this is just the kind of place for which the song was written.
Thank you for your well-wishes.
Regards,
Aditi
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Dear Aditi,
The Film “PREM PARBAT” (1973) was Produced and Directed by VED RAHI
(b. 1933) himself a Dogri and was based on a Story written by him (some say the Story was written by PADMA SACHDEV (b.1940), also a Dogri) and it is set against the backdrop of the hilly region of Jammu. The last Maharajah of J&K, HARI SINGH was also a Dogri – they are basically of Rajput descent and date back to the days of Alexander.
It is a very sensitive film about a young girl (REHANA SULTAN) married to an old man (NANA PALSHIKAR) almost twice her age, torn between her body and the soul – soul to the aged husband as the dutiful wife, and body which craves the physical companionship of the recently posted young Forest Officer (SATISH KAUL) who is equally attracted to her . HEMA MALINI and INDRANI MUKHERJEE are also in the star cast, although as guest Artistes. It is said that REHANA SULTAN single handedly carried the film on her shoulders, through her histrionics.
This particular song, composed in Raag Pahadi, shows her reminiscing her meetings with the young man and it is through this song that her feelings of passion are also cleverly portrayed.
Now the good news! I have finally managed to track down the Film and the Song which Mukhtar, the uploader, has used as the backdrop for the song. My mistake, it was not a Tamil Film but a Telugu Film, released in 2002. Here is the corresponding song from the Film ( most of the scenes are based on this song, and he must have used another song from the same film for the other scenes) :
( Jajimalli Thotalona….)
[ The song is sung by SADHNA SARGAM to the music of ILAYRAJA ].
The Heroine of the Film was BHAVNA PANI (b.1984) an Oriya speaking girl, born and brought up in Bombay. The Hero, the boy in the song, is SACHIN JOSHI, a Maharashtrian Actor from Pune. Truly a Pan-India effort!
Finally, all is not lost. It transpires that a copy of the Film may be available with DOORDARSHAN in their Archives. Someone influential will have to prevail on them to dig it up.
Here’s an extremely brief clip from the Film PREM PARBAT :
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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Thank you so much for this very interesting information and for the clip from Prem Parbat. It sounds like an interesting film. I do wish there was a way of getting Doordarshan to air it.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
You are driving us crazy with your articles, don’t feel like leaving PC, hunting for the treasure.
Khilte Hain Gul Yahan – Kishore Kumar – Sharmilee (1971) – HD
May be or not qualified to decorate your Jewel safe, but very beautiful song.
Blessings
Uma
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Your appreciation makes my day! Thank you, Umaji.
Khilte hain gul yahaan is a top favourite song of mine, though I do wonder how much description of nature there really is in the song… of course, as Parthaji did say, it’s subjective. But a lovely song, nonetheless.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
This song well fits with a message, though it is a non filmy song, but very inspiring.
Please listen to this song.
Hindi Song on Nature – Hum Yahin Jiyenge by Susmita Das | BJEM School
Blessings
Uma
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What a beautiful song. I loved the rendition, the lyrics, the music, as well as the picturization. Truly a beautiful ode to nature. Thank you so much for this.
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Yeh raat bheegi bheegi
also has good nature descriptions in the beginning, but then shifts to the singers’ moods. A lovely song nonetheless.
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Yes, definitely a lovely song.
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Good Morning Madhuji,
I found one very beautiful song and you will definitely like it.
ganga aaye kahan se
I will come back soon with some more.
Apologies if this is already covered.
Blessings
Uma
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I love Ganga aaye kahaan se. Beautiful description of the Ganga, and a beautiful metaphor for life too.
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Good Morning, Madhuji,
I am not sure, but I feel this also may be qualified as it has a moral message through nature..
Suraj Re Jalte Rehna – Hemant Kumar – HARISHCHANDRA TARAMATI – Prithviraj Kapoor, Jaymala
Blessings from Uma
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I had forgotten this song. In fact, I’m not very sure I’ve heard this one before. What an unusual song: I don’t think I have ever come across another song about the sun: there are dozens of songs about the moon, but this, as far as I can remember, is the only song I’ve heard about the sun.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
You are right. There are few songs but not popular. And also not directly referred to Sun (Suraj)
Thank you.
Regards and blessings.
Uma
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Thank you!
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There can be no authentic, original link to Ye dil aur unki nigahon ke saaye because the prints of PREM PARBAT have been lost!
You Tube, however, has some other songs superimposed on the audio.
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Yes. The one Parthaji linked to is an especially well-synced video.
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Good Morning Madhuji,
I found one more jewel, it has all the qualities of Nature, to fit in here.
Neele Neele Ambar Par (Male Version) – Kalaakaar|Kishore Kumar|Sridevi|Kunal Goswami
Your articles are becoming very interesting question papers given to us.
Please see that all our answers are accepted:)
Blessings
Uma
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Yes, another reader had also mentioned this one, though she didn’t link to it. :-)
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
Another qualified beautiful song,
Saagar Kinare Dil Ye Pukare – {Saagar 720p HD Song} Gill Jagwinder.mp4
I really regret for the inconvenience caused by posted too many.
NOTE:
Madhuji, why not editing facility be given in your comments block.
Blessings
Uma
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Yes, lovely song.
I’m sorry there’s no editing facility on these comments – WordPress, at least in this theme, does not support it. I will check again if they’ve made any updates to the theme, because I agree that editing is very convenient.
No need to apologize for posting songs as and when they occur to you! I actually prefer it that way, because then each song gets to shine on its own.
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I just thought of one more song – a “sort of” fit. (but post 1970 too.)
Sona kare jhilmil jhilmil
(I hope this is the correct original video. Such a shame about the Prem Parbat video)
It’s a rain song really. But look at this stanza – all about nature’s beauty.
Lal Gulabi Neele Peele
Indra Dhanush Ke Rang Sajeele
Dekho Dekho Gagan Ki Bahar
Rangon Ka Laga Hai Bazar
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Wow! What beautiful lyrics those are. Thank you for this one.
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
This is a very lovely and really fantastic.
Dharti Kahe Pukaar Ke (HD) – Do Bigha Zamin Songs – Balraj Sahni – Meena Kumari – Manna Dey
Blessings from Uma
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I was hoping someone would post this one! It was on my shortlist, and I was really torn about whether I should retain it in the final list or not. Eventually I dropped it, but I’m happy to see it here. Beautiful song.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
I got one more jewel
Ye Hawa Ye Raat Ye Chandni – Dilip Kumar’s Birthday Special
Blessings
Uma
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Oh, yes. Beautiful song.
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
Nature means, persons, places and things.
Based on that, I got a very beautiful song, one and the only one of it;s kind from Rafiji.
Choon Choon Karti Aai Chidiya | Ab Dilli Door Nahin | Bollywood Kids Songs | Nursery Rhymes
You will really love it and I am am sure of that.
Blessings
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Yes! What a sweet song. Glad you added it here.
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I have always liked this song , memories of which linger from childhood Doordarshan Chitrahaar..
Chale Hawa Purvai from the obscure movie Hamara Ghar
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Fits the theme brilliantly. Thank you for this. I’d never heard it before.
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Though a very old number, I think this song, which was a smash hit in 1938, very much suits the given theme here.
A lovely song, it was probably the first example of harmonisation in our films, and if I am not, the very first Hindi triad song too.
Also, it seems Salilda was a big fan of nature, as 4 out of the 10 songs listed here are his compositions!! Coming to Hariyala Sawan, Salilda had earlier composed it in Bengali, back in 1944. While the refrain Uru Tak Tak Taghina was pretty much retained by Shailendra in the hindi version, the rest of the lyrics are different, although thematically both songs are similar. I tried pretty hard to find its Bengali original on YT, but to my misfortune, was not able to locate it.
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These two renditions were so good – the first one I was familiar with, the second was new to me. Lovely!
Since you mentioned Salilda having composed the original of Hariyala saawan in Bengali, and since you linked to a Pankaj Mallick song, let me bung in one of my favourite pieces of Rabindra Sangeet, sung by Pankaj Mallick, and evoking the monsoon beautifully: Kharo baayu boy bege:
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Uru taka taka taghina was composed during his IPTA days – Salilda wrote his own lyrics for his compositions in Bengali. In fact, some of those songs were never recorded because the lyrics were so incendiary.
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I didn’t know that! Interesting.
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Madhu, Salilda wrote the lyrics for all his songs in Bengali, including the filmi ones. It’s because he wasn’t as well-versed in Hindi that his Hindi songs were outsourced to other lyricists. The version of Urr taka taka taghina that Parthaji linked to is indeed a rare one. It seems to be the original 78 rpm from the 40s; that’s Salilda singing.
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Yes, that is indeed Salil-da’s voice together with his chorus group. You may be aware of this already, but listen to a bit of this Red Army Marching Song :
You’ll find strains of “Mausam Beeta Jaye” wafting in.
As regards his IPTA Songs, there’s a whole host of them out there, all in Bangla, some which he used later for the Hindi Films.
It wouldn’t be right to say that he wrote the lyrics of ALL his Bangla Songs. Some of the famous ones such as “Palkir Gaan”, and “Chhipkhan Tindar” were written by Satyendra Nath Datta. Even some of his Bangla Film Songs were written by established Lyricists of those days.
He did write and compose songs sung by well known singers for AIR’s Light Music Programme known as “Ramyageeti” in the ’60s and early ’70s. These were recorded on Tape in the Studio and most have not been commercially released till date. Here is one that was released :
(Guru guru guru, megh garajey….)
No prizes for guessing the later Hindi Song :-)
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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Parthaji, yes, I stand corrected. Salilda wrote the lyrics for most of his songs in Bengali. :) Re: Polushka polye, I find it very interesting because Salilda crafted the entirety of Mausam beeta jaaye from one line in this song. (I’ve a Salilda for a husband. :) )
I’m aware of the Sandhya Mukherjee recording of Guru guru guru megha garje – Gautamda has it listed on his website. I’m sure you’re aware of his labour of love – http://www.salilda.com
If not, please do visit the site – I’m sure you will love it. It has one of the most (probably, the most) comprehensive listing of all of Salilda’s song, both in films and otherwise.
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Dear Anuradha,
You mean you have a Salil for a husband :-) (I am guessing your husband is a Bangalee like me ?)
I am aware of Gautam-da (he is 3 years older than me (hence the -da) and we share the same birthplace, namely Dhanbad), and his site(s).
In our Schoolboys Forum, we share songs and snippets of Salil-da’s life on his Anniversaries, including his forays in the Malayalam Film Industry. “Chemmeen” and its music left a lasting impression on me and I was indeed fortunate to have a Tambrahm, born in Cochin and raised in Bangalore, as my daughter-in-law (she recently made me a proud grandfather a few weeks back). I dare say, I make the best Paniyaram in all of Goa :-)
One word of advice. The face is no good without the nose. So, do use :-) henceforth, you’ll feel much better.
Finally, I am unable to subscribe to your Blog. Could you pl add my Address as a “follower”.
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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Uff! I meant to write I’ve a ‘Salilda fan’ for a husband/ No, he’s not Bengali, he’s Malayali. But if you visit Gautamda’s site or the Salilda FB page, you will know of him – SSW.
Re: subscribing to my blog – would you mind telling me what the problem is? You can get my email id from Madhu.
p.s Congratulations on your grandson!
(Madhu, sorry to use your comments space for this exchange. I do not have Parthaji’s email id.)
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Sorry for having not replied earlier – I’d been travelling. Parthaji, will send you Anu’s mail ID in response to the mail you sent me.
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Good Evening Sir,
It is indeed very pleasant listening to these beautiful song and the Red Army Marching Song .
Thanks for sharing these jewels of Music. I am not a Bengali but Andhra and I love all the Music in any language that includes Instrumental music.
Regards
Uma
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Dear Uma Garu,
In the end we are all Indians and Music knows no boundaries. If the impression was created that I was trying to be Provincial, my sincere apologies for the same. I have served for a year at the Hindustan Shipyard in VIZAG. and had picked up a smattering of Telugu. It is a beautiful place, combination of the sea and the hills and Waltair Uplands, absolutely mind blowing.
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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Good Afternoon Sir,
I am surprised, how you found that I am from Vizag.
And then coincidentally your reply also has nature in it :).
Happy to find you as an Ex. Employee of Hindustan Shipyard.
My Brother-in-law too worked in that company as Hull Construction Manager and retired some where in 1990.
You are true, Vizag is a beautiful city, not only covered with beautiful surroundings of nature, but also with amazing culture, where people from all cultures live peaceful in harmony.
I don’t know, whether you visited this unique place, where you find Hindu, Muslim and Christian shrines located at one place adjacent to each other and are very close at Kota Veedhi, near Old Post Office.
Not self boasting but to add a feather in the cap, Devika Rani, the first lady of the Indian Celluloid, was born and her parents left when she was 6 or 7 years.
And so is Waheeda Rehaman who studied in St. Joseph’s Convent in Visakhapatnam, living at Kota veedhi and her debut film was in Telugu.
All the best and good luck.
All Goddesses and Gods bless you and your family, coupled with mine.
Regards
Uma
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Indeed, Kharo Bayu is a lovely number. Ravi Shankar too used this number on Tinku Thakur, Sharmila Tagore’s sister, in Tapan Sinha’s Kabuliwala, later remade in Hindi by Hemen Gupta.
Among Indian films, my favourite nature related song though is Akash Bhora Surjo Tara, sung by Debabrata Biswas in Ritwik Ghatak’s sublime film Komal Gandhar.
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Raunakjoy, Good Afternoon,
Very beautiful song. I listen to Saigal ji songs frequently.
I visited your blog, very interesting.
Thanks & Regards
Uma
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Dear Raunakjoy,
Here is that Bangla song you were looking for :
(উর্ র্ তাকা তাকা….)
With warm regards
PARTHA CHANDA
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Thank you so much for this, Parthaji! Lovely.
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Thanks for the link so much, Partha Ji.
-Raunak Joy
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On the matters of Bengali songs , especially those of Gurudev, there is an abundance of nature descriptors…many of the erudite readers here would be well aware. So just posting one, which describes nature in spring beautifully..
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Good Evening AK JI
I love this song very much.
And this song is composed on the tune from Hindi film Waris, by Music Director Anil Biswas
TALAT MAHMOOD & SURAIYA Rahi matwale WARIS
Regards
Uma
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Respected Uma ji
I think it is quite the other way round, with Rahi Matwaale being based on O Re Grihosbashi… which is a Rabindra Geet i.e. a song written and composed by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in circa 1931… much before Sh Anil Biswas used it in Waaris in 1950s sometime.
(http://www.geetabitan.com/lyrics/O/ore-grihobasi-khol-daar-lyric.html)
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Good Afternoon AK ji,
I thought it’s a only a poem by Guruji, but not that it was composed also.
Thanks for sharing knowledge.
And one information, I follow your posts and comments since long, in Songs of Yore with my comments too.
Regards
Uma
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AK ji,
Also thanks for sharing the link related to Gurudev ji.
Regards
Uma
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Respected UmaJi
I am not the AK of the Songs of Yore fame :)
I just share the same acronym..
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Good Evening Sir,
I got it clear.
Thanks and regards
Uma
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Oh yes, Ore griho bashi is lovely. So beautiful.
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Thanks Umaji for your kind words and heartfelt appreciation. Means a lot.
Saigal is indeed great, no doubt about it.
-Raunak Joy
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
I have one song, hope you like it and approve.
The song was pictured beautifully with agricultural background.
Dukh Bhare Din Beete Re (Video Song) – Mother India
Blessings
Uma
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Oh, yes. Appropriate song!
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
I got one more real Jewel
Chali Chali Re Patang – Jagdeep, Nanda, Mohd. Rafi, Lata, Bhabhi Song
Blessings
Uma
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Yes, nice song.
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
Whether qualified or not, these are a ‘must to listen’ songs.
Chal Ud Jare Panchhi (sad) – Mohammed Rafi, Bhabhi Song 3
Blessings
Uma
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Yes, beautiful song. And I do think the metaphor of the bird is borne out well throughout the song.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
This is one of my favorites especially of Lataji and Kishore ji duet.
Ganga Ki – Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar – Dharmendra ,Kishore Kumar
Blessings
Uma
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Yes! Machalti hui hawa mein chham-chham is a lovely song. Love it.
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Good Evening Madhuji,
I am posting another beautiful song,
Neel Gagan – Khandan – Sunil Dutt & Nutan
Blessings
Uma
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Yes, not a bad song. :-)
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Good Evening,
:(
Blessings
Uma
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What a lovely post!
The first word of your very first song reminds me of one of my favourite. Without rambling further, here is “Pighalata hua yeh Sama” from Darmiyaan movie, music by Bhupen Hazarika.
First one is audio link which has complete song.
2nd link starts the original song halfway.
And this one where actors literally singing paeans to beauty of Kashmir in “Kitni khubsurat yeh tasveer hai”
“Husn Pahadon Ka” from “Raam Teri Ganga maili”. It not only describes nature but cinematography is a visual treat too.
Like most of the Bollywood song about nature, romance lurks in all these songs but most of the lyrics are devoted to beauty of nature
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Thanks for the songs! I must admit I don’t like the songs of Ram Teri Ganga Maili, but it fits. :-)
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Good Evening Madhuji,
On your blog, we are meeting many good members and becoming friends.
Because of that, we friendly communicate, drifting away from the subject.
Kindly excuse for that.
And then another good song on the subject and hope you approve it.
पंख होते तो उड़ आती,तुझे दिल का दाग़ दिखलाती रे..Lata_Hasrat Jaipuri_Ramlal..a tribute
Blessings
Uma
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Yes. :-)
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Good Evening Madhuji,
LAST SONG OF THE DAY,AND THE BEST.
Jahan Dal Dal Pe Sone ki Chidiya Karti hai Basera – Wo Bharat Desh India Hai MERA
GOOD NIGHT, WITH BLESSINGS
UMA
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Thank you for all the songs, through the day!
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Reblogged this on ashokbhatia.
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Thank you!
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I do not think this has been posted yet.. Mere des mein pawan chale purvai from Jigri Dost… an average song..but describing the pastoral setting all right ..
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I was trying to remember this song! Thank you, AK.
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Good Afternoon Madhuji,
With your inspiring article, we all have listened and witnessed a very cool, beautiful and friendly Nature.
Though on a comparative basis, please listen to this song on violent Nature, suits or not, it is a ‘Must to listen song’ rendered by great legend Mannadey ji.
Definitely a touching and hair raising song.
NIRBAL SE LADAAYEE -COMPLETE SONG -BHARAT VYAS -VASANT DESAI (TOOFAN AUR DIYA1956)
Blessings
Uma
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