II Jai Shree Ram II

Today on the auspicious occasion of प्राण प्रतिष्ठापना of idol of Lord Ram at Ayodhya, I take the opportunity to post a devotional song list dedicated to Lord Ram.

Image Courtesy – Times of India

The Epic Ramayan is very close to the people’s hearts. The deity is worshiped with a lot of respect, love and emotional bonding. Ram Mandir at Ayodhya is a dream come true for every Indian who believes in Ram. Every City in India is decorated to celebrate the occasion and the enthusiasm among devotees is phenomenal.

To commemorate the occasion, I’m presenting a list of devotional songs both Hindi film as well as Non-film. The song is either dedicated to Lord Ram or addressed to him. On a few occasions, though his name is not mentioned, the song is picturised in a temple of Lord Ram.
Let’s dive deep into the sacred ocean of devotion.

1. Main Hari Prabhuji Aayi Sharan – Aage Badho (1947) Khurshid / Sudhir Phadke – Amar Varma
Khurshid in distress and agony prays to Lord Ram to help her out of it. One of Khurshid’s last films in India. She pours her heart out delivering a heart touching rendition.

2. Mujhe Apni Sharan Mein Lelo Ram – Tulsidas (1954) Rafi / Chitragupt – G S Nepali
What a heart warming song! Rafi literally brings life to the emotions of Tulsidas. If you have such a devotion and dedication to Ram, he will bless you for sure.
It’s one of the most popular bhajans by Rafi. Chitragupt was confined to devotional and mythological films for a long period and Tulsidas was one of his films from the ‘pre-Bhabhi era’. But sincere Chitragupt always composed with dedication.

3. Tora Manwa Kyun Ghabraye Re – Sadhna (1958) Geeta Dutt / N Datta – Sahir
The Bhajan is picturised on Leela Chitnis and Vyjayantimala. Though the deity in Pooja Mandir is Lord Krishna, the song is about Lord Ram. The song describes how Lord Ram bestows upon his shelter to his devotees.

4. Jai Raghunandan Jai Siyaram – Gharana (1961) Asha Bhosle, Rafi & Chorus / Ravi – Rajendra Krishan
One of the most popular bhajans by Rafi. It’s very soothing to listen to. The song appears as a Bhajan in the movie, with Bipin Gupta and Devika singing it. The child artists are Moppet Raja and Master Randeep, as per title credits. One of the children keeps an eye on the laddoos kept as prashad. Very cute and realistic picturisation!

5. Hey Rom Rom Mein Basne Wale Ram – Neel Kamal (1966) Asha Bhosle / Ravi – Shakeel Badayuni
One of the excellent bhajans sung by Asha Bhosle. The emotions of complete devotion to God are so perfectly rendered! I have always seen temples with three idols, that of Lord Ram, Seeta and Laxman. This is nearly the first time that only Ram and Seeta idols are shown in a temple.

6. Sukh Ke Sab Saathi – Gopi (1970) Rafi / Kalayanji Anandji – Rajendra Krishan
One more of Rafi’s excellent and popular Hindi film bhajans. The contrast between the materialistic world and God’s divine support is highlighted so well in the song! I always get tears in my eyes when I listen to it.

7. Ram Siya Ram Siya Ram – Geet Gaata Chal (1975) Jaspal Singh / Ravindra Jain – Ravindra Jain
A beautiful bhajan picturised on a very young Sachin with Leela Mishra, Urmila Bhatt and Sarika. I have listened to it umpteen times but it doesn’t lose its charm. They help us restore peace of mind and have a soothing and calming effect.

8. Ramji Ki Nikli Sawari – Sargam (1980) Rafi & Chorus / Laxmikant Pyarelal – Anand Bakshi
What a delightful song! Very catchy rhythm and attractive tune. One can feel like a bhajan still tapping his/her feet for the rhythm. Energetic rendition by Rafi with equally impressive performance by Rishi Kapoor. Delight to watch a young Jayaprada. Here’s the link for Video.

9. Pal Pal Hai Bhari – Swades (2005) Madhushree, Vijay Prakash, Ashutosh Gowarikar & Chorus / A R Rahman – Javed Akhtar
The song has a special place in my heart. I liked it right from the beginning. And it was a must for today’s list. One of my favourites from the 2000s. Very impressively written, mainly the part sung by Shahrukh Khan. If we remember just that part, the entire world would be a happy place to live.

Now, I’ll highlight a few of my favourite Non-film Ram bhajans. Haven’t come across anything that is more soothing and peaceful than these bhajans.

10. Thumak Chalat Ramchandra by Pandit D V Paluskar
What can I say about this divine Tulsidas bhajan! A blissful experience! Every sentence of the lyrics comes alive in Paluskar’s expressive voice.

11. Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo by Pandit D V Paluskar
I used to like Lata Mangeshkar’s version of this bhajan by Meera Bai. But my parents are more fond of the one by D V Paluskar. And when I heard it a few years back, I couldn’t agree more. What a voice Pandit ji had! We can listen to it in loop for many times.

12. Shree Ramchandra Kripalu by Lata Mangeshkar
This soulful bhajan by Surdas in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice is a divine experience. And I got a video from Doordarshan archives where she performed it live.

Please add your favourite Ram Bhajan

Disclaimer –
Mehfil Mein Meri, claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. Images on this blog are posted to make the text interesting. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from YouTube, only for the listening convenience of music lovers. The copyright of these songs rests with the respective owners, producers and music companies.