Posted:
13 years ago
About the show...
Om Namah Shivay is an Indian television series portraying Hindu mythology and featuring the divinity Shiva, as well as other gods and demigods (such as Shakti/Parvati, Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, and Sage Narada).
The series is presumably named after the mantra Aum Namah Shivaya. It "depicts the spirituality, divinity and the moving power with which Lord Shiva governs the destiny of the universe."
The Hindu saga of Lord Shiva - Bolenath - Shankar and his consort Shakti - Parvati, along with Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and their goddess consorts beginning at creation. Shiva and Parvati's son Ganesh is introduced and followed too.
Story
The plot centers around Lord Shiva and brings Hindu theology to life in a series of interconnected stories. The serial begins with the creation of the universe and the other gods and demi-gods, then guides the viewer through Shiva's marriage to Sati, Sati's death, Shiva's marriage to Parvati, and tales of many devotional acts, demonic battles, and important religious events (such as the creation of the twelve Jyotirlinga). It ends with events covered in the Mahabharata and the blessing of the hero Arjuna by Shiva.
According to the show's introduction, source material used to construct the show's plot and script was extensive. Listed sources are the Vayu Puran, Shiv Maha Puran, Skand Puran, Ling Puran, Tantra Chooramani, Valmiki Ramayan, Swetashwar Upanishad, Vaman Puran, Varah Puran, Koorma Puran, Rudra Yamal Tantra, Padma Puran, Devi Bhagwat Puran, and Bhagwat Puran. An apology is also offered for any errors that may have been made in the series.
Cast
Samar Jai Singh/Yashodhan Rana as Shiva
Gayatri Shastri as Shakti/Parvati
Manjeet Kullar as Sati
Amit Pachori as Vishnu
Sandeep Mehta as Narada
Sunil Nagar as Brahma
Sanjay Sharma as Indra
Gajendra Chauhan as Daksha
Rajeshwari Sachdev as Rati
Nimai Bali as Jalandhar
Crew
Director: Dheeraj Kumar
Producer: Zuby Kochhar
Music: Sharang Dev
Music
Songs from many well-known Indian singers are featured in this serial; a few examples include the title song "Om Namah Shivay" (Pandit Jasraj), "Rudra Rudra" (Vinod Rathod and Udit Narayan, episode 53), and "Trikal Darsh" (episode 89), "Man Mein Ek Kamna" (episode 62), and "Maha Shivratri Aayi" (Alka Yagnik).
Unity is created in the series by the re-use of songs, or the same melodies with different lyrics, to soundtrack a recurring theme or situation. For example, the creation of each Jyotirling brings a chorus of the song "Ajar Amar Shiv Shankar."
"Dharm Na Janu," sung by the boy Upmanyyu in episode 58, later becomes the melody for the song "Darshan Bholenath," which the young Markandeya sings in episode 168; each child is seeking Shiva's protection through prayer.
Indra, Narad, and the Devatas sing "Om Shri Tripund Dhari" to ask rescue from Shiva in episode 56; Shachi (Indra's wife) then sings the same melody as a prayer to Shakti, "Jai Shakti Dayini Maa," in episode 100.
Continuity is also created between different performers with music, such as when the song "Maha Shivratri Aayi" is used twice - the first time performed by Sati, the second time by Parvati.
Home Video
In 2003, Om Namah Shivay was released as a two-part, 42-DVD set, distributed by Madhu Entertainment and Media. It includes an option for English subtitles and a choice of four languages for audio (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam). The DVD insert explains more about the series' creation and purpose:
"There is no one character in the world history...which has influenced people so greatly and made them culturally rich as Shiva. The name of Lord Shiva is unique in each and every respect. The TV serial Om Namah Shivay is gratitude shown to this God of Gods called Shiva. A great effort is put to make this serial an unforgettable experience in every Indian's life."
A synopsis of each episode is available on the DVDs and is also provided online.
Edited by akki-rockstar - 13 years ago
