''Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev'' ( eng, Lord of the Lords... Mahadev), often abbreviated as DKDM, is a series based on the Hindu god,

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...

, also known as Mahadev. It premiered on 18 December 2011, airing Monday to Friday nights on

Life OK Life OK was an Indian pay television channel owned by Star India Disney Star Private Limited is an Indian media conglomerate and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Dis ...

. The series concluded on 14 December 2014, having completed a total of 820 episodes. The entire series has been made available on

Disney+ Hotstar Disney+ Hotstar (also known as Hotstar) is an Indian brand of subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Novi Digital Entertainment of Disney Star and operated by Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, both ...

and

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television seri ...

Plot

The show's plot revolves around the story of

, which follows his journey from being an ascetic to a family man. During the creation of the world by Brahma,

Adi Shakti Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...

leaves Shiva from his

Ardhanarishvara The Ardhanarishvara ( sa, अर्धनारीश्वर, Ardhanārīśvara, the half-female Lord, translit-std=IAST), is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva combined with his consort Parvati. Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male and half ...

form. In order to shape the universe, she takes various births to marry Shiva but fails 106 times due to which Shiva becomes an ascetic. Hence

Lord Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthro ...

suggests his mind-born son Prajapati Daksh to please Adi Shakti and request her to incarnate as his daughter. Adi Shakti is born as Daksh's daughter Sati. Meanwhile, Shiva cuts off Brahma's fifth head making Daksh hate him. Sati falls for Shiva and finally marries him, much to Daksh's dismay. Hence, Daksh humiliates Shiva in front of Sati in his yagna. Unable to tolerate her husband's insult, Sati sacrifices her life once again. An infuriated Shiva orders

Virabhadra Virabhadra (), also rendered Veerabhadra, Veerabathira, and Veerabathiran, is a fierce form of the Hindu god Shiva. He is created by the wrath of Shiva, when the deity hurls a lock of his matted hair upon the ground, upon hearing of the self ...

to behead Daksh. Later, he revives him at Prasuti's request and goes into deep meditation for centuries. Adi Shakti then incarnates as

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi ...

, daughter of Himavan and his wife Menavati. She is aware of her divinity as are her parents, and grows up in Dadichi's hermitage. Since her early age, she starts addressing Mahadev/Shiva as her husband which Menavati, as a concerned mother, dislikes strongly. When she grows up, Parvati tries to make Mahadev realize that she is none other than his wife Sati reincarnated. But he rejects her and in the process, turns Kamadev into ashes. As a result, Kama's distraught wife, Rati curses Parvati. Parvati then agrees to marry as per her mother, Menavati's wish. However eventually Parvati and Himavan make Menavati realise who Parvati is, after which she gives in. Parvati goes on to meditate for 3000 years to please Mahadev to marry her. And finally, Mahadev and Parvati are married. Later, Mahadev imparts some tantric knowledge to Parvati that helps her to take various forms like Nav Durga; Mahavidyas (Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Tripura Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala) and

Matrikas Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group ...

to destroy Raktabeej, Shumbha Nishumbha, Chanda Munda, Durgmasura, Arunasura,

Banasura Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana. Legend A mighty ...

, etc. Later, Shiva and Parvati extend their family to Karthikeya,

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...

and Ashok Sundari.

List of characters

Main

* Mohit Raina as

/ Mahadev /

Mahakala Mahākāla is a deity common to Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. In Buddhism, Mahākāla is regarded as the sacred ''Dharmapāla'' ("Protector of the Dharma"), while in Hinduism, Mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva and t ...

Nataraja Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ' ...

/ Nilakantha /

Jalandhara Jalandhara (Sanskrit: जलन्धर, lit. ''he who holds water''), also known as Chalantarana (Sanskrit: चलन्तरण, lit. ''he who walks and swims'') is an asura in Hinduism. He was born when Shiva opened his third eye in his fury w ...

/ Jata /

/ Kal Bhairav /

/ Chandrashekar /

Dattatreya Dattatreya ( sa, दत्तात्रेय, ), Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. In Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and M ...

Lohitang Mangala (Sanskrit: मङ्गल, IAST: ) is the personification, as well as the name for the planet Mars, in Hindu literature. Also known as Lohita (), he is the celibate deity of anger, aggression, as well as war. According to Vaishnavism, ...

(elder) / Yaksha / Kiraat / Vyadh / Aadi Yogi / Aghora / Martand (Khandoba) / Nat Bhairav / Acharya Mahatapa / Vrishabh / Loknath / Bhoothnath / Pashupatinath / Shambhu / Vaidhyanath / Har-Narayan /

Harihara Harihara (Sanskrit: हरिहर) is the fused sattvika characterisation of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara) from Hindu theology. Hari is the form of Vishnu, and Hara is the form of Shiva. Harihara is also known as Shankaranarayana ("Shankara ...

/ Bhola : Parvati and Sati's Husband; Ganesha, Kartikeya's Father (2011-2014) . * Mouni Roy as Devi Sati / Dakshayni /

Mahadevi Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...

Sonarika Bhadoria Sonarika Bhadoria (born 3 December 1992) is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu language, Telugu, Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. She is best known for her portrayal of Goddess Parvati / Adi Shakti in the television series ''Devon Ke ...

/ Puja Banerjee / Suhasi Goradia Dhami as

Adi Parashakti Mahadevi ( sa, महादेवी, ), also referred to as Adi Parashakti, Adi Shakti, and Abhaya Shakti, is the supreme goddess in the Shaktism sect of Hinduism. According to this tradition, all Hindu goddesses are considered to be manifesta ...

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around comb ...

/ Matsya Kanya / Ashta-Matrikas /

Navadurga Navadurga ( sa, नवदुर्गा, translit=Navadurgā), also spelled Navdurga and Navadurgas, are nine manifestations and forms of Durga in Hinduism, especially worshipped during Navaratri and Durga Puja. They are often considered collec ...

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this trad ...

Mahakali Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal power, time, life, death, and both rebirth and liberation. She is the co ...

Bhadrakali Bhadrakali ( IAST: Bhadrakālī; ), also known as Mahakali and Kali, is a Hindu goddess. According to Shaktism, she is one of the fierce forms of the Supreme Goddess Shakti, or Adi Parashakti, mentioned in the Devi Mahatmyam. In Vais ...

Devi Devī (; Sanskrit: देवी) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism. The conc ...

/ Dasha-Mahavidyas /

/ Kaalratri / Bhramari Devi / Akilandeswari/ Bheelni /

Gayatri Gayatri (Sanskrit: गायत्री, IAST:Gāyatrī) is the personified form of the Gayatri Mantra, a popular hymn from Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri, and bears the epithet of ''Vedamata'' (mother of the Vedas). Gayatri is of ...

Devi / Goddess

Bhairavi Bhairavi ( sa, भैरवी) is a Hindu goddess, described as one of the Mahāvidyas, the ten avatars of the mother goddess. She is the consort of Bhairava. Etymology The name ''Bhairavi'' means "terror" or "awe-inspiring". She is th ...

Mahalasa Mhalsa (Marathi: म्हाळसा, IAST: Mhāḷasā), also spelled as Mhalasa or Mahalasa, is a Hindu goddess. She is venerated in two distinct traditions. As an independent goddess, she is considered as a form of Mohini, the female avatar ...

/ Goddess Katyayani /

( Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kaalratri,

Mahagauri Mahagauri is the eighth form among the Navadurga aspects of the Hindu mother goddess Mahadevi. She is worshipped on the eighth day of Navaratri. According to Hinduism, Mahagauri has the power to fulfill all the desires of her devotees. The one wh ...

, Siddhidhatri) / The

Mahavidya The ''Mahavidya'' ( sa, महाविद्या, , lit. ''Great Wisdoms'') are a group of ten Hindu Tantric goddesses. The 10 Mahavidyas are usually named in the following sequence: Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi , Ch ...

s (Kali, Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, Kamalatmika ) / Ambika /

/ Devi Kanya Kumari and other incarnations of Shakti (2011-12) (2012-13) ** Anushka Sen as Young

(2011) *

Saurabh Raaj Jain Sourabh Raaj Jain (born 1 December 1985) is an Indian actor in Hindi television. He gained a household name with his portrayal of Lord Krishna in '' Mahabharat'' (2013–2014), that met with nationwide acclaim and proved to be a "game-changer ...

Lord Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Prese ...

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is con ...

Lord Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...

Nara-Narayana Naranarayana (), also rendered Nara-Narayana, is a Hindu duo of sage-brothers. Generally regarded to be the partial-incarnation (aṃśa-avatara) of the preserver deity, Vishnu, on earth, Nara-Narayana are described to be the sons of Dharma ...

/ Har-Narayan / Guru Pratyaya (2011-2014) * Rushiraj Pawar as Senapati

Kartikeya Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hinduism, Hindu List of war deities, god of war. He is the son of Parvati an ...

Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Gan ...

(2012-2014) *

Darshan Gurjar Darshan Gurjar is an Indian film and TV actor working in Bollywood films and Indian TV Serials. He has worked in more than 5 films, 17 TV serials and around 10 commercial films. Film career Darshan started his films career in 2012 with '' Gunda ...

as young

* Tanya Sharma as Devayanai (2013-2014) *

Ahsaas Channa Ahsaas Channa (born 5 August 1999) is an Indian actress who appeared as a child actor in Hindi films such as '' Vaastu Shastra'', ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'', '' My Friend Ganesha'', ''Phoonk'', etc. As a teenager, she has been mostly active in t ...

Ashnoor Kaur Ashnoor Kaur (born 3 May 2004) is an Indian actress. She is best known for her acting in several television serials including '' Jhansi Ki Rani'', ''Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai'' and ''Patiala Babes''. In 2018, she made her Bollywood debut with ...

Ashokasundari Ashokasundari ( Sanskrit: अशोकसुन्दरी, ) is a Hindu goddess and daughter of the deities Shiva and Parvati. She is referenced in the '' Padma Purana'', which narrates her story. The goddess is mostly venerated in South I ...

: Mahadev and Parvati's Daughter; Kartikeya, Ganesha's and Andhaka's Sister *

Lavanya Bhardwaj Lavanya Bhardwaj (born 12 November 1984) is an Indian television actor and model. He is best known for his role as Sahadeva in the mythological TV show '' Mahabharat''. Personal life Bharadwaj met Dede Frescilla, an Indonesian lawyer during ...

/ Rishi Khurana as Nahusha *Sadhil Kapoor /

Alpesh Dhakan Alpesh Dhakan (born 25 February 1985) is an Indian television actor known for having portrayed the role of Lord Ganesha in the mythological drama serial, Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev that aired on Life OK from 2011 to 2014. He is also known for play ...

/ Ehsaan Bhatia as

/ Vinayak: Mahadev and Parvati's Younger Son; Ridhi and Siddhi's Husband *Aarya Vora as

Siddhi In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditation ...

: Ganesha's Wife ; Mahadev and Parvati's Daughter in - Law *Amrita Singh as

Buddhi :''In Hindu mythology, Buddhi is one of the wives of Ganesha.'' Buddhi (Sanskrit: बुद्धि) refers to the intellectual faculty and the power to "form and retain concepts, reason, discern, judge, comprehend, understand". Etymology ''Bud ...

* Kratika Sengar / Reem Shaikh as Manasa *

Ragini Rishi Ragini is a given name mostly used in Nepal & India. Ragini may refer to: *Rāgini, the feminine counterpart of a raga, a melodic mode in Indian classical music People *Ragini (actress) (1937–1976), Indian film actress, one of the Travancore s ...

Falaq Naaz Falaq Naaz is an Indian television actress. The younger sister of Shafaq Naaz; she is best known for her roles in TV shows telecasted on Colors TV channel, most notably the long running soap opera '' Sasural Simar Ka'' in which she played the ch ...

as Goddess Lakshmi / Haripriya /

Vedavati Vedavati (Sanskrit: वेदवती, IAST: ''Vedavatī'') is the previous birth of the goddess Sita in Hindu mythology. She is an avatar of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. Legend Birth Vedavati was the daughter of Brahmarishi Kushadh ...

Sita Sita (; ) also called as Janaki and Vaidehi is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, '' Ramayana''. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as a form of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi ...

Radha Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also d ...

Rukmini Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an in ...

/ Padmavati *

Piyush Sahdev Piyush Sahdev (born 12 March 1982) is an Indian television actor. He has appeared in several TV daily soaps but is known for his roles of Rama in '' Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev'', Kabir Tripathi in ''Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke'', Pawan Bakshi in'' De ...

: 7th - Avatar of

; Sita's Husband and Luv and Kush's Father. *

Rubina Dilaik Rubina Dilaik (born 26 August 1987) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi television along with Hindi films. She made her acting debut in 2008, portraying Radhika Shastri in the popular show ''Chotti Bahu''. Dilaik earned wider reco ...

: Avatar of Goddess Lakshmi; Rama's Wife and Luv and Kush's Mother. *Radhakrishna Dutta as

*Puja Kameshwar Sharma /

Salina Prakash Salina Prakash is an actress from Chandigarh, India. Television References {{DEFAULTSORT:Prakash, Salina Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Indian television actresses 21st-century Indian actresses Actresses from C ...

/ Via Roy Choudhary as

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a ...

Jiten Lalwani Jiten Lalwani is an Indian film and television actor. He is best known for playing Kiran Virani on ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'', Inder Kashyap in ''Sasural Genda Phool'' and Samarjeet in '' Naagin 3''. Early life Lalwani was born in Kan ...

as Lord Indra: King of All Gods. * Gauravu Shetty as

Lord Ayyappan Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotion t ...

Recurring

Production

Development

Ritoo Jenjani had done the

prosthetic makeup Prosthetic makeup also called special make-up effects and FX prosthesis) is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects. Prosthetic makeup goes back to the beginning of film maki ...

for the presentation of

. 90 people were working under the graphic department of the series. An episode of the series cost ₹14 Lakhs for production. In April 2014, a fire broke out on one of the show's sets in Mumbai. However, none were injured with only minor damages to property.

Casting

Sonarika Bhadoria was replaced by Puja Bannerjee as Parvati in July 2013. However, in June 2014 Bannerjee quit citing health issues and was replaced by

Suhasi Dhami Suhasi Goradia Dhami is an Indian actress and model. She is known for portraying Abha in ''Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli'' and double role as Vedika Mathur and Vedika Pratab in ''Aap Ke Aa Jane Se''.She appeared in KK's music video titled 'Aasma ...

. Mouni Roy who quit the series with the end of her role in 2012 returned as Sati in 2014.

Home media

The series is available to stream in its entirety on Star India's SVOD platform,

Hotstar Disney+ Hotstar (also known as Hotstar) is an Indian brand of subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Novi Digital Entertainment of Disney Star and operated by Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, both ...

, having also released on DVD in 2014.

Soundtracks

Reception

Ratings

The series started with a viewership rating of 0.7 TVR. Following which in initial six months, it ranged between 2 and 3 TVR. Later, the episode of 9 September 2012, featuring

killing the demon Raktabija rated the show its highest viewership with an 8.2 TVR being the highest TVR of Hindi television program during the year. In week 3 of 2013, it garnered an average rating of 3 TVR. In week 7, it was one of the top ten watched Hindi GEC program with 3.6 TVR.

Critics

Amar Ujala ''Amar Ujala'' is a Hindi-language daily newspaper published in India which was founded in 1948. It has 21 editions in six states and two union territories covering 180 districts. It has a circulation of around two million copies. The 2017 Ind ...

claimed that some events mentioned in the series were distorted and not mentioned in any

Puranas Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...

and

Shastra ''Shastra'' (, IAST: , ) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense.Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'zAstra'' The wo ...

Legacy

Mohit Raina featured in ''

Limca Book of Records The ''Limca Book of Records'' is an annual reference book published in India documenting world records held by Indians. The records are further categorized into education, literature, agriculture, medical science, business, sports, nature, advent ...

'' for portrayal of about 52 characters in the series with his main role being

References

External links

Official Website
on

hotstar Disney+ Hotstar (also known as Hotstar) is an Indian brand of subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Novi Digital Entertainment of Disney Star and operated by Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, both ...

* {{IMDb title, 2147999, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev 2011 Indian television series debuts Indian television series about Hindu deities Life OK original programming 2014 Indian television series endings Shaivism