Quick Info: “Lakdi Ki Kathi” is a beloved Hindi children’s song from the 1983 film Masoom, sung by Gauri Bapat, Gurpreet Kaur, and Vanita Mishra. Composed by R. D. Burman and written by Gulzar, it follows a wooden-stick horse on a playful imaginary adventure. The full Hindi lyrics and English transliteration are included below, completely verified from source.
Some songs don’t need a comeback, they never left. Gurpreet Kaur Lakdi Ki Kathi lyrics have been on the lips of Indian children for over four decades, and the song still shows up in classrooms, YouTube playlists, and bedtime routines in 2025 as naturally as it did in 1983. That rhythmic gallop, those nonsensical yet perfect words, this is what timeless actually looks like.
What makes it remarkable isn’t just the melody. It’s the rare combination of genius that created it: R. D. Burman’s irresistible composition, Gulzar’s playful wordcraft, and the voices of Gauri Bapat, Gurpreet Kaur, and Vanita Mishra bringing a child’s imagination fully to life.
Overview: About the Song and Its Creators
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Song Title | Lakdi Ki Kathi (लकड़ी की काठी) |
| Movie | Masoom (1983) |
| Director | Shekhar Kapur |
| Singer(s) | Gauri Bapat, Gurpreet Kaur, Vanita Mishra |
| Music Composer | R. D. Burman |
| Lyricist | Gulzar |
| Starring | Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Tanuja, Urmila Matondkar, Jugal Hansraj |
| Music Label | Saregama |
| Genre | Children’s / Folk / Filmi |
| Language | Hindi |
Disclaimer
These lyrics belong to the original artists, Gauri Bapat, Gurpreet Kaur, Vanita Mishra (singers), R. D. Burman (composer), and Gulzar (lyricist). The song is from the film Masoom (1983), released under the Saregama music label. These lyrics are provided solely for appreciation and educational purposes. Please support the artists by streaming the original track on music platforms.
Gurpreet Kaur Lakdi Ki Kathi Lyrics in Hindi
[Mukhda]
लकड़ी की काठी काठी पे घोड़ा
घोड़े की दुम पे जो माजरा हथौड़ा
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
लकड़ी की काठी काठी पे घोड़ा
घोड़े की दुम पे जो माजरा हथौड़ा
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
लकड़ी की काठी काठी पे घोड़ा
घोड़े की दुम पे जो माजरा हथौड़ा
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
[Antara 1]
घोड़े पहुंचा चौक में चौक में था नाइ
घोड़ेजी की नाई ने हजामत जो बनाई
टग-बग टग-बग टग-बग टग-बग
घोड़े पहुंचा चौक में चौक में था नाइ
घोड़ेजी की नाई ने हजामत जो बनाई
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
[Mukhda]
लकड़ी की काठी काठी पे घोड़ा
घोड़े की दुम पे जो माजरा हथौड़ा
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
[Antara 2]
घोड़ा था घमण्डी पहुंचा सब्जी मंडी
सब्जी मंडी बर्फ पड़ी थी बर्फ में लग गई ठंडी
टग-बग टग-बग टग-बग टग-बग
घोड़ा था घमण्डी पहुंचा सब्जी मंडी
सब्जी मंडी बर्फ पड़ी थी बर्फ में लग गई ठंडी
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
[Mukhda]
लकड़ी की काठी काठी पे घोड़ा
घोड़े की दुम पे जो माजरा हथौड़ा
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
[Antara 3]
घोड़ा अपना तगड़ा है देखो कितनी चरबी है
चर्ता है महरौली में पर घोड़ा अपना अरबि है
घोड़ा अपना तगड़ा है देखो कितनी चरबी है
चर्ता है महरौली में पर घोड़ा अपना अरबि है
बाँह छुड़ा के दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
[Mukhda]
लकड़ी की काठी काठी पे घोड़ा
घोड़े की दुम पे जो माजरा हथौड़ा
दौड़ा दौड़ा दौड़ा घोड़ा दुम उठा के दौड़ा
Lakdi Ki Kathi Lyrics in English Transliteration
[Mukhda]
Lakdi ki kathi kathi pe ghoda
Ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathauda
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
Lakdi ki kathi kathi pe ghoda
Ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathauda
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
Lakdi ki kathi kathi pe ghoda
Ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathauda
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
[Antara 1]
Ghoda pahucha chowk mein chowk mein tha naayi
Ghode ji ki naayi ne hazamat jo banai
Tag-bag tag-bag tag-bag tag-bag
Ghoda pahucha chowk mein chowk mein tha naayi
Ghode ji ki naayi ne hazamat jo banai
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
[Mukhda]
Lakdi ki kathi kathi pe ghoda
Ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathauda
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
[Antara 2]
Ghoda tha ghamandi pahuncha sabji mandi
Sabji mandi baraf padi thi baraf mein lag gayi thandi
Tag-bag tag-bag tag-bag tag-bag
Ghoda tha ghamandi pahuncha sabji mandi
Sabji mandi baraf padi thi baraf mein lag gayi thandi
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
[Mukhda]
Lakdi ki kathi kathi pe ghoda
Ghode ki dum pe jo maara hathauda
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
[Antara 3]
Ghoda apna tagda hai dekho kitni charabi hai
Charta hai maharauli mein par ghoda apana arabi hai
Ghoda apna tagda hai dekho kitni charabi hai
Charta hai maharauli mein par ghoda apana arabi hai
Baanh chhuda ke dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
[Mukhda]
Lakdi ki kathi kathi pe ghoda
Ghode ki dum pe jo mara hathauda
Dauda dauda dauda ghoda dum utha ke dauda
Lakdi Ki Kathi Lyrics in English Translation (Meaning)
[Chorus]
A wooden stick, a horse upon the stick Someone hit the horse’s tail with a hammer The horse ran and ran and ran, lifting its tail as it ran
[Verse 1]
The horse reached the town square, and in the square was a barber The barber gave the horse a grand shave/grooming Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop The horse reached the town square, and in the square was a barber The barber gave the horse a grand shave/grooming The horse ran and ran and ran, lifting its tail as it ran
[Verse 2]
The horse was arrogant and reached the vegetable market In the vegetable market, ice had fallen, and the cold struck the horse Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop The horse was arrogant and reached the vegetable market In the vegetable market, ice had fallen, and the cold struck the horse The horse ran and ran and ran, lifting its tail as it ran
[Verse 3]
Our horse is strong, look how fat it is It grazes in Mehrauli, but our horse is of Arabian breed Our horse is strong, look how fat it is It grazes in Mehrauli, but our horse is of Arabian breed It broke free and ran, the horse lifted its tail and ran
Musical Composition and Vocal Performance
There are children’s songs, and then there are children’s songs that outlive their era entirely. Lakdi Ki Kathi belongs firmly to the second category.
R. D. Burman’s genius here was restraint. The composition is built around a simple galloping rhythm that mirrors the “running horse” imagery in the lyrics. Every “dauda dauda dauda” feels like hooves hitting the ground. The “tag-bag tag-bag” sound effect isn’t accidental, it’s onomatopoeic perfection, designed to make a child feel like they’re on that horse.
What Burman did was build a musical world that requires zero visual context to understand. You hear it, and you see the horse running.
Gulzar’s lyrics deserve equal credit. On the surface, this reads like pure nonsense verse. A wooden-stick horse gets a hammer tap, visits a barber, struts into a vegetable market, catches a cold, and boasts about its Arabian lineage despite grazing in Mehrauli. But beneath the absurdity is something deeply intentional.
Each verse subtly teaches a lesson Gulzar never states outright:
- The arrogant horse (ghamandi) gets humbled by something as ordinary as cold weather in a market.
- The boastful “Arabian horse” grazes in Mehrauli, a gentle, comic poke at pretension.
- The horse doesn’t stop. It keeps running regardless of what happens to it.
For a child, it’s a funny song about a horse. For an adult revisiting it, it’s a tiny fable.
The vocal performances by Gauri Bapat, Gurpreet Kaur, and Vanita Mishra are precisely calibrated. The voices carry playfulness without tipping into exaggeration. Gurpreet Kaur’s contribution in particular gives the song a folk texture that grounds it, making it feel less like a composed film song and more like something that could have been sung in any lane in India for generations.
Why This Song Still Works in 2025
Most film songs from 1983 exist only in nostalgia. Lakdi Ki Kathi actively circulates, in kindergarten classrooms, children’s YouTube channels, early-learning apps, and Reels. That’s not an accident.
The song’s structure is built for repetition and participation. The chorus returns constantly. The verses are short enough to remember after one hearing. The sound effects (“tag-bag”) invite physical mimicry. And because the content is entirely benign and joyful, it has no expiry date across generations or geographies.
It’s also worth noting the film context: Masoom (1983) is an emotionally heavy film about an illegitimate child trying to find his place in a family. The placement of this light, bouncing song within that narrative was a deliberate choice, a moment of pure childhood innocence inserted into a story where innocence is constantly under threat. That contrast makes the song hit differently when you watch the film as an adult.
? FAQs
Who sang Lakdi Ki Kathi?
The song was sung by Gauri Bapat, Gurpreet Kaur, and Vanita Mishra.
Who composed Lakdi Ki Kathi?
R. D. Burman composed the music.
Who wrote Lakdi Ki Kathi lyrics?
Gulzar wrote the lyrics.
Which movie is Lakdi Ki Kathi from?
It is from the 1983 Hindi film Masoom, directed by Shekhar Kapur.
What is the meaning of Lakdi Ki Kathi Kathi Pe Ghoda?
It means “a wooden stick, and on the stick a horse”, referring to the toy stick-horse children play with.
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