The song was originally titled Dhivya Dharisanam and it was one of the soundtracks for the Tamil-language film Chinthamani. Chinthamani was released in 1937 and was a monumental success in cinema. The Tamil version of the song was sung by Kannada actress K Aswathamma who played the role of Chintamani.

The film was Aswathamma’s debut into acting. Her performance and singing was phenomenal but her career as an actress was short lived. After her second film, she passed away in 1939 of tuberculosis. Dhivya Dharisanam is a religious song.

The contagious popularity of the film did not escape Sri Lanka, and Lakshmi Bai (stage name), a renowned Muslim singer from Kalutara, adapted the song in Sinhala. This version quickly gained popularity in the island and is now considered a popular classic. Many modern singers, even today, continue to do covers of Lakshmi Bai’s version of the song.