Baiju Bawra

For the 1952 Bollywood film, see Baiju Bawra (film).

Baiju Bawra
Birth name	Baijnath Mishra
Born	1542 Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Died	1613
Genres	Indian classical music
Occupations	singer

Baiju Bawra or Baijnath Prasad or Baijnath Mishra (1542–1613) was an Indian dhrupad singer. He was the court musician of Raja Mansingh of Gwalher, now Gwalior, along with Nayak Charju, Bakshu, and others. Much of the information on Baiju Bawra is legendary and not historically verifiable.

Early life

Bawra was born in either Chanderi (in Gwalior) or in Champaner (in Gujarat) on Sharad Purnima in the month of Ashwini in 1599 according to Vikram Samvat calendar (1542 CE). He was called Bawra (crazy) because he was insanely in love with a dancer in Chanderi. Baiju learnt Dhrupad music in Dagurvaani in Vrindavan.

Career

Bawra was a musician at the court of the Raja of Chanderi (now in the Guna District of Madhya Pradesh). Later, he became a musician at the court of Raja Mansingh of Gwalher (modern Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh). Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat had also patronized Baiju.

Like Tansen, the musician at the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Bawra was a disciple of Swami Haridas (1512–1607).

According to historical books preserved in Jai Vilas Mahal in Gwalior, he would light oil lamps by singing Raga Deepak, make it rain by singing the ragas Megh, Megh Malhar, or Gaud Malhar, and bloom flowers by singing raga Bahar.

Contemporary singers

Swami Haridas teaching Tansen

Besides Tansen, renowned singers, Baba Ram Das, who composed raga Ramdasi Malhar, and Nayak Charju, who composed raga Charju ki Malhar, were Baiju's contemporaries.

Historian Abul Fazal at Emperor Akbar's court and historian Faqirullah at Emperor Aurangzeb's court have written that Baiju defeated Tansen in a singing competition at the court of Akbar. Tansen then touched Baiju's feet and asked for his own life. In response, kind-hearted Baiju went back to Gwalior.

A Legend on Baiju

A legend goes as follows. Gopal Lala was a beloved student of Baiju. After Gopal Lala and his wife deserted Baiju to seek a performing career elsewhere, Baiju lost his senses. From this point onwards, he was known as Baiju Bawra (crazy Baiju). The king of Kashmir employed Gopal Lala as a court musician; Gopal Lala claimed that he was a self-taught musician. On learning this, Baiju reached that city in tattered clothes. His crazed appearance and singing caused a sensation but Gopal Lala refused to recognize his guru. Duly, a contest was arranged between Baiju and Gopal Lala at the royal court. Baiju was to sing first and Gopal Lala was to respond. Baiju sang raga Bhimpalasi with such effect that Gopal Lala broke down and died of heart attack on the spot. Gopal Lala's body was cremated on the bank of river Satluj. When the bones in Gopal's body were thrown in the river following the cremation, they sank. According to a legend, Gopal's widow then asked Baiju to retrieve her husband's bones. Responding, Baiju taught a new version of Malhar to her daughter, Meera, and after a week's training, Meera sang that raga on the bank of Satluj in front of a crowd. As soon as she finished the Dhrupad, her father's bones emerged on the bank out of the river. From that time on, that raga is known as Meera ki Malhar. After this incident, Baiju renounced a wordly life and disappeared in the forests for Kashmir.

Later life

Baiju died of typhoid at the age of 71 on the eve of the Indian festival, Basant Panchami in Vikram Samvat 1670 (1613 CE).

In popular culture

Baiju Bawra, a Hindi-language film was made on him in 1952. In the movie, Baiju is a musician who believes that Tansen is responsible for his father's death. He attempts to avenge his father's death by challenging Tansen to a musical duel and is successful in defeating him.