Biraha

Biraha is the ethnic folk song of Ahir Communities. Birha (or Biraha) is a popular folk song genre of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This genre is mood based and the basic theme revolves around the separation of lover and his beloved. Actually ‘Biraha‘ in Hindi means separation. Its place in folk songs is as important as that of 'Dwipadi' in Sanskrit, 'Gatha' in Prakrit and 'Barwai' in Hindi. It is composed of two episodes. When one side says their point, the other side answers in the same verse. There is no limit to the number of quantities. The volume varies with the tune of the song. It indicates the intense longing of the spouse and the pain of love or feeling of separation from him. Separation is a king, a body that does not know separation, it is a living corpse. Outside India, this mode is gaining popularity by increasing its penetration in Mauritius, Madagascar and the surrounding Bhojpuri-speaking region.

Origin

The sources of the origin of this folk music are found in the early nineteenth century. During the British rule, the trend of migrating from rural areas to the metros had increased. Such workers had to stay away from their families for long periods of time for their livelihood. The lament of separation from both the motherland and spouse led to the birth of Biraha. The genre is extremely popular among the farmers and laborers in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. After hard labor throughout the day, these people used to sing songs of the same folklore in high voices in small groups at night. About 55 years ago, in the commercial areas of Thatheri Bazar, Chaukhambha, Varanasi, workers were seen singing biraha. There is no meaningful evidence for the naming of Biraha. If we understand the meaning of Biraha based on Hindi dictionary, it will be as follows - The word Biraha in Bhojpuri is a spoiled (apabhramsa) form of the word 'Virah' in Hindi, which means - grief. Birha may have been named Biraha by 'Aadi Kavi Bihari Yadav' or Bihari's disciples because Biraha consists of a story that is based on a Karuna incident (Kand). But not all birha have compassion. The essence of a Biraha is sometimes heroic and of humor. The inclusion of many essence in Biraha proves the name Biraha to be misleading and flawed.