Biraha

Biraha, also known as Birha, is a traditional folk song sung by the Bhojpuri-speaking people to express feelings of longing for or meeting a beloved person. Its place in folk songs is as significant as Dwipadi in Sanskrit, Gatha in Prakrit, and Barwai in Hindi. It comprises two episodes. When one side has made their point, the other side answers with the same verse. There is no limit to the number of verses. The volume varies according to the tune of the song. It conveys the intense longing of the spouse and the pain of separation from their beloved. Separation is like a king; a body that does not know separation is a living corpse. Outside India, this genre can be found in the former colonies of where Indian indentured laborers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar emigrated to, such as Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, and Suriname, as well as in other Caribbean countries.

Biraha is believed to have originated among peasant and pastoral groups in North India during the Mughal period. Until the 1880s, it was mostly confined to villages and was sung while grazing cattle, for leisure at night, and at social ceremonies such as weddings and engagements. In the early 20th century, Bihari Lal Yadav played a pivotal role in transforming Biraha into an urban musical genre, particularly in Varanasi, where it was performed at temple festivals and annual religious celebrations.

The oldest form of Biraha was known as Khari Biraha (also referred to as 'Pure Biraha'), which was sung in the style of a ballad. It sometimes drew on puranic themes such as Krishna's separation from the Gopis, though it is now rarely performed. The modern Biraha has evolved nearly 150 years ago, from its older form. These were used to written in the form of two rhymed lines used to be performed without any musical instruments.

Bihari Lal Yadav made several modifications in khari Bihari, instead of Couplet, consisting of two line he allowed unlimited numbers of rhymed lines in his Biraha. He also added a variation of Khartal as a musical instrument which became the identifying element of this genre. He introduced this genre in cities like Benaras by performing it in temples. As Biraha became a famous genre, Bihari Lal acquired a number of "Chelas" (disciples). These disciples later acquired their own disciples and these led to formation of several lineages which were called akhārṛā. These Akharas played a major role in organising social and performance aspects of the tradition. All the written text of Biraha were the property of that particular Akhara, so one had to take the membership of those Akharas in order to become a Biraha singer. Over the years different Akharas did some more modifications are created other variants. The three main varieties were: ṭeri, antarā and Uṛān.