Remembering Sharda Sinha: 'Begum Akhtar Of Mithila' Trampled Patriarchy, Became Inspiration To Many

Sharda Sinha aka Bihar Kokila has bid adieu to world during Chhath Puja. Sinha's soulful tracks and bhajans were synymous with festival and her passing during this time was even more heartbreaking for her fans and followers around world. Sinha was a pioneer in folk music and her songs traveled beyond her home state Bihar. People often recounted how her festive songs left m teary-eyed. Her demise is a huge loss to music industry. Sinha, a trained classical singer who blended folk in her many songs, was often called Begum Akhtar of Mithila.

Sinha studied literature at Patna University in 1970s when she was encourd by friends and well-wishers to hone her passion for singing. She went on to obtain a doctorate in music from Lalit Narayan Mithila University at Darbhanga while making her mark as a folk singer, getting ticed by big names in film industry.

Sharda Sinha's early career: A battle against odds  

Sharda Sinha was inclined towards performing arts since a very tender . She learned Manipuri dance in school. Her far was a pivotal figure in shaping her career early on. "Agar mere pita nahi hote toh main a nahi badh sakti thi," Sinha shared in an interview.

She recalled how her first st performance was during Durga Puja where her far accompanied her. "A lot of protests happened. Villrs were opposed to me singing on st. But I sang in between scene changes and people ticed me," Sinha said. She credited her success to her far Sukhdev Thakur later on in several interviews.

After her marri, she encountered several roadblocks within her family. Sinha shared that in-laws were against her singing. "My mor-in-law did t eat food for 3-4 days in protest," she shared in an interview. However, Sinha stood her ground and sang bhajan with a troupe. "When people outside told her that I was good, she accepted me. Maine aangan see lok geeton ko bahar nikala. Main janti nahi thi ki main kya kar rahi this par maine yehi kiya," she she shared about her musical journey. Her husband Brajkishore Sinha supported her after her marri. After his death earlier this year, Sinha's battle with cancer turned even more difficult, her son Anshuman shared.

Sharda Sinha: Going global

Chhath Puja celebrations were incomplete without Sharda Sinha's songs. However, she took a hiatus from music and worked as a professor. For ten years she did t release any song due to her commitments to her or profession. However, her passion kept pulling her and fans wanted her to return to music. folk singer took a break from 2006 to 2016 from producing albums.

However, her return to music was celebrated with fervour. Sinha shared that when she performed shows abroad in countries like Germany and elsewhere, people's love for her Chhath and or festive songs made her emotional. Sinha made sure to release songs before Chhath each year, a tradition she kept up with even while battling multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, since 2017.

She did so this year too, twithstanding her ill health. Dukhwa Mitayin Chhathi Maiya, a prayer song perhaps reflecting her state of mind as she battled cancer, was released on her official YouTube channel just a day ago. For her contribution to folk music. Sinha was awarded Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Bhushan in 2018.