Biraha

Understand

Where Biraha comes from

Biraha is a folk-devotional tradition of the Awadh-Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh — performed by men of the biraha panchayat (folk assembly) at the festivals of the regional folk-deities. The tradition is documented in the Awadhi folk literary tradition and is associated with the rural Sadhana, the binding and protection rituals of the village. The biraha form is closely related to the Chandain and Sohar songs of the Awadh region. The dance-and-song tradition is performed by married men at the festivals of the village shakti deities (Kali, Sheetla, Devi). Today Biraha is one of the Awadhi folk forms documented by the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi.

How it's practiced

Biraha is performed by a group of men at the festival of a village deity, dancing in a circle or in procession while singing the formal Biraha litany of verses. The dance is slow and reverent, in contrast to the more buoyant village dances, with the men's voices combining in call-and-response. The accompanying instruments are the dholak and the manjira, with the small cymbals and the occasional flute. The dance is performed at the evening of the festival, with the men continuing through the night. Costume is the everyday Awadh dress of the working farmer — the dhoti and kurta, occasionally with the shoulder-scarf in red. Performances are held inside the courtyard of the village shrine and at the processional routes around the village.