Sihma in Begusarai mourns loss of its melodious ‘bahu’

Begusarai: A pall of gloom descended on Sihma village in Begusarai district on Wednesday after its illustrious ‘bahu' (daughter-in-law) ‘Bihar Kokila' Sharda Sinha passed away in New Delhi on Tuesday night.While the Chhath devotees in the village prepared themselves for ‘Kharna' in the evening with Sharda Sinha's mellifluous Chhath ‘geets' resonating the air, yet, sadness seemed to be writ large on every face.It was in this village in 1970 when Sharda Sinha's father Sukhdev Thakur met Sri Ram Singh, a sarpanch then, and gave him the proposal of marrying her only daughter with his second son Braj Kishore Sinha.However, Sri Ram Singh first rejected the proposal on the ground that he lived in a thatched house and the girl would not be comfortable living here. "But, Sukhdev Babu insisted, and Braj Kishore Ji yielded to his pressure," said Jai Kishore, younger brother of Braj Kishore, who still lives in the Sihma village."Back then, the village had a very orthodox society and singing in public by a married woman was considered a taboo. However, only after five days of her marriage there was a religious function in the village thakurbari and she went to sing bhajans there on the invitation of some villagers who somehow got to know about her singing ability. My mother had got very upset about it then, but she gradually started accepting her passion for singing," Jai Kishore said.Jai Kishore further said during an interview here that Sharda Sinha had said that it was from her mother-in-law that she inherited the Chhath songs which she (Sharda) used to sing while observing the Chhath. "She would always ensure that during the Chhath she was at Sihma," he said.Sharda's husband Braj Kishore Sinha worked in the education department and retired from the service as regional deputy director. The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2020. Her husband also passed away in September this year.Remembering her husband's contributions to her career, the late singer had said during an interview here that it was only after one year of the marriage that Braj Kishore had taken her to Lucknow to give audition for a talent hunt, organised by the record company HMV, where she recorded ‘Yo dularua bhaia', her first song related to a marriage ritual in the Mithila region. "I found a special liking for the Chhath songs while listening to my mother-in-law singing them while performing Chhath. I improvised those songs and later recorded them which became a huge success," she had said during the interview.The voice has fallen silent, yet her legacy will continue to endure in Sihma, said the village folks.