Folk singer Sharda Sinha dies at Delhi AIIMS

Her songs echoed with the sounds of generations of folk singers who came before her, her voice earthy and imbued with the memory of home.

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Sharda Sinha, also called 'Begum Akhtar of Mithila', was the melody behind Chhath Puja and many a celebration in the region - and outside it too. The singer, whose voice became synonymous with the folk songs woven in the rich tapestry of everyday culture of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, died on Tuesday night following a long battle with multiple myeloma. It was just four days after her 72nd birthday on November 1. That today is the first day of Chhath celebrations, a festival she was always associated with, is just one of the strange twists of life and fate.

For millions, at home or thousands of miles away anywhere, hers was the voice that tugged at the heart and called out Chhath, a festival dedicated to the sun god and the biggest in the region's cultural calendar. She always released a song during the festival and did so this year too notwithstanding her ill health. A trained classical singer who effortlessly melded the folk in her many songs, Sinha was hailed as the voice of her people and often called 'Bihar Kokila.

The Padma Bhushan recipient, whose career spanned more than five decades, lent her voice to songs in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi languages. Some of her popular tracks are "Chhathi Maiya Aayi Na Duaariya", "Kartik Maas Ijoriya", "Ho Deenanth", "Barh Re Jatan Se", "Dwar Chekai", "Patna Se", and "Koyal Bin".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was monitoring her condition with the doctors and her family constantly, led the tributes to the artiste in a post on X.