DHELA BAI: Thadhe Raho Tum Shyam Gagariya Main Ghar Dhari Aaun…

Gaya was home to the serenading divas like ‘Dhela Bai’ the most famous courtesan singer who lived in Gaya and who got her name for the sweet voice that she had like ‘gud ka dhela’. Though not very ravishingly beautiful, Dhela Bai was tall and had a commanding presence. In an era where the mehfil belonged to the physically endowed and beautiful sirens and Tawaifs who sang Thumri, Dadra and other genres of semi-classical music Dhela Bai rose to stardom for her powerful ‘pukar” and her velvet voice that sang” Thadhe raho tum shyam gagariya main ghar dhari aoon’ and the world around her in the mehfil stood in silent deference to her art. Bihar was home to great courtesans. Begam Akhtar had spent her adolescent days in Gaya taking taleem of music and Gauhar Jan had done her first performance in the court of Maharaja Darbhanga. Such was the patronage and the love for music in Bihar. Benazir Bai of Darbhanga, Malka Jan of Patna, Dhela Bai of Gaya, Mohammad Bandi of Patna and Panna Bai of Muzaffarpur were famous courtesans and singers. Kajjan of Bhagalpur Kamla Jharia of Jharia were unmatchable Thumri and Dadra performers. The best-known patrons were themselves musicians such as Kumar Shyamanand Singh of Baneli, Rai Bahadur Laxmi narayan Singh of Panchgachia (Now in Saharsa district of Bihar) and Raja Bisheshwar Singh of Darbhanga.

The recording of Dhela Bai is not available, but you can get to know her style by listening to Dhela Bai's exclusive fan and singer Kumud Jha Dewan. Click on the link below and listen to her typical style of thumri.
1. Video
2. Harmonium Recital followed by Thumri ...

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• #music
• #inherited_traditions
• #dance
• #music
• #art
• #indian_heritage
• #untold_history_of_tawaifs
• #hindustani_classical_music