Represent Bihar

Rajdev Yadav, from Amwa village in the Champaran district of Bihar, recites this droll yarn about a liar’s competition attended by people from neighbouring districts. Such tales have been a staple in routine evening gatherings on village verandahs for generations. This recital adds a dash of the modern by referencing words such as ‘hi-tech’ and ‘hybrid’ while relating rural routines, showcasing how folk has always reflected its current reality.

A male and a female cobra reside in a princess’s belly, enjoying the rich food she eats and killing anyone who might upset this arrangement. A prince from another kingdom uses his wit to end the snakes and free the princess. Farmer Sukhdev Mahto narrates a Bhojpuri folktale that highlights how some mystical stories explain unexplained illnesses and remedies. Photo: Randhir Kumar

There once was a princess who could run like the wind. Her father announced that anyone who could outrun her would win her hand in marriage. Many tried and failed until a prince used a smart trick to win his heart’s desire. Narrated here by the late Nirmala Verma in Bhojpuri, these bedtime stories entertain and dispense nuggets of wisdom, they also reveal the placement of women in the traditional social structure.

A glimpse into childhood games that almost double as rituals - they have been played by grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts and through these children will probably continue for more generations. Oka Boka Teen Tadoka and other such rhymes have ruled summer vacations and regular school lunch breaks in all corners of Bihar. These verses, like most universal doggerels, introduce children to poetry, alliteration, cumulation, repetition and rhyme.

Four brothers set out from their village to look for work, trusting their partners to look after their youngest sister, Sanchiraiya. Gotai Baba, a temple priest, shares this Bhojpuri story he learnt from his grandmother - a tale that reveals the hardships of women left behind and how they navigate the challenges and support of their ecosystems.

The ‘marriage mart’ was part of the way of life and reality in some regions of Bihar. Radio artist Premlata recalls how her prospective ‘match’ was inadvertently discovered in such a mart near her village Rahika in Madhubani when she was 12. In this personal anecdote, narrated in Maithili, she brings alive the norms and practices of those times.

“Choice” marriages weren’t very common in Patna’s 90s. Anand Madhav and Prof Shefali Roy chose heart over caste, and a modest wedding over a big blowout, followed by a honeymoon with funds gifted as blessing by well-wishers to the tune of Rs 1,800. A personal anecdote narrated in Hindi, the tale is not only about a courageous love story, but also the various heady adventures the couple encountered in times when tech-driven platforms weren't facilitating life. Illustration: Meenakshi Jey

A princess falls in love with a one-eyed man. Despite social divides, the lovers found a way to be with each other. In a unique storytelling style, Bulloo Kumar narrates in Magahi a love story sprinkled with song. These oral narratives have helped young adults make sense of the world they live in, and understand certain complex phenomena such as love and social barriers of their times.

Patna and theatre are two inseparable entities. A legendary actor of the city, Javed Akhtar Khan, shares his inner conversations with the characters he has played. This personal anecdote lifts the curtain on Patna’s rich theatre culture.

Those who grew up listening to All India Radio in Bihar, know who Batuk Bhai was, a famous character from a popular radio show Chaupal. In this personal anecdote, Batuk Bhai shares how he inadvertently gave up his original name Chatranand Jha and embraced his identity. This story speaks of the pervasive influence of radio as the primary means of entertainment throughout Bihar and the enduring legacy of radio performers. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

The more ancient the city, the more the chances of ghosts, fairies, Jinns and elementals finding real spaces in stories. It was a regular night when this music enthusiast unknowingly played to the tune of Jinns. Dr Santosh Dixit brings out the comfort of a place with the paranormal. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

A man travels across the seven seas on a quest to wake up his destiny, sleeping in an island cave without a care. In this off-beat Bhojpuri folk tale, Seema Verma, a rural healthcare worker, enkindles the magic and wonder of a fairy tale world. Stories like this kept the daily evening gatherings bright and alive on dim-lit rural verandahs in a less technologically-connected era.

Kesariya came into the limelight after the biggest-ever Buddhist stupa was discovered there. Before this excavation, the locals had multiple stories about this massive mountain-like structure next to an ancient Shiva temple and the king who ruled the land. The late Dadan Prasad shared this version of this tale famous in the local area for decades. The narration underlines how locals knit and add their "now" with time - an ancient Buddhist stupa was converted into a mystical local tale.

A village priest, egged on by his wife, creates a nonsense poem by literally including everything he notices on his journey to the king’s court. As luck would have it, the poem leads to the capture of a thief in the palace and the priest gets an unforeseen windfall of wealth. Meena Srivastava narrates in Bhojpuri the quintessential feel-good bedtime story. Photo: Randhir Kumar

Seven brothers instructed their little sister to stay safe indoors while they were gone away to work. The little sister couldn’t keep the promise, and a demon sneaked into the house and ate all the food. Did the brothers return to tame the demon? This Bhojpuri folktale models the expected gender roles, behaviours and consequences of the social structure. Photo: Randhir Kumar

The folktales of the brothers Alha and Udal, popular in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, are stories of wars and justice. In this Bhojpuri narrative, Shiv Kumar, a farmer, adds his own spin to one of the multiple war stories sung and narrated about Alha and Udal - the way folk alters in different regions as storytellers add their own interpretations rooted in local culture.

Lal Bujhakkad and his comedies of errors are part of every childhood in the Mithila region. Radio artist Dr. Premlata Mishra shares three snippets from the Lal Bujhakkad series where his ignorance turns an elephant into a guava. Before the ascent of technology, these stories would light up the evening with humour and satire. Photo: Randhir Kumar

Stage shows based on religious folk stories have been an integral part of rural entertainment for centuries. Artist Bulloo Kumar recalls colourful shenanigans such as Hanuman being injured ‘on set’ or Shiva being scared of snakes in the shows presented by his village, Hisua’s theatre company. This Hindi and Magahi anecdote breathes life into the way the local community connects through performing arts and the spontaneous hilarity that can ensue in a world of multiplexes and streaming platforms. Photo: Randhir Kumar

Bihar is home to rivers such as the Ganga, Koshi, Gandak, Falgu and Punpun. These rivers and mythical water creatures are present in the songs and folk stories of the land. Radio artist Batuk Bhai narrates a Maithili folktale in which a mermaid blesses a young girl and all her misery transforms into flowers and pearls. Photo: Randhir Kumar

On June 5, 1974, the city of Patna was heavily guarded to stop socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) from marching to Gandhi Maidan. The city appeared dead till JP suddenly punched the clock and started walking towards the meeting spot. He called for ‘Sampoorna Kranti’ (Total Revolution), as a students’ movement in Bihar soon spread like wildfire across India. Almost 500,000 people attended that rally. Writer Hrishikesh Sulabh was one of those 500,000 standing in the ground on JP’s call. A story that brings out the mood India gets in every time democracy gets stifled. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

Patna has seen kings, conquerors and dynasties come and go. It has thrived and withered multiple times. Writer Santosh Dixit parts the curtains of yore and lore to reveal glimpses of how the ebb and flow of time has sculpted Patna into its current avatar - one with modern roads that follow paths Chandragupta Maurya himself may once have walked with his Greek wife Helena. Photo: Randhir Kumar

A 100-year old mandali singer, Badri Das, shares an urban legend about Saint Bhikham Das's mystical interactions with the world around him. From a fellow saint visiting Bhikam Das on a tiger to his disciple helping people manage a pandemic, this story is an ensemble of multiple popular events near Saint Bhikam Das. Bihar has a rich culture of poet-saints, and this narration in Bhojpuri reveals how intertwined the legacies of these unique personas are in the lives of the regular folk.

Barber and singer Chabeela Thakur sings a song of a migrant’s longing for his own soil while learning to live in a nearby city Motihari that he attempts to make familiar. A sentiment shared by many in recent decades, it speaks to the hearts of tens of thousands of Bihari migrants around the world who have left their homes seeking livelihood.

A homemaker, narrates a spooky tale in Bhojpuri, of a young boy meeting a mysterious stranger while cycling back home late on the eve of his brother’s wedding. Her relative shared this anecdote with her and other eager listeners during regular evening conversations around firepits, called ghoora, on village verandahs.

A group of village girls bring their intangible cultural heritage alive through oral games. These game songs moved from one generation to the other without any documentation. One doesn’t need language or education to get the hang of these game stories; all you need is mood. A droplet of childhood that we wipe off the windscreen as we drive the life highway.

A bird gets caught in a farmer’s net while foraging for food for her babies. She doesn’t give up and keeps pleading with every passerby to intervene with the farmer until she gets back to the sky. In this Maithili tale, Journalist Kishor Keshav uses the traditional storytelling style of recital interspersed with songs. Bihar is primarily an agrarian society and stories like these take one back to the soil and the interconnectedness with nature - how everyone and everything is dependent upon each other for survival.

Jitiya is a popular festival during which many mothers fast without even water for their children’s well-being. During this celebration, women and children gather for story-telling sessions. Narmada Bharadwaj, a housewife from Saharsa, shares in Maithili one of the popular Jitiya tales featuring the Sun’s son as the protagonist. Photo: Randhir Kumar

Almost every culture in the world has a folktale with a subdued king, his beautiful children and their evildoer stepmother. These tales have shown the importance of integrity in decision-making under challenging circumstances. Bullo Kumar, an artist, narrates a story of a queen's angst driving the king to sacrifice his beloved children in the Maghi dialect. This traditional narration reveals the cultural values and beliefs of the place. Photo: Randhir Kumar

Ghagh is a common adjective often used in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh to describe someone who is clever and sharp. The word derives from the poet Ghagh, whose couplets dispense commonsensical wisdom that has withstood the test of time. Through this narration, contemporary author Hrishikesh Sulabh shares the background journey behind Ghagh’s popularity and multiple literary speculations on his existence and achievements.

She broke the shackles of the caste system to marry a man of her choice. They loved, fought and got hurt but never gave up on each other. Dr. Shefali Roy made these choices back in the time when the era of free choices was yet to unravel. This love story from the 90s brings alive a socio-political aspect of Bihar. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

The old city of Patna was as much known for its intellectuals as its courtesans, performers and colourful lifestyle. Laali Bhand, a traditional folk entertainer, used his drama and wit to save a young girl abducted by a rich man, Mirza, on a whim. Writer Santosh Dixit brings back many forgotten words, their old usage, and cultural renditions of an ancient city. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

Sohar is a song expression to celebrate childbirth. The prospective childhood of the newborn is often compared to those of the Hindu gods Ram and Krishna in these songs. Here, Sukhal Paswan, a dancer (dressed as a woman), sings a Bhojpuri sohar in which Kaushalya gets anxious about her child Ram’s wellbeing when rain arrives, and she pleads with the clouds to cease the shower so her child doesn’t gets wet. These songs keep evolving from household to household as the women add their own expressions.

In the rural Indian landscape, a village fair has always been a space that kindles community spirit bringing together different social, cultural and faith backgrounds. The Tritiya Mela is an annual fete held at the shrine of Saint Bhikham Das in Madhopur village. Chabeela Thakur, a barber by profession and a singer by passion, has composed this song that brings to life the colourful chaos of this fair. The song is a perfect example of how ‘folk’ is hyperlocal.

The love stories of Sorathi and Birjabhar are a style of musical storytelling in which stories are sung. This Bhojpuri composition unfolds Birjabhar's journey towards Soarthpur and his beloved. A farmer, Avadh Chaudhary, from the Siwan district in Bihar, opened his heart to share this story after we waited three days for him to get in the mood. These folklores have transcended generations and centuries through oral recitations.

Sohar, a form of folk song, celebrates childbirth. In this Sohar, Padmavati (Janardhan Bahu), blesses the newborn avatar of Krishna and his family. She is a Bhojpuri-speaking person, using Hindi and English references such as ‘Mummy” and “Papa” in this song. This mingling of the traditional and the trendy showcases how ‘folk’ in Bihar has been in constant transformation, renewing itself with time.

Two orphaned brothers set out to seek their fortunes in the wide world. One uses his soft heart and demeanour to deal with life situations, while the other uses his wits and cunning. Kishor Keshav, a journalist, narrates the Maithili story that imparts wisdom to migrants about different ways to handle life in unfamiliar conditions.

A small boy herding his cows and goats is kidnapped by a wicked old woman, but he uses his wits to free himself and also bring some wealth back home. Narmada Bharadwaj narrates this folktale from Saharsa region is often narrated by grandmothers during bedtime and they are woven with characters and plots to protect children from adverse surroundings. Photo: Randhir Kumar

A princess falls in love with a man with one eye. The couple often disguise themselves to meet as the caste and class system stood in their way. This Maghi tale is a mixed style narration, in which Bullo Kumar often breaks into songs in the middle of story to bring the characters alive, a style of storytelling common in many regions of Bihar. Photo: Randhir Kumar

Baba Nagarjun was known as the poet of the people, and those who knew their poets also knew about his whimsical adventures. On one chilly winter night, he bumped into a young writer and announced his next destination. The writer, now a well-known literary figure of his city, Hrishikesh Sulabh, shares snippets from his midnight rickshaw ride with Baba. Patna's literary culture of the 70s brims out while the narrator dives into his memories. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

Do you believe in reincarnation? Well, this Indian professor does. As a young child, she remembered her past life. She spoke about her son, wealth and death from “another” life. She was fluent in Urdu, a language nobody spoke in her vicinity, and claimed there was a castle in the desert. How her father helped her forget her “past life” and live the “present” is an exciting story. Prof. Shefali Roy documents a piece of her life that usually is skipped in formal documentation for being taboo. Illustration: Meenakshi Jha

Many wondered whether Noori was a thief or a lover when he stole the governor’s wife’s bangles. He was banished from Patna City. The rumour evolved into a scandal when the governor’s wife requested a shrine next to Noori. A shrine dedicated to him still exists in the city. An acclaimed writer, Dr. Santosh Dixit, shared the urban legend, which often sits quietly in forgotten lanes of old cities. Photo: Randhir Kumar