On 5 November 2024, Sharda Sinha died just as Chhath Puja, the festival her songs had defined for decades, was beginning. Across Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, her recordings were already playing from loudspeakers at riverbanks and in courtyards. For millions of listeners, the news arrived through the same voice they were hearing that morning.
That detail explains why she mattered. Sharda Sinha was a singer, but she also became part of how a festival sounds. This Sharda Sinha biography follows her from a village in Supaul to the national stage, and then to the honours that kept arriving after her death.
The Person Behind the Name
Sharda Sinha was an Indian folk and classical singer from Bihar. She sang mainly in Maithili and Bhojpuri and was widely called "Bihar Kokila," the cuckoo of Bihar. Her repertoire also covered Magahi and Hindi, and she became known for wedding songs (vivah geet) and Chhath devotional songs.
Some of her official credits appear under variant spellings such as "Shraddha Sinha," which is one reason her filmography can be confusing to search.
Before Fame: Hulas, Supaul
She was born on 1 October 1952 in Hulas village in Raghopur block, Supaul district, Bihar. She was the only daughter among nine children of Sukhdev Thakur. A few outlets give her birth date as 1 November, so this detail is not entirely settled (see the notes at the end).
One account says she grew up hearing Maithili folk songs sung in the fields of her homeland, which fits the way her music later sounded. I could not find a primary source for specific childhood anecdotes, so I have left them out.
Her formal training was substantial. She began her musical journey under Pandit Raghu Jha of the Panchgachiya Gharana. Her education is listed as Magadh Mahila College, Prayag Sangeet Samiti and Lalit Narayan Mithila University. She held the Nritya Visharad title in Manipuri dance and a master's degree in Indian classical music (vocal), along with a Ph.D.
That background matters. Her folk singing was not untrained or accidental. It came from a singer who understood classical grammar and chose to apply it to village songs.
The First Step
Sinha started her career by singing Maithili folk songs. Accounts differ on the exact start. DD News credits her breakthrough to the Maithili composition "Dularua Bhaiya" in 1971. Another source names "Dwar Ke Chakai," released by HMV in 1971, as her first notable recording. A third source points to a Maithili album released in 1975. I have not found an authoritative record that settles which is correct, so I am describing her start only as the early 1970s, built on Maithili songs.
One firm date sits nearby: she married Brajkishore Sinha in 1970. He was a professor at the Science College in Samastipur. Their household in Bihar became her base for decades.
The Struggle Years
The usual biography template calls for a story of rejection and hardship here. For Sharda Sinha, the sources I checked do not document one in detail, and I am not going to invent it.
What is documented is smaller and more interesting. Her most famous Hindi film song paid very little. An Indian Express headline, cited on the film's soundtrack page, says she was paid only Rs 76 for it. The amount is striking next to what the song became, though I have only seen it in a headline and treat it as reported rather than confirmed.
Her hardest years came much later, with illness and loss (see "Life Today" below).
The Turning Point: A Song in a Salman Khan Debut
If one moment carried her beyond regional audiences, it was "Kahe Toh Se Sajna" in Maine Pyar Kiya, the film in which Salman Khan made his debut. The film dates to 1989.
The song matters because of where it came from. Mainstream Hindi cinema rarely foregrounded a Bhojpuri-and-Maithili-rooted folk voice, and a film audience across India heard her. Her identity, though, stayed anchored in Bihar. The film gave her reach, and Chhath gave her permanence.
How the Career Changed
Early career: folk songs and the classical base. She built her reputation on Maithili songs and wedding music. She performed on stages such as the Basant Mahotsava organised by Prayag Sangeet Samiti at Allahabad, where she presented songs on the theme of spring.
Growing recognition. DD News reports that her 1983 tribute to the poet Vidyapati reached audiences in Russia, China, the UK and the US. I could not verify that claim independently, so treat the details as reported.
Chhath becomes her signature. By one count she sang 62 Chhath songs across nine albums released by T-Series, HMV and Tips. She described her aim in her own words: trying to save "our rich culture and tradition."
New directions. She kept recording into the 2010s. In 2018 she released two new Chhath songs after about a decade, including "Supawo Naa Mile Maai" and "Pahile Pahil Chhathi Maiya."
Career Timeline
1952 — Birth in Hulas
Born in Hulas, Supaul district, Bihar. (Some sources give 1 November.)
1970 — Marriage
She marries Brajkishore Sinha.
Early 1970s — First Recordings
Maithili folk songs mark her entry into recorded music. The exact first release is disputed.
1989 — Maine Pyar Kiya
"Kahe Toh Se Sajna" brings her voice to a national film audience.
1991 — Padma Shri
She receives the Padma Shri for her contribution to music.
2000 — Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Her second major national recognition.
2012 — Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2
"Taar Bijli" appears in Anurag Kashyap's film. (The film's 2012 release year is from general knowledge, not from the sources above.)
2017 — A Cancer Diagnosis
She battled multiple myeloma from 2017.
2018 — Padma Bhushan
She receives India's third-highest civilian honour on the eve of Republic Day.
2024 — Loss and Passing
Her husband dies in September 2024. She passes away in New Delhi on 5 November.
2025 — Padma Vibhushan
She is awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in January 2025.
Work That Defined the Career
The Chhath songs. Of everything she recorded, this body of work shaped her public identity most. The President of India's office noted that the purity and resonance of her Chhath songs had intertwined her with the festival. It is rare for a recording artist to be so tied to a ritual that the festival itself seems incomplete without her.
"Kahe Toh Se Sajna." This was her widest crossover. It showed that a folk voice could sit inside a mainstream Hindi film soundtrack without being diluted.
Later film work. She also sang "Taar Bijli" in Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2, "Kaun Si Nagaria" in Chaarfutiya Chhokare, and a song in Nitin Neera Chandra's Deswa. These later credits show she remained relevant to a younger generation of filmmakers.
Songs of the diaspora. She also sang about the lives of Girmitiya, the indentured labourers. That repertoire connected her to the Bihari diaspora as well as to Bihar itself.
Achievements
These are the honours, kept separate from nominations (none are claimed here):
- Padma Shri (1991): for her contribution to music.
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000).
- Padma Bhushan (2018).
- Padma Vibhushan (2025, posthumous): conferred by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, and her son Anshuman Sinha received it on her behalf.
The Personal Side
She is survived by her son, Anshuman Sinha, and her daughter, Vandana Sinha Bharadwaj, both of whom are also folk singers. One account says she followed a vegetarian lifestyle, but that comes from a lower-quality source and I would not rely on it.
I have kept this section short on purpose. Beyond her marriage, children and the public record of her illness, I found nothing reliable or relevant to add.
Life Today: Her Legacy as of October 2026
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked her first death anniversary with a tribute that said she gave a new identity to Bihar's art and culture.
- Her family keeps her name active in music. Her last Chhath-linked release was produced under the banners of Swar Sharda (Sharda Sinha Music Foundation), Champaran Talkies and Neo Bihar.
- Each year, her songs return as Chhath approaches.
Chhath is expected to arrive again in the coming weeks. I have not verified the exact 2026 dates, so please check them before publishing any date-specific line.
What Makes Her Story Different
Three things stand out, and all of them are documented:
- Classical training applied to folk music. The Manipuri dance title, the master's degree and the Ph.D. place her in a more formally trained category than the "village singer" label suggests.
- A festival tied to one voice. Few artists are associated with a ritual as closely as she was with Chhath.
- A late and rising run of honours. The Padma Shri came in 1991, the Padma Bhushan in 2018, and the Padma Vibhushan arrived after her death.
Interesting Details
- Her name appears as "Shraddha Sinha" in some film credits.
- She held the Nritya Visharad title in Manipuri dance.
- She sang about the lives of indentured labourers (Girmitiya).
- "Kahe Toh Se Sajna" is reportedly the song for which she was paid just Rs 76.
- She sang 62 Chhath songs across nine albums, by one count.
- She released two new Chhath songs in 2018 after about a decade.
- Both her son and her daughter are folk singers.
wikipedia ? Sharda_Sinha
FAQ
Who was Sharda Sinha?
She was an Indian folk and classical singer from Bihar, known as "Bihar Kokila." She sang mainly in Maithili and Bhojpuri.
Where was Sharda Sinha born?
In Hulas village, Supaul district, Bihar. One older biography site says Samastipur, but most sources say Supaul.
What is Sharda Sinha best known for?
Her Chhath devotional songs and her Maithili and Bhojpuri folk music, along with the Hindi film song "Kahe Toh Se Sajna."
Which awards did she receive?
The Padma Shri (1991), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2000), the Padma Bhushan (2018) and the Padma Vibhushan (2025, posthumous).
How did Sharda Sinha die?
She had battled multiple myeloma since 2017 and died in New Delhi on 5 November 2024, aged 72.
Who carries her musical legacy forward?
Her son Anshuman and her daughter Vandana are both folk singers.
Conclusion
Her story runs from a village in Supaul, through classical training and early Maithili recordings, to one Hindi film song that reached the whole country. It then settles into the work she is best remembered for, the Chhath songs. The national honours came in stages, ending with a Padma Vibhushan awarded after her death. What remains is a catalogue that many families still play at the start of Chhath, and that sound is the clearest record of her career.
TAGS: Sharda Sinha, sardha singha, Bihar Kokila, Chhath songs, Maithili singer, Bhojpuri folk, Padma Vibhushan, Indian folk music
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