Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The City of Lakes will miss Bhojpuri singer Sharda Sinha this Chhath Puja. She passed away at AIIMS in Delhi on Tuesday. Although she was born in Hulas village in Supaul district in Bihar, she came to Bhopal several times and captivated the audience with her sonorous voice.
The natural beauty of the city always attracted her, and whenever she visited the city, she had a glimpse of Upper Lake, which was close to her heart. This is the reason why Bhojpuri-speaking community here have decided to observe one minute of silence on Thursday on the bank of Upper Lake in memory of Kokila of Bihar as Sinha was lovingly called.
For her silky voice and way of presentation, Sinha’s contributions to Bhojpuri music were widely recognised in Bhopal where was felicitated at Bhojpuri Mahotsav. Her last visit to the city was on July 27, 2019, when she performed with her daughter Vandana Sinha at a programme in Ravindra Bhavan.
Remembering Sinha’s association with the city and her Chhath songs, Pankaj Thakur, president of the Bhojpuri Utsav Samiti, fondly remembered his brief conversation with Sinha: “In those two minutes, she never made me feel her fame. She was so humble and down to earth. When I mentioned I was born in Ara, she got excited,” he said.
Kunwar Prasad, president of Bhojpuri Ekta Manch, recalled his years of coordinating her visits to Bhopal. “Every time she came to Bhopal, I helped plan her events. She was like a sister to me, always warm and dear to us all. Sinha ji gave life and a new identity to Bhojpuri music”, Prasad said.
