Bhikari Bal
Encyclopedia
Bhikari Bal better known as Bhajan Samrat to the people of Orissa, was an Indian singer, best known for his performances in the Indian musical form, the bhajans.
He was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. He was popular for his dedication to Oriya Bhajans which brought him laurels from far and wide.
Recipient of several prestigious awards, the singer had sung hundreds of Bhajans mostly for Lord Jagannath.
, India
. His parents Ramachandra Bal and Gellharani Devi died when he was very young. After the death of his first wife Ramachandra had married Gellharani, Bhikari's mother. Ramachandra's first wife had produced a son, Dhaneswara who was much older than Bhikari. Gellharani produced several children but none of them survived. So they named their surviving only son " Bhikari" - the begger. Out of superstition, the parents pretended to have sold the baby to an untouchable family from whom they bought their child back. The child survived but the parents died not long after. So, the care of the child Bhikari fell on his half-brother Dhaneswar and his wife.
After primary education Bhikari enrolled in Kadalibana High School in Kendrapada district and studied up to 9th grade. His village Sobala had a Jatra party and young Bhikari joined it. Through the Jatra party, he learned to sing and act and play harmonium. In those days boys used to dance as girls in Jatra parties . They were called GOTI PUA. Later Bhikari Bal became a music teacher in a local school called Gokulachandra Sangeeta Sadan. He married at the age 20. For a young man with any talent in any village, Cuttack
town was a natural attraction. So he came to Cuttack
to find greener pasture.
. In early 1960s Bhikari Bal was a struggling artist. Because of his connection to the Kalabikash Kendra, he came to the attention of Kalichnran Pattanayak, the patron saint of anything Odishi and also of the well established singer Balakrushna Dash. His voice was refined under the tutelage of Odissi maestro Balakrushna Das. This was the period of struggle for him with the late singer constantly trying for a break in All India Radio, Cuttack. He became an A-grade singer here in 1963 after he received rave reviews for his first broadcast song ‘Prana mitani bareh chahan re’. But his popularity grew manifold with ‘Kotha bhoga khia’ and other such devotional songs in the early ’70s. His lucid and moving rendition of bhajans written by old generation poets such as Gopalkrushna, Dinakrushna, Baldev, Banamali and Salabega are still popular today. He had also rendered songs by Dr Prasanna Samal, Arabinda Muduli, Raghunath Rout, Kshirod Chandra Pothal, Sirsananda Kanungo, Alekh Biswal, Gourhari Dalei and Srikant Gautam. His Jagannath bhajans and Gita Govinda recitals made him a household name. He had also sung ‘Champu, Chhanda’, folk songs and Oriya film songs.He was awarded the title of Bhajan Samrat by the Puri
Gajapati and was given special privileges inside the temple for his devotional tribute to Lord Jagannath
. He was also taken to be one of the servitors of the temple for having offered the ‘Chamara Seba’ to Lord Jagannath. He also gave his voice as play back singer in a number of Oriya films including Bhakta Salabega, Agni Pariksha, Mathura Bijaya, Abhilasha, Amar Prem, Kie Kahara and Srikrushna Rasa Leela etc.
offered financial assistance to the legend and urged the state health department to take care of his health. On November 3, 2010, he breathed his last at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack
, Orissa
at around 11:20 PM. Later, he was consigned to flames at the Swargadwara at Puri
. His elder son Ashok performed the last rites. A guard of honour by according gun salute was presented at the crematorium while the Sri Jagannath
Temple administration presented a sacred piece of cloth (Khandua) which covered his body.
He was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. He was popular for his dedication to Oriya Bhajans which brought him laurels from far and wide.
Recipient of several prestigious awards, the singer had sung hundreds of Bhajans mostly for Lord Jagannath.
Early life
Bhikari Bal was born in Kendrapara district in the state of OrissaOrissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His parents Ramachandra Bal and Gellharani Devi died when he was very young. After the death of his first wife Ramachandra had married Gellharani, Bhikari's mother. Ramachandra's first wife had produced a son, Dhaneswara who was much older than Bhikari. Gellharani produced several children but none of them survived. So they named their surviving only son " Bhikari" - the begger. Out of superstition, the parents pretended to have sold the baby to an untouchable family from whom they bought their child back. The child survived but the parents died not long after. So, the care of the child Bhikari fell on his half-brother Dhaneswar and his wife.
After primary education Bhikari enrolled in Kadalibana High School in Kendrapada district and studied up to 9th grade. His village Sobala had a Jatra party and young Bhikari joined it. Through the Jatra party, he learned to sing and act and play harmonium. In those days boys used to dance as girls in Jatra parties . They were called GOTI PUA. Later Bhikari Bal became a music teacher in a local school called Gokulachandra Sangeeta Sadan. He married at the age 20. For a young man with any talent in any village, Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
town was a natural attraction. So he came to Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
to find greener pasture.
Career
Bhikari Bal was joined a teacher's job of Odishi vocalaist the Kalabikash Kendra, CuttackCuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
. In early 1960s Bhikari Bal was a struggling artist. Because of his connection to the Kalabikash Kendra, he came to the attention of Kalichnran Pattanayak, the patron saint of anything Odishi and also of the well established singer Balakrushna Dash. His voice was refined under the tutelage of Odissi maestro Balakrushna Das. This was the period of struggle for him with the late singer constantly trying for a break in All India Radio, Cuttack. He became an A-grade singer here in 1963 after he received rave reviews for his first broadcast song ‘Prana mitani bareh chahan re’. But his popularity grew manifold with ‘Kotha bhoga khia’ and other such devotional songs in the early ’70s. His lucid and moving rendition of bhajans written by old generation poets such as Gopalkrushna, Dinakrushna, Baldev, Banamali and Salabega are still popular today. He had also rendered songs by Dr Prasanna Samal, Arabinda Muduli, Raghunath Rout, Kshirod Chandra Pothal, Sirsananda Kanungo, Alekh Biswal, Gourhari Dalei and Srikant Gautam. His Jagannath bhajans and Gita Govinda recitals made him a household name. He had also sung ‘Champu, Chhanda’, folk songs and Oriya film songs.He was awarded the title of Bhajan Samrat by the Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
Gajapati and was given special privileges inside the temple for his devotional tribute to Lord Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
. He was also taken to be one of the servitors of the temple for having offered the ‘Chamara Seba’ to Lord Jagannath. He also gave his voice as play back singer in a number of Oriya films including Bhakta Salabega, Agni Pariksha, Mathura Bijaya, Abhilasha, Amar Prem, Kie Kahara and Srikrushna Rasa Leela etc.
Final years and death
The singer was bed-ridden for about a year due to age related ailments and had been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. After the public outrage, the Government of OrissaOrissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
offered financial assistance to the legend and urged the state health department to take care of his health. On November 3, 2010, he breathed his last at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack
Cuttack
Cuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
at around 11:20 PM. Later, he was consigned to flames at the Swargadwara at Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
. His elder son Ashok performed the last rites. A guard of honour by according gun salute was presented at the crematorium while the Sri Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
Temple administration presented a sacred piece of cloth (Khandua) which covered his body.