For devotees, Bihar Kokila Sharda Sinha is synonymous with Chhath.

Songs like Ho Dinanath and Kelwa ke Paat par Ugalan Suraj Mal Jhake Jhuke still rule and people associate Chhath with Sharda’s songs. The folk songs played during Chhath mirror the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar.

Sharda told The Telegraph from New Delhi that it is the love and affection of the people that she continues to rule Chhath songs despite the presence of several other singers.

On why people have been hooked to her songs for the past 30 years, Sharda said: “I don’t know exactly but what I feel from the comments of my well-wishers is that when they listen to the songs, they do not feel that any singer is singing, they feel that a family member is singing it. This is the compliment I get most of the time from the people. They feel that their aunts and nieces are singing.”

Two years ago, she came out with two new albums after a gap of a decade as her last album of devotional songs was released in 2006. Both the songs were launched in the form of video with the lyrics Supawo Naa Mile Maai and Pahile Pahil Chhathi Maiya.

This year she had planned to come out with a Chhath album but as her husband’s (Braj Kishore Sinha) health deteriorated, she had to rush to Delhi. Now her husband is recovering and she has promised that next year her fans would not be disappointed and

she would come out with a new album. “My husband is not well but I promise that next year I will come out with a new song dedicated to my fans and the people of Bihar,” Sharda said.

Sharda’s Chhath albums are an essential part of the festivities much in the way items such as soops are.

Sharda expressed disappointment that new singers do not give much respect to Chhath songs and more than keeping alive its traditional value, the focus is on making money and commercialising it.

“I do not want to name anyone but yes, it is a matter of concern that new singers do not want to keep the originality of the song. Though they sing Chhath songs, a lot of words are not relevant to the festivities. I do not want to name anyone but there are some good singers as well,” Sharda said. She said Chhath songs made in haste will never have the desired impact and people will forget it after some time.

There are some singers who put more emphasis on mixing Bollywood songs with Chhath songs like Devi, Kalpana, Indu Sonali, Khesari Lal Yadav, Rakesh Mishra, Annu Dubey and Arvind Aakela a.k.a. Kallu.

Sharda said she too had made some changes in her songs but never compromised with the originality and traditional values. The beauty of her songs is that she sticks to the language which is spoken in villages and used in daily life.

In her career, Sharda has sung 70 Chhath songs and released nine albums with different music companies like T-Series, HMV and Tips.

Her first Chhath song was in Maithili. Interestingly, she has never performed Chhath as she was always surrounded by family members who used to perform Chhath rituals in her house. Her mother-in-law used to celebrate the festival too.

On not performing Chhath, Sharda said: “I have not performed Chhath because during the festival I am busy recording Chhath songs and giving interviews to the media. I have a hectic schedule during the festival and in that scenario it is not possible to fast for nearly 36 hours and more. If I perform Chhath rituals, I won’t be able to do other things which are equally important for me and my well-wishers.”

She also pointed out that Chhath is a festival in which there are no caste or religion barriers because the chullah (earthen stove) is made by Muslims.

Sharda has also lent her voice in selected Bollywood films, the first one was the Salman Khan-Bhagyashree starrer Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Kahe Toh Se Sajna.

The other Bollywood movies for which Sharda lent her voice includes Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur II, Chaarfutiya Chhokare and Nitin Chandra’s Deswa.

The author is curator, Maharaja Lakshmishwar Singh Museum, Darbhanga