Alha singing is a prominent genre of folk songs of some parts of which state?

Alha is a form of folk ballad singing popular in Bundelkhand, a region that covers parts of southern Uttar Pradesh and northern Madhya Pradesh, as well as in other parts of Uttar Pradesh such as Awadh and the Bhojpuri region. Its centre is around Mahoba, Banda, Jhansi and Hamirpur.

Alha songs tell the heroic story of two brothers, Alha and Udal, who were warrior-generals of the Chandela king Parmal (Paramardi Deva) of Mahoba in the 12th century. The ballads describe their bravery in 52 battles, including their famous fight against Prithviraj Chauhan of Delhi. The story is told in a long epic poem called "Alha Khand", traditionally said to have been composed by the court poet Jagnik.

Features of Alha singing:

• It is sung in a loud, high-pitched, energetic voice to stir feelings of courage and valour.
• It is accompanied by the dholak (drum) and sometimes the manjira (cymbals).
• It is especially sung during the rainy season (Sawan), when farmers have free time, and at village gatherings.
• The singer acts out the battle scenes with gestures, which makes the performance dramatic.

The phrase "Barah baras le kukur jeevai..." from the Alha Khand, praising a short but brave life, is well known. In the past, Alha songs were sung to inspire soldiers before battles.

Other folk song forms of Uttar Pradesh include Kajri (rainy season songs of Mirzapur and Varanasi), Chaiti (spring songs), Birha, Sohar (songs on the birth of a child) and Rasiya (songs of Braj).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kerala is known for Sopana Sangeetham and Mappila Pattu.
• ✗Assam is known for Bihu songs and Borgeet.
• ✗Gujarat is known for Garba and Dayro.