Allah Jilai Bai, famous for the song 'Kesariya Balam', was a folk singer from which state?

Explanation

Allah Jilai Bai (1902-1992) was one of the most famous folk singers of Rajasthan. She is best known for her rendition of the Maand song "Kesariya Balam Padharo Mhare Des" (Come, my saffron-clad beloved, to my land), which has become a symbol of the hospitality and culture of Rajasthan.

Allah Jilai Bai was born in Bikaner, Rajasthan. As a young girl, she was taken into the court of the Maharaja of Bikaner, Ganga Singh, where she learnt music from the court musicians. She became famous for singing the Maand, a semi-classical style of folk singing of Rajasthan, which was traditionally sung in the royal courts. Maand songs describe the beauty of the desert, the valour of the Rajput warriors, love, separation and the culture of Rajasthan, and they are sung in a slow, ornamented style. Allah Jilai Bai sang Maand, as well as thumri, khayal, dadra and ghazal, and she became the most celebrated Maand singer of the 20th century. Her rendition of "Kesariya Balam" is still sung at weddings and cultural events and is used to welcome visitors to Rajasthan. She received the Padma Shri in 1982, and she is often affectionately described as the nightingale of the desert.

Rajasthan has a rich tradition of folk music, kept alive by communities such as the Manganiars and Langas of western Rajasthan, who are known for instruments such as the kamaicha and the sindhi sarangi. Other famous folk musicians of Rajasthan include Gavri Devi (another Maand singer), Lakha Khan, Mame Khan and Swaroop Khan.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Gujarat is known for folk music such as Garba songs and Dayro.
• ✗Punjab is known for folk music such as Bhangra songs, Heer and the songs of the Sufi poets.
• ✗Uttar Pradesh is known for folk music such as Kajari, Chaiti and Birha.