Published Paper Details:

Folk music in Bihar, particularly within the Maithili and Magahi traditions, offers a rich and nuanced perspective on the social, cultural, and gendered dynamics of the region. These musical forms, often performed in domestic, ritualistic, or seasonal contexts, are far more than mere entertainment; they serve as significant sites of women's expression and socio-cultural participation. Through genres such as sohar (birth songs), samdaun (marriage songs), janmotsav (festive compositions), and other seasonal or life-cycle folk performances, women articulate a spectrum of emotions ranging from joy and celebration to grief, anxiety, and subtle dissent. These songs not only document everyday experiences and societal expectations but also provide women with a medium to assert agency, negotiate social norms, and preserve collective memory. Furthermore, Maithili and Magahi folk songs frequently encode resistance against patriarchal structures, allowing women to critique and challenge power hierarchies in symbolic or metaphorical ways. This interplay of performance, identity, and resistance highlights how women's voices, even within ostensibly private or community-centered spaces, contribute to broader processes of cultural continuity and transformation. By examining the linguistic, melodic, and performative elements of these folk traditions, this study illuminates the central role women play in sustaining regional cultural heritage, asserting individual and collective identity, and fostering resilience within socially restrictive environments. Ultimately, the article argues that women's folk music in Bihar is not only a repository of cultural knowledge but also a vibrant medium through which gendered experiences, creativity, and resistance are expressed, making it a crucial lens for understanding the intersections of music, society, and empowerment in regional India.