A commentary on the popular Rajasthani folksong 'Kesariyā Bālama āo nī padhāro mhāre des'

Dear Sir/Madam,

Kind greetings!

Shared herewith is a commentary on one of the most popular folk songs of/from Rajasthan. The song is titled "Kesariyā Bālama āo nī padhāro mhāre des". Literally, (and roughly) it translates: "O my beloved, come to my land. You are most welcome." The song showcases glimpses of the ethnic identity of Rajasthan and the affectionate bond shared between two ‘love-birds’. The metaphor of 'love-birds' is taken here to refer to two lovers—presumably a married couple. The male better half of the duo has gone pardes, i.e. abroad–a distant land, or some foreign country. It is very interesting to note here that the term Kesariyā bears some remarkably interesting connotations with it. It is the color of the sky at the dawn and the dusk. It is also the color of the sand dunes in Rajasthan. Popularly, the kesariyā color is often associated with valor, pride, and honor of the Rajputānā, or the warriour clan of the land. The color kesariyā is, literarily and aesthetically, employed as a qualifier of the beloved–the beloved of the comely gentlewoman in the song.  

The authorship of the song is not known. 

The refrain of the song reflects on the doting lady's innermost tender demeanor towards her beloved–the Kesariyā Bālama, and she, deeply in love with him, sings in extreme joy: “O you–the darling of this pretty woman! Come home. Come to our land." 

"You had promised to come back. You had given me your word. All these days, counting the remaining days of your much awaited arrival, my finger marks have gone almost invisible. Honey, come back home! I await you covetously." 

"O Dear! I fondly remember you all the time. You are the panacea for all my maladies. You are like the red rose, which I shall dearly hold and inbreathe over and over again. O my darling Bālama, come home." 

The next stanza is rather thoughtful, wherein the lady speaks, "In this land of desert, three gems are found often–one is dholā–my beloved, the second mārvaṇ–this comely gentlewoman, i.e. me; and the third one–the flowery tinge, i.e. the beautiful color: kesariyā--the colour of the desert, the colour of my love, and colour of gallantry, the colour of all of us.   

In the last stanza, it seems that it is morning time, and, a short while ago, the lady has just woke-up from her sleep, having had a wonderful dream of her union with the kesariyā bālama . In sheer delight, she wonders, "If alone, my dream would come true. Alas, it was otherwise but a dream. What if my darling, my man, who is currently thousands of miles away from me, could come and (re)-unite with me the very moment this morning!" She invokes, "O kesariyā bālama! Come home and unite. I long for you. I am dying to meet you.”

The song ends here with the repetition of the refrain here. 

Thanks, 


Sincerely yours, 

--Vijayraj Kumawat
Department of English
Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah 
Bihar (India)