Women's Day 2026: Breaking Gender Barrier, Sanjo Baghel Has Made A Name In Singing Alha

Jabalpur: Breaking a gender barrier, Sanjo Baghel of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh has made a name for herself in singing the famed Alha, the heroic poetry of Bundelkhand that is written in Veer Ras. For centuries, women were not allowed to sing Alha, but Sanjo has not only been singing it but has even left her male counterparts behind.

Born in Kanjai village of Jabalpur, Sanjo's father was a farmer. Her grandfather was an accomplished Alha singer. She received her early education in the village and studied only till Class 7. She disclosed that her family was religious and she often got the opportunity to perform in Ramlila.

Even as a child, she used to sing bhajans with her family. But she had no idea that these Bundeli bhajans would one day change her destiny.

Alha is a unique form of singing practised in Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. It is said to have been started by Jagnik, a court poet in the 12th century. Alha and Udal were two generals from the Mahoba kingdom whose heroic deeds were sung and written about by Jagnik in a distinctive style. This poetry has been popular in Bundelkhand since the 12th century.

Sanjo Baghel disclosed, "Alha was originally sung only during the rainy season accompanied by drums, cymbals and nagada. It was often sung by singers accompanying the King’s army going to war. Alha singing boosted enthusiasm that led to the soldiers fighting bravely."

In the patriarchal set-up of the region, Alha was only sung by men. In such a scenario, Sanjo singing this poetry was a revolutionary step.

She said that when she expressed her desire to sing Alha, no one agreed. Even the studio she went to record Alha refused to record her saying that women cannot sing Alha. She then explained to the studio staff that she wanted to sing a bhajan dedicated to Goddess Sharda that would be in the form of an Alha bhajan. Only then, her recording was possible. She later sang an Alha dedicated to Lord Shiva that became a household name in Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.

Baghel has sung over 20,000 Alha songs. Experimenting with new ideas, she also sings Alha based on contemporary events. Sanjo has achieved this success on her own.

Today, Sanjo is a well-known face in Bundelkhand. She has performed in thousands of shows and is a popular singer. By singing Alha, she initiated the entry of women into Alha singing and many other women have started singing Alha now.

Today, she has a full team working for her. She has three writers who write for her. She has a whole group that travels with her to shows. She even has several YouTube channels, one of which has over 14 lakh subscribers.

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