Songs Of Dashrath And Ram Are Sung In Muslim Weddings Of Piru And Bantara Villages Of Bihar
Apart from the songs, women wear vermillion, ploughs are driven into the wedding Madwa and turmeric is applied as a customary ritual during the weddings.
Published : January 20, 2026 at 1:55 PM IST
Gaya: No matter how strong the attempts are to divide the people, the syncretic culture of the Indian subcontinent remains well entrenched. The twin villages of Piru and Bantara, located on the border of Gaya and Aurangabad in Bihar, are living examples of this mutual co-existence of communities.
Falling under the Haspura block of Aurangabad and separated by a distance of 15 km, these villages demonstrate a beautiful connection between Muslim residents and Hindu customs. In around 1,000 Muslim households, there are many practices that are deeply rooted in Hindu traditions.
One can fathom this by the fact that songs about King Dasharath and Lord Ram are sung at Muslim weddings. Applying turmeric to the bride is customary, and the women also wear vermilion.
When weddings take place here, a plough is driven into the sacred wedding canopy, and this is followed by applying turmeric. Songs about King Dasharath and Lord Ram are sung on the occasion. This tradition has persisted for hundreds of years. Although it has gradually declined, a significant number of Muslim families still maintain it.
The tradition dates back to the 14th century era of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, when one Mathura Chaudhary, associated with the Bambhai Bhumihar community, converted to Islam. He adopted the name of Ghulam Mustafa Khan while his brother, Kamal Nayan Singh, became Nasruddin Haider Khan. Several theories exist regarding his conversion to Islam, including one that claims that Mathura Chaudhary was influenced by Islam and embraced it.
Some others believe that the Chaudharys converted to Islam under the influence of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Whatever the fact, Muslim families still take pride in claiming that their ancestors were Hindus. One of the residents, Mohammad Shahnawaz Khan, claims that he is among the descendants of the Chaudharys.
"Even today, there is a tradition in our homes that when marriages take place, the Mandwa (sacred marriage canopy site) is first dug with a plough. This tradition has diminished a bit. A veil is made for the bride and the groom, and the evil eye is warded off. Songs of Dashrath are sung," he said while claiming that Piru is the prime example of mutual co-existence in Bihar.
This feature has been documented by prominent scholar Amanullah Khan in a book 'Piru Ek Parichay'. He passed away last year. His daughter Zeenat Parveen said, "In this book, my father stated that our ancestors were Hindus. It states that Piru has had a racial connection with Babhai for hundreds of years. According to Piru's tradition, the lineage of Mathura Chaudhary, or Ghulam Mustafa Khan, has been ongoing. We are converts. Our DNA is of Hindu descent."
She explained that her community members participate in festivals like Holi and Dussehra. Hindu rituals are performed on weddings.
She went on to explain that even rituals like ‘Juta Lukai’ (hiding the groom’s shoes) are also a part of the Muslim weddings. "Just as Hindu brides and grooms enter their homes with their feet in baskets, in our weddings also this tradition is followed," she said.
The story of Bantara village is similar where there are around 500 Muslim houses. Although it is known as a Muslim village, one can experience the communal harmony here.
The story here pertains to Tilakdhari Prasad Chaudhary, the King of Keyalgarh and a Sonbhadariya Bhumihar who converted during the reign of the Tughlaqs. Tilakdhari’s tomb still stands in Keyal, while that of his son Mubarak Chaudhary is located in Bantara.
Shakeel Khan, a resident of this village, explained that almost the entire village is of Hindu descent. He explained that the marriages are solemnised only in the homes of converts.
"There are many villages, including Piru, Bantara, Sasaram and Raghunathpur, where there are converted Muslims and marriages take place in their families. Our ancestors converted in the 14th century. Even today, we are proud to say that our ancestors were Hindus," he said.
Another resident, Maqsood Khan, underlined, "Even today, the lifestyle of the Keyal Bhumihars and us converted Muslims is similar. Women wear vermillion at weddings. Ploughs are driven into the wedding Madwa, and turmeric is applied."
"When a wedding takes place here, the palanquin is placed near Mubarak Chaudhary's tomb. Even today, we apply turmeric at weddings. Weddings are held only in areas where there are converts," added another resident, Mohammad Javed.
The Muslims take pride in being a part of the Sonbhadariya Bhumihar stock. "My son Afzal's wedding took place on December 28, 2025. Songs of Madwa, Bhatwan, Haldi, Dashrath Ji, and Ram Ji were sung there," disclosed Ghulam Qadir Khan of Bantara.
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