Mahabir Singh Guddu

Mahabir Singh Guddu is a folk artist who has spent fifty years promoting the music and dance of Haryana. He is well known for the Shiva songs called Bam Lehri. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from Haryana ^[1].

On stage from eleven

He was born on 10 October 1961 and began performing at 11 ^[2]. As a student he won top prizes at university youth festivals, including the all-India inter-university festival in Jaipur in 1980 ^[2].

He was the first to perform a Haryanvi men’s dance at a university youth festival; until then men had danced in the women’s skirt, but he danced in the dhoti and kurta of Haryana’s men ^[2]. He also revived the ghoda naach, a horse dance, and a fading form called the Haryanvi orchestra ^[2].

Folk artist

Guddu has been an approved artist of All India Radio, Rohtak, for 35 years and has performed for more than three decades at fairs such as Surajkund and the Delhi trade fair ^[2]. He has toured abroad, including London, Norway, the USA and Australia ^[2]. He has used his songs to campaign against drug abuse and female foeticide, and has acted in Haryanvi films ^[2].

He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2023 ^[2].