Gajendra Gurjar

Rasiya is a North Indian folk genre from the Braj region (centered on Mathura–Vrindavan in present‑day Uttar Pradesh, with spillover into Bharatpur/Alwar in Rajasthan). Sung largely in Braj Bhasha and allied Hindi dialects, rasiya songs revolve around shringār (romance), with playful, teasing depictions of the divine love of Krishna and Radha. The term “rasiya” (lit. “epicure,” connoisseur of rasa) can denote the male suitor in the lyrics—or Krishna himself. Musically, rasiyas use stock tune types and call‑and‑response refrains, carried by harmonium or sarangi melodies over dholak patterns (often in kehervā/8 and dādrā/6, and in Holi contexts sometimes dhamār/14). Hand cymbals (manjīrā/jhānjh) and occasional bansuri or shehnai add color. The style ranges from devotional temple singing (samāj‑gāyan) to village fêtes, weddings, traveling troupe performances, and especially Holi festivities, where the genre is at its most exuberant.