Batool Begum: The Muslim Folk Singer Who Spreads Harmony Through Bhajans
By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam
11 November 2025
Jaipur’s Batool Begum, a Muslim folk singer from the Mirasi community, bridges faiths by singing Hindu Bhajans and Rajasthani folk songs. Honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025, her music embodies unity, peace, and the spirit of India’s plural culture.
Main Points:
1. Batool Begum is a Bhajan folk singer from Jaipur.
2. Despite being Muslim, she performs bhajans devoted to Lord Ram and Ganesha.
3. Overcame social resistance with her husband’s strong support.
4. Has performed in 25 countries and received multiple international awards.
5. Awarded the Padma Shri (2025) and Nari Shakti Puraskar (2021) for promoting communal harmony.
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In Indian society, there is a large section that works tirelessly to promote communal harmony. They serve Hindus, Muslims, and every community in society, without discriminating on the basis of caste or religion. One such woman is Batool Begum, a resident of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Batool Begum is a renowned Maand and Bhajan folk singer from Jaipur, who is an expert in singing Rajasthani folk songs. She belongs to the Mirasi community, which is socially and economically extremely backward. Yet, throughout her life journey, she has earned immense fame, from small local gatherings to global stages. It is said that when she was just 8 years old, in a village called Kerap, she developed a passion for Bhajan singing. From then on, she immersed herself completely in it.
Being from the Muslim faith, Batool Begum has been singing Bhajans of Lord Ram and Ganapati for a long time. Along with Bhajans, this folk singer also performs Muslim Maands. Her programs are held regularly in India and abroad. She has enhanced India's prestige on major international platforms. Besides Batool Begum, a 100-year-old freedom fighter from Goa, a Dhak player from West Bengal who trained 150 women in a male-dominated field, and India's first female puppeteer are among those 30 unsung heroes. In the year 2025, Begum Batool was honoured with the Padma Shri.
In an interview given to NDTV, Begum Batool says, “This journey has been very long and full of struggles. In childhood, we lived with very limited resources in Kerap village. I was 8 years old when I started going to the temple with a Dholak and singing Thakurji's Bhajans. People taunted me, saying, ‘Being a Muslim, why do you go to the temple?’ But my heart was lost in devotion. The peace I found in Bhajans, I didn't get anywhere else. I had no guru; I just used to go to my uncle's house. Whatever I heard there, I kept learning it all. Gradually, my bond with the melodies deepened.”
When asked further whether singing Bhajans was easy for her despite being born in a Muslim family, Begum Batool replies, “Absolutely not. My grandfather was even against education. I left school after third grade. At the age of 16, I got married to Firoz Khan. After marriage, I got engrossed in household chores, but my mind was somewhere else. One day, I told my husband that I wanted to sing Bhajans. Initially, there was opposition at home, but Firoz ji encouraged me. With his support, I started singing in temples. It all began at Jaipur's Moti Doongri temple.”
Regarding the growing hatred in the country, Begum Batool says, “Ram and Rahim are not different. As your perspective is, so will society appear. I see harmony in melodies, and that's what I share. When I'm on stage, no one asks, ‘Which religion?’ Everyone just listens and connects.”
Begum Batool's marriage took place at the age of 16. Her husband, Firoz Khan, was a bus conductor. Batool Begum has three sons. Currently, she lives with her family in Vidyadhar Nagar, Jaipur.
When asked about her journey with her husband Firoz Khan, she says, “He recognised the hidden singer in me. He always said that there is truth in your melodies, you should sing. If it weren't for his support, perhaps this stage, these honours, and everything else wouldn't have happened.”
Talking about her meeting with PM Modi, Batool says, “When I received the Nari Shakti Award and was invited to the Prime Minister's residence, he asked, ‘Sing something.’ I immediately sang the Ganesh Vandana. He said, ‘You are Rajasthan's Maand singer,’ and even shared my performance on social media. The recognition that regional artists are getting today has become possible under his leadership.”
According to an ABP News report, Begum Batool performed in France two years ago. In the Namaste France program, she performed alongside big artists like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, L.K. Subrahmanyam, Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, and many others. After that, she has been in discussions all over the world. She sings the song 'Kesariya Balam Aao Sa, Padharo Mahare Des' beautifully. Begum Batool has travelled to 25 countries around the world.
Batool Begum was awarded the 2021 Nari Shakti Puraskar on the occasion of International Women's Day in 2022. In January 2025, she was honoured with the Padma Shri. Begum has also been honoured by the governments of France and Tunisia. On the occasion of International Women's Day 2021, she was also awarded the GOPIO Achievers Award - 2021 and the Certificate of Excellence Award.
In a world often divided by lines of religion, caste, and prejudice, stories like that of Begum Batool shine as beacons of hope, resilience, and true cultural integration. From the dusty lanes of Kerap village to the glittering stages of Paris and beyond, her voice has not just echoed Rajasthani melodies but has woven threads of unity across hearts and borders. She stands as living proof that art transcends barriers, whether imposed by society, family, or circumstance, and that devotion, when pure, knows no faith. Her journey reminds us that communal harmony is not a slogan but a lived reality, nurtured through courage, support from loved ones like her husband Firoz Khan, and an unwavering belief in the power of music to heal and unite.
Begum Batool’s Padma Shri is not merely a personal triumph; it is a national celebration of inclusivity, of a Muslim woman singing Hindu Bhajans with the same soulful devotion as she renders Maands, and in doing so, challenging stereotypes with every note. In an era where voices of division grow louder, hers is a melody of togetherness, one that says Ram and Rahim walk the same path when seen through the eyes of compassion. Our society, rich in diversity yet fragile in unity, desperately needs more such unsung harmonisers who turn personal struggles into shared strength.
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Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession who writes on women, politics, communal harmony, and Islam. She holds a master’s degree in Education.
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