Bhikari Bal(Bhajana Samrat)

Date of birth - May 25, 1929

Bhikari Bal was born in Kendrapara district in the state of Odisha, India. His parents Ramachandra Bal and Gellharani  Devi died when he was very young. After the death of his first wife Ramachandra had married Gellharani,  Bhikari's mother.

Ramachandra's first wife had Gave birth a son, Dhaneswara who was much older than Bhikari.  Gellharani gave birth to several children but none of them survived. So they named their surviving only son " Bhikari" - the begger. 

Out of superstition, the parents pretended to have sold the baby to an untouchable family from whom they bought their child back.
 The child survived but the parents died not long after. So, the care of the child Bhikari fell on his steph-brother Dhaneswar and his wife.

After primary education Bhikari enrolled in Kadalibana High School in Kendrapada district and studied up to 9th grade.

His village Sobala had a Jatra party and young Bhikari joined it. Through the Jatra party, he learned to sing and act and play harmonium.
In those days boys used to dance as girls in Jatra parties . They were called GOTI PUA. Later Bhikari Bal became a music teacher in a local school called Gokulachandra Sangeeta Sadan.

He married at the age 20. For a young man with any talent in any village, Cuttack town was a natural attraction. So he came to Cuttack to find greener pasture.