Mira Bai (about 1500-1550) was a poet who lived in Rajasthan, northern India. There are so many stories about her that scholars have difficulty separating the facts of her life from legends.
Mira Bai was born into a royal family and was expected to live as a princess. She was married to a king at the age of 13. However, she gave up everything to devote herself to the Hindu God Krishna, whom she regarded as her husband. She left her royal home after the death of her husband and wandered throughout Rajasthan. She spent much of her time with holy men, which was unusual then for a woman of high birth. She gained many followers through her preaching. The way in which she turned her back on the world, and danced and sang in praise of Krishna, set her family against her. According to legend, they even tried to poison her. But her devotion protected her and she was unhurt.
Mira’s poems describe her deep love for Krishna. They are among the most popular religious songs of northern India. They are sung in the Hindi, Rajasthani, and Gujarati languages. They are full of longing and combine the joy of love with the suffering of separation from her lover.
