NoraizNafi at 04:15, 5 February 2026

2026-02-05T04:15:15Z

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{{short description|Bhojpuri poem by Raghuveer Narayan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox poem
|name = Batohiya
|author = [[Raghuveer Narayan]]
|original_title = {{Script|Kthi|𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂱𑂨𑂰}}
|original_title_lang = bh
|written = 1911
|first = Raghuveer Patra Pushp
|publisher = 
|lines =
|language=[[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]}}

'''''Batohiya''''' ([[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]: {{Script|Kthi|'''𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂱𑂨𑂰'''}}; [[IAST]]: Baṭohīyā; transl. Foreigner) is a [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] poem written by [[Raghuveer Narayan]] in 1911.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sinha|first=Bindeshwari P.|title=Comprehensive History of Bihar|publisher=Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute|year=1976}}</ref><ref name="Diaspora"/> This ''Purbi'' song became very popular and [[George Abraham Grierson]] also recorded this song for [[Linguistic Survey of India]] in 1920.<ref name="Diaspora">{{Cite book|title=Indian Diaspora: Socio-Cultural and Religious Worlds|publisher=BRILL|year=2015|isbn=978-9004288065}}</ref> It has also been called the "Vande Matram" of Bhojpuri.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Chhavi aur Chhap}}</ref> The poem was first published in ''Raghuveer Patra Pushp''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Durga Shankar Prasad|title=Bhojpuri ke kavi aur Kavya|publisher=|year=|isbn=|location=Patna|pages=}}</ref>

The title ''Batohiya'' is a Bhojpuri word which means ''traveller''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Points of view: essays in memory of Shri Ranchor Prasad, eminent civil servant, scholar, and social activist|publisher=Ranchor Prasad Commemoration Committee|year=2000}}</ref> In this song an indentured laborer in British colony is explaining to a traveller about India as a heaven on the earth and he wants to visit his homeland.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kumar|first=Ashutosh|title=ANTI-INDENTURE BHOJPURI FOLK SONGS AND POEMS FROM NORTH INDIA|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292626093|journal=Man in India |volume=93 |issue=4 |pages=509–519}}</ref> This song gained immense popularity in foreign countries like [[Mauritius]], [[Suriname]], and [[Fiji]]. Till 1970 this poem was on the cover of Hindi text book of class 11th and 12th published by ''Bihar State Textbook committee''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=यह रघुवीर नारायण कौन है?|work=Jagran|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/saran-8417681.html|access-date=}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The root of the word ''batohiya'' is [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] word ''bāṭ'' which means ''road'' or ''way''. The one who travels on the road is called ''Batohi'' which in conjunction with Bhojpuri suffix -iya becomes ''Batohiya'', which means ''traveller''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pant|first=S.K.|title=Social Sector in India: Changing Paradigms in Uttar Pradesh|publisher=Rawat Publications|year=2005|isbn=8170339650}}</ref>

==Lyrics==
The first two verses of the poem read as follow:

{|style="width: 90%;"
|- style="text-align: left;"

!style="width: 30%;" | [[Kaithi|Kaithi Alphabet]]
!style="width: 30%;" | [[Devnagari script]]<ref>{{Cite book|title=Vikas Ka Vishwas|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|year=2012|isbn=978-9380823355}}</ref>
!style="width: 30%;" |[[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]] transliteration<ref name="Diaspora"/>
|-
|<poem>𑂮𑂳𑂁𑂠𑂩 𑂮𑂳𑂦𑂳𑂧𑂱 𑂦𑂆𑂨𑂰 𑂦𑂰𑂩𑂞 𑂍𑂵 𑂠𑂵𑂮𑂫𑂰 𑂮𑂵

𑂧𑂷𑂩𑂵 𑂣𑂹𑂩𑂰𑂢 𑂥𑂮𑂵 𑂯𑂱𑂧 𑂎𑂷𑂯 𑂩𑂵 𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂱𑂨𑂰

𑂉𑂍 𑂠𑂹𑂫𑂰𑂱𑂩 𑂐𑂵𑂩𑂵 𑂩𑂰𑂧𑂰 𑂯𑂱𑂧 𑂍𑂷𑂞𑂫𑂪𑂫𑂰 𑂮𑂵

𑂞𑂲𑂢 𑂠𑂹𑂫𑂰𑂱𑂩 𑂮𑂱𑂁𑂡𑂳 𑂐𑂯𑂩𑂰𑂫𑂵 𑂩𑂵 𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂱𑂨𑂰

𑂔𑂰𑂈 𑂔𑂰𑂈 𑂦𑂆𑂨𑂰 𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂲 𑂯𑂱𑂢𑂹𑂠 𑂠𑂵𑂎𑂱 𑂄𑂈

𑂔𑂯𑂫𑂰𑂀 𑂍𑂳𑂯𑂳𑂍𑂲 𑂍𑂷𑂆𑂪𑂲 𑂏𑂰𑂫𑂵 𑂩𑂵 𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂱𑂨𑂰

𑂣𑂫𑂢 𑂮𑂳𑂏𑂁𑂡 𑂧𑂁𑂠 𑂃𑂏𑂩 𑂒𑂁𑂠𑂢𑂫𑂰 𑂮𑂵

𑂍𑂧𑂰𑂢𑂲 𑂥𑂱𑂩𑂯 𑂩𑂰𑂏 𑂏𑂰𑂫𑂵 𑂩𑂵 𑂥𑂗𑂷𑂯𑂱𑂨𑂰

</poem>
|सुंदर सुभूमि भैया भारत के देसवा से

मोरे प्राण बसे हिम-खोह रे बटोहिया

एक द्वार घेरे रामा हिम-कोतवलवा से

तीन द्वार सिंधु घहरावे रे बटोहिया

जाऊ-जाऊ भैया रे बटोही हिंद देखी आउ

जहवां कुहुकी कोइली गावे रे बटोहिया

पवन सुगंध मंद अगर चंदनवां से

कामिनी बिरह-राग गावे रे बटोहिया
|
<poem>
{{IAST|suṃdar subhumi bhaiyā bhārat ke deswā se}}
{{IAST|more prān base him khoh re baṭohiyā}}
{{IAST|eka dwāra ghere rāmā him kotwalwā se}}
{{IAST|tīn dwāra sindhu ghaharāwe re baṭohiyā}}
{{IAST|mātaram}}
{{IAST|vande mātaram}}

{{IAST|jau jau bhaiya baṭohī hiṃd dekhi aau}}
{{IAST|jahawā kuhukī koilī gāwe re baṭohīyā}}
{{IAST|pawana sugaṃdh maṃd agara caṃdanawā se }}
{{IAST|kāminī biraha rāg gāwe re baṭohiya}}</poem> (Bhojpuri)
|}

==English translation==
English translation of first two verses are as follow:

{{Poemquote|Beautiful good land brother India its
country is,
My life soul lives snowy cave O
traveller.
One door (gate) encircling Rama Himalaya sentinel like,
Three door (gate) sea roars O traveller.
Want to go O traveller to see Hindustan,
Where Cuckoo sings coos O traveller.
Scented air breeze slowly from the sky,
Wife sings a song of separation O traveller<ref name="Diaspora"/>}}

==Performances and interpretations==
This song has been recorded several times, the oldest one was done by G.A. Grierson in 1920. This song has also been sung by [[Malini Awasthi]], [[Chandan Tiwari]], [[Raj Mohan]] and many renowned singers. Recently this song is sung by a group of singers, directed by Shushant Asthana and produced by Nitin Chandra, can be seen over internet.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Bhojpuri literature]]
[[Category:Indian poems]]
[[Category:1911 poems]]

Batohiya - Revision history

NoraizNafi at 04:15, 5 February 2026