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Mira Bai was a poetess who lived in Rajasthan, northern India, in the 1500's. She was born into a royal family and was expected to live as a princess. But she gave up everything in order to devote herself to the Hindu God Krishna, whom she regarded as her husband. She spent much of her time with holy men, which was most unusual then for a woman of high birth. 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.
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