As India marks the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, communities across the country are celebrating not only the life of a legendary freedom fighter but also the cultural pride and resilience he embodied. His birth anniversary on November 15, which also marks Jharkhand’s Statehood Day, carries deeper meaning this year as the nation commemorates Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (Tribal Pride Year) and honours the contributions of tribal leaders across India.

Birth and early life
Born as Daud Munda on November 15, 1875, in Ulihatu village in present-day Jharkhand, Birsa Munda came from modest beginnings. His father worked as a sharecropper, and the family belonged to the Munda tribe of the Chhotanagpur region. Birsa Munda was also a gifted dancer and musician, he actively participated in the village akhra (community spaces for dance) and played flute and tuila.