Hema Karasi is a popular and well-known folk singer from Uttarakhand, primarily singing traditional songs, jagars, and bhajans in the Garhwali and Kumaoni languages. She is known for preserving Uttarakhand’s cultural heritage through her voice. Born on April 5, 1984, in Tukhinda village, near August Muni in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, she received her early education in the village. She reportedly had a passion for jagars, mangals, and environmental songs since childhood. She also participated in cultural programs at school. Her interest in music grew, and in 2003, she performed on a public stage for the first time at the annual festival of GIC Kandi, singing “Dharti Hamra Garhwal Ki.” She was applauded not only by the audience but also by prominent guests from All India Radio and Doordarshan.
In 2005, Hema Karasi released a Garhwali song album, “Kya Bun Tab.” The songs on the album received widespread acclaim. After gaining fame with her first song, she was also given the opportunity to sing in the album “Katha Kartik Swami” with Garh Ratna folk singer Narendra Singh Negi. This song brought her immense success, and she consistently produced superhit videos and songs, including “Maa Mathiya Mai” (2011-12), “Gir Genduwa” (2013), Achhari Jagar (2014), Dhol Baje (2015), Meri Bamni (2016), Uttarakhandi Mangal Geet (2017), and Meri Parani (2018).
She also performs at various fairs, cultural events, and live concerts in Uttarakhand. She has created a distinct identity for herself by breaking the stereotypes surrounding Jagar. While Jagar singing was typically male-dominated, Hema Karasi has carved a niche for herself and mastered the genre. She also started her own music and film production house, “HNK Films Music Production House,” through which she independently produces high-quality traditional music videos. She also promotes Garhwali and Kumaoni folk culture to the youth, both nationally and internationally, through her YouTube channel, which has over 5.5 lakh subscribers. She also helps young people advance their careers by giving them opportunities in her projects.
Major Awards and Honors
2015 Gopal Babu Goswami Youth Icon National Award
2015 Uttarakhand Organisation Association of New Zealand Award
2016 Badri Kedar Vikas Samiti Award
2017 Uttarakhand Uday Samman
2016-2017 Youth Icon National Award
2018 Uttarakhand Press Club Award
Teelu Rauteli Award given by the government to women for their courage and outstanding work.
2015-16 Uttarakhand Ratna Award for Best Folk Singer Awarded the Best Folk Singer Award by Chief Minister Harish Rawat.