Alwar, Jan 26 (IANS) The announcement of the prestigious Padma Shri award for renowned Bhapang player Gafruddin Mewati Jogi from Alwar has brought a wave of joy to his family and local community.
Following the government’s announcement of the Padma Awards on the eve of Republic Day, congratulatory messages and visitors began pouring into his residence and continued late into the night.
Originally from Kaithwada village in Bharatpur district, now part of Deeg, Gafruddin moved to Alwar in 1978.
He said he had never imagined that he would one day receive an honour as prestigious as the Padma Shri.
Although he had been recognised earlier by the Prime Minister, the President, the Rajasthan government, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and at the district level, he described the Padma Shri as the most fulfilling moment of his life.
Speaking to IANS, he said: “It was only after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government came to power that I even came to know what the Padma Shri was. Earlier, artistes like us rarely received such recognition.’
Gafruddin has devoted his life to playing the traditional instrument ‘Bhapang’, inspired by Lord Shiva’s damru. The instrument is known for rendering verses from the Mahabharata era, Bhartṛhari’s Shatak and devotional and ascetic poetry.
He is the only surviving singer of ‘Pandun ka Kada’ — the Mewati tradition of narrating episodes from the Mahabharata through music. These performances recount the period when the Pandavas lived in Viratnagar, in present-day Alwar, during their exile.
Over the years, he has preserved more than 2,800 folk songs and couplets through bhapang performances, many of which, he says, were later adapted in Bollywood.
His son, Dr Shah Rukh Khan Mewati Jogi, represents the eighth generation of the family practising the art. Shah Rukh has completed a PhD on Mewat culture, and younger members of the family are also being trained in the tradition.
Recalling his early struggles, Gafruddin said he began accompanying his father at the age of four. As a child, he went door-to-door in Alwar collecting wheat flour to survive.
“There was no other means to earn a living,” he said.
His talent earned him international recognition. After his first overseas visit in 1992, he performed in more than 60 countries, including England, Australia, Canada, France and the UAE. He also played bhapang at a birthday event of Queen Elizabeth in London.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier praised his work and associated it with the Swachh Bharat Mission. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he used folk songs and bhapang performances to spread awareness about cleanliness and hygiene.
When the Padma Shri announcement was made, Gafruddin was performing at an exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of ‘Vande Mataram’ at Alwar’s Information Centre. He received a call from the Union Home Ministry during the programme.
“At first, I thought it was a joke,” he said. “But when the announcement was confirmed, I could not contain my happiness.”
Comparing the moment to the satisfaction of daily labour, he said: “It feels like a worker who goes out in the morning and receives his wages in the evening. That sense of fulfilment is what I feel today. I have received many honours before, but the Padma Shri is the greatest achievement of my life.”
He added that he became aware of the Padma Shri only in 2016 and began applying for it. “I applied continuously for the last three years. Today, I feel truly rewarded,” he said.
Gafruddin said his brother and sons are also actively engaged in promoting the art form. He appealed to the government for support in setting up a free cultural school dedicated to folk traditions.
“We hope the government will provide us with land so that we can establish a school for folk arts. The younger generation is gradually losing touch with these traditions. We want to revive them and take them forward with full support,” he said.
–IANS
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