Yunus Alvi/Alwar 

“My joy is like that of a labourer who goes to work in the morning and receives his wages the same evening,” said Ghafruddin Jogi Mewati, a traditional singer, who has been selected for this year's Padam Shri award by the government of India.  

Ghaffaruddin, 68, has showcased his art for more than half a century, from the rugged lanes of Mewat to the seven seas. As soon as the announcement of the coveted award poured in, Ghafruddin, a resident of Alwar, was overwhelmed with emotion.

Memories of him wandering barefoot through the villages of Mewat, playing the bhapang (A traditional string instrument) and begging for flour, flashed in his mind. Today, he feels that he has received the wages for all that hard work he did to keep a traditional art form alive.

He feels the Padam Shri is not just an honour for an individual, but for the centuries-old Mewati culture, the legacy of the Jogi community, and the rhythm of the bhapang, which is on the verge of extinction.

The Mewat region, which straddles the borders of Haryana and Rajasthan, possesses a unique identity as a syncretic culture.

Here, the Jogi community, who are Muslims, has, for generations, sung episodes from the Mahabharata and other folk tales.

#WATCH | Folk artist Gafruddin Mewati Jogi, awarded the Padma Shri in the field of art, said the honour marks the culmination of a lifelong struggle.

He recalled learning and preserving the art by travelling with his father, passing it on to others, and continuing the… pic.twitter.com/xiYDWTOqSQ

— DD News (@DDNewslive) January 26, 2026

Ghafruddin is one of the strongest exponents of this tradition. He says, "Stay connected to your language, culture, and folk art; that is our true identity." For him, this honour is a debt he owes to the soil of Mewat, which nurtured him during his days of struggle.

Born in Kaithwara village in the Deeg district of Rajasthan, Ghafruddin's childhood was no less dramatic than a film script. His father, the late Budh Singh Jogi, was an accomplished artist. At the tender age of four, when children usually play with toys, his father placed a 'bhapang' in Ghaffaruddin's hands.

The Bhapang, which resembles a small drum but has a single string, is considered an evolved form of Lord Shiva's damru (a small hourglass-shaped drum). Playing it requires an extraordinary coordination of abdominal muscles, fingers, and vocal rhythm.

As a child, he learned by travelling from village to village with his father, sitting in village squares, and listening to folk tales.

They had to beg for grain and flour in villages to support the family. Those were difficult days, but the rhythm of the Bhapang never let him lose hope.

The most significant aspect of Gafruddin Jogi's art is his rendition of the Mahabharata. Remarkably, a Muslim artist sings the epic of Lord Krishna and the Pandavas with such devotion and purity that the listener is completely captivated. Alwar and the surrounding areas are historically linked to 'Viratnagar,' where the Pandavas spent their period of exile.

When Gaffaruddin narrates these folk tales in the Mewati dialect, history comes alive. His art has proven that music and culture know no religious boundaries.

The year1992 marked a major turning point in his life. He travelled abroad and performed for the first time. There has been no looking back since then.

He carried the sound of Bhapang to over 60 countries, including England, Australia, Canada, France, and Dubai. When he played Mewati folk tunes at an event celebrating Queen Elizabeth's birthday in London, even the foreign audience was captivated by the magical rhythm.

When the call on his mobile came, he initially thought someone was playing a prank on him, but when the news was confirmed, he was emotional. He dedicated the award to the Mewat region and the Jogi community.

#WATCH | Alwar, Rajasthan: On being conferred with the Padma Shri 2026 in the field of art, folk artist Gafruddin Mewati Jogi says, "I am very happy that the struggle of my life has finally yielded results, and I have received this recognition... For seven years, I went from… pic.twitter.com/66UQBRb4W5

— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2026

Today, the eighth generation of his family is carrying on this art form. His son, Dr Shahrukh Khan Mewati Jogi, has not only learned music but also earned a PhD on the culture of Mewat. While many traditional art forms are fading away, Ghaffaruddin's family is keeping this flame alive.

Ghafruddin Jogi Mewati wants to open a school for folk arts. He wants the government to provide him with land where he can teach the new generation the art of playing the Bhapang, Mewati folk singing, and their traditional stories.

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He says that if the younger generation does not stay connected to its roots, we will lose our identity. He says receiving the Padma Shri is not the destination for him, but the beginning of a journey that he wants to continue until his last breath.