Reawakening of Gaami’s Legacy
Our land is a treasure chest filled with art, culture and history that has shaped our identity for centuries. We are the inheritors of a civilization rich in traditions, poetry and music that has given the world timeless beauty and wisdom. Yet the tragedy lies in how little we value it today. We take immense pride in calling our society culturally rich but when it comes to preservation and acknowledgment, we are among the first to forget. The poets, artists and thinkers who once defined our collective consciousness are now remembered only when their work resurfaces through someone else’s efforts. This painful truth has again come to light with the recent musical revival of Kashmiri poetry by the celebrated duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant who have been breathing new life into traditional Kashmiri compositions through their ongoing project Bhoomi.
Over the past few years Salim and Sulaiman have been reimagining old Kashmiri songs giving them a new soul while keeping their originality intact. Through compositions like Nazneen Meri Jaan and Janaan they have skilfully presented the poetic essence of Kashmir to a wider audience. Each song in Bhoomi carries within it the fragrance of the Valley and the depth of its cultural inheritance. Their latest release Awaaz has once again captured the hearts of listeners not just because of its melody but because it revives the words of a forgotten master of Kashmiri poetry Mehmood Gaami. The song sung beautifully by Noor Mohammad carries the lyrics of Gaami whose name resonates with the literary history of Kashmir yet remains largely unknown among the very people of his land. Within a week of its release the song crossed over 351 thousand views as every Kashmiri hummed along to its tune but how many among them truly know who Mehmood Gaami was?
This question uncovers a deep wound in our collective awareness. We listen to his words yet we remain unaware of the man behind them. We enjoyed the lyrics of Awaaz song but fail to understand Gaami’s life, his influence and his immense contribution to the Kashmiri language. Mehmood Gaami was not just a poet he was a pioneer who introduced ghazal, nazm, masnavi and naat into Kashmiri literature. He shaped the structure and rhythm of Kashmiri verse and gave it a new literary identity. Born in 1749 in Doru Shahabad of the Anantnag district Gaami lived for ninety years and spent his life immersed in learning and teaching.
Contrary to the misconception that he was an uneducated villager his pen name Gaami was not derived from his village background. Instead, he chose it intentionally to rhyme with the names of great Persian poets like Nizami and Jami whom he deeply admired. His real name was Mehmood Ahmad Shah and he is believed to have earned his living as a teacher. His poetry reflected a unique blend of spirituality and human emotion and his works captured the cultural transition of Kashmir from medieval to modern times.
What is deeply unfortunate is that while scholars from other parts of the world recognized Gaami’s brilliance we within his homeland have largely ignored him. In the late nineteenth century German orientalist Karl Friedrich Burckhardt translated some of his works and introduced Gaami to European readers and ensuring that his poetry reached far beyond Kashmir. Foreign researchers and literary enthusiasts have written about his style his themes and his influence on later Kashmiri poets. Meanwhile within Kashmir his name rarely finds a mention in schools or cultural discussions. Our generation knows nothing about him. This lack of awareness reveals how disconnected we have become from our roots.
The contrast is painful to observe. On one hand we have outsiders like Salim and Sulaiman who despite not belonging to Kashmir have made genuine efforts to revive and popularize its poetic and musical heritage. On the other hand we have a society that fails to value the richness of its own soil. The duo’s Bhoomi project is a shining example of how art can bridge generations and geographies when nurtured with sincerity. Through their music they are not only preserving the lyrical essence of Kashmiri poets but are also introducing them to a new generation that might otherwise never have heard of them. Their modern reinterpretations are keeping the soul of traditional poetry alive while making it relevant in the digital age.
Yet this appreciation from outsiders should not blind us to our own responsibilities. We must ask ourselves why it takes someone from outside our community to remind us of our own heritage. Why do we only start celebrating our poets when their works trend on social media or are featured in a new song? Our neglect is not merely cultural, it is existential. When a society forgets its heritage, it begins to lose its identity. Our generation is moving at a frightening pace toward this crisis. Surrounded by technology entertainment and consumerism we are forgetting the very essence that makes us who we are. The stories of our ancestors are slowly fading away.
The need of the hour is to reclaim our heritage before it is too late. We must start by learning about figures like Mehmood Gaami not as names in history but as living symbols of our cultural spirit. Educational institutions cultural organizations and local administrations have a major role to play in this revival. Schools must include lessons about regional poets and artists in their curriculum and communities must celebrate literary figures with the same enthusiasm with which they celebrate modern celebrities. The media too must highlight such legacies and use its power to make people curious about their past.
Salim and Sulaiman have shown us that modernity and tradition can coexist beautifully. Their work proves that old poetry can find new meaning when reimagined with respect and creativity. But for this artistic bridge to last, we must strengthen its foundations by reconnecting with our forgotten roots. Our poets like Mehmood Gaami are not relics of the past they are voices that continue to speak to us through time. It is our duty to listen to them to understand them and to keep their light burning for generations to come. If we fail to do so we will soon find ourselves searching for identity in a world that has already moved on from remembering us.
In the echoes of songs like Awaaz there is a call that goes beyond melody. It is a reminder that our culture is not dying because others stopped valuing it but because we stopped nurturing it. The revival of our heritage begins not with grand projects or official campaigns but with awareness and respect in every heart. Let us begin that journey today by remembering the poet whose words continue to make the Valley sing Mehmood Gaami the eternal voice of Kashmiri poetry.
Peerzada Mohsin Shafi hails from Anantnag and is an infrastructure columnist. and also writes on pressing social issues.
