Mir Haji Kasam
A Junagadh dholak player known as Haji Ramakdu, playing Gujarati folk music for over sixty years, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Mir Haji Kasam, known everywhere as Haji Ramakdu, has played the dholak in Gujarati folk music for more than sixty years. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of art, from Gujarat [1].
Self-taught
He was born on 27 January 1951 and started playing at the age of ten [2]. He never went to school, but his talent took him to stages around the world [2]. He has played with several generations of folk singers, with Gujarati film artists and on radio [2]. The name “Ramakdu” comes from the way he seems to merge with his drum as he plays [2].
On tour
He has performed in the USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, the UAE and Oman, among other countries, in thousands of shows [2]. Many of the young musicians he has taught now perform professionally [2].
Music for a cause
He has played at more than 35,000 charity programmes for cow shelters, and at events to help poor families in Junagadh pay for weddings [2]. In his seventies he still teaches folk music to children for free [2].
His honours include the Gujarat Gaurav Puraskar and the Gujarat Sangeet Natak Akademi award [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Mir Haji Kasam — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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