Sufiana Kalam: Kashmir's Ancient Sufi Classical Music Tradition

On a winter evening in the old city of Srinagar, in the khanqah (Sufi lodge) of Shah Hamdan near the Jhelum River, you can sometimes hear it: the high, metallic ring of the santoor strings, the drawn note of the saaz, and above it a voice carrying a Persian ghazal in a mode that is neither Hindustani nor Carnatic but something older and more austere. This is Sufiana Kalam. Kashmir Pulse is Via Kashmir's editorial channel - written by locals - and we consider this music one of the least-known cultural treasures of the valley, worth specifically seeking out on your visit.

What are the origins of Sufiana Kalam?

Sufiana Kalam emerged from the confluence of Persian musical traditions brought to Kashmir by Sufi missionaries and scholars from Central Asia (primarily from Persia, Bukhara, and Samarkand) and the indigenous musical traditions of the valley. The process took centuries, from roughly the 14th to the 17th century, during which Kashmir was deeply embedded in the Persianate cultural world. The music is modal - organised around specific ragas or modes (called maqam in the Persian tradition) associated with specific emotional and spiritual states.

• ✓Origins: 14th-17th century CE; Sufi missionaries from Central Asia + indigenous Kashmiri musical tradition
• ✓Language: Sung texts primarily in Persian and Kashmiri; some Urdu and Punjabi
• ✓Poetic tradition: Texts draw from the Persian Sufi canon (Rumi, Hafiz, Jami) and Kashmiri Sufi poets
• ✓Modal system: Uses a system of melodic modes (maqamat) related to but distinct from both Hindustani and Carnatic systems
• ✓Form: Typically begins with a slow, meditative muqabala (introduction) building to a more animated kalam (verse) section

What is the santoor and why is it associated with Kashmir?

The santoor is a hammered dulcimer - a trapezoidal wooden frame strung with metal strings, played by striking with two curved wooden mallets. It is the characteristic melodic instrument of Sufiana Kalam and the instrument most associated with Kashmir's classical music tradition globally. The Kashmiri santoor has more strings (around 100) than Iranian or Greek equivalents, giving it a richer, more resonant sound. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma (1938-2022), who brought the santoor to the national concert stage in India, is the most famous son of this tradition.

Sufiana Kalam vs Chakri folk music - what is the difference?

• ✓Sufiana Kalam: Classical; formal; Persian and Kashmiri language texts; associated with Sufi spiritual tradition; performed in intimate settings (khanqahs, mehfils, cultural events); modal system; sophisticated
• ✓Chakri: Folk music of the Kashmir Valley; Kashmiri language; simpler melodic structures; more festive and rhythmic; associated with weddings, harvest celebrations, seasonal events; performed by semi-professional folk musicians
• ✓Rouf dance music: The music accompanying the Rouf group dance performed by Kashmiri women; distinct from both Sufiana Kalam and Chakri; seasonal performance tradition
• ✓For visitors: Chakri and Rouf are more likely to be heard spontaneously at public events; Sufiana Kalam requires seeking out specific venues or events

Frequently asked questions about Sufiana Kalam

Where can visitors hear Sufiana Kalam in Srinagar?

The best opportunities are at cultural events organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy (check their schedule), at Sufi shrine Urs festivals (particularly Charar-i-Sharif and Dastgir Sahib), and occasionally at the Shah Hamdan Khanqah cultural programmes. Hotels that cater to cultural tourists occasionally arrange private mehfil performances - Via Kashmir can arrange this on request.

Is Sufiana Kalam related to Hindustani classical music?

There is some relationship - both draw from an older pan-regional North Indian musical heritage - but Sufiana Kalam developed in relative isolation from the mainstream Hindustani system and retains Persian musical elements (the maqam modal system, the specific ornamental vocabulary) that distinguish it significantly. Musicians who master Sufiana Kalam often have some Hindustani training but the two traditions are not interchangeable.

Who are the master musicians of Sufiana Kalam today?

The living masters are a small number - the tradition is classified as endangered. The most active practitioners include members of the Kashmiri Muslim musician community who have inherited the tradition through family lineages. The JKCA and All India Radio Srinagar have recorded significant archives. Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma brought the santoor - the central instrument - to a global audience but his work was more in Hindustani classical than Sufiana Kalam specifically.

What is the saaz-e-kashmir?

The saaz-e-kashmir (also called the sarangi-e-kashmir) is a bowed string instrument specific to the Kashmiri classical tradition. It has a resonant, slightly nasal timbre that provides the melodic counterpoint to the santoor in ensemble performance. It is a dying instrument - fewer than a handful of professional players remain. The JKCA has documented its construction and playing technique.

Is there a connection between Sufiana Kalam and poetry?

Yes, and it is inseparable. The texts of Sufiana Kalam are poems - primarily from the Persian Sufi tradition (Rumi, Hafiz, Jami) and from Kashmiri Sufi poets including Habba Khatoon's Lols and the Shrukhs of Sheikh Nooruddin. The music is, in this sense, devotional poetry set to classical musical forms.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, who was born in Jammu and learned the santoor from his father, once said: "The santoor is the only instrument where you cannot tell where the sound comes from - it is everywhere and nowhere." This quality of dissolved origin is the spirit of Sufiana Kalam.

Kashmir Pulse Editorial

Travel Writer, Via Kashmir

Writing about Kashmir from the inside — hotels, culture, seasonal travel, and the stories that don't make it into guidebooks.