• Source:JND
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Musafir Ram Bhardwaj, a renowned musician and Padma Shri recipient, passed away on Friday at his residence in Dunera, Punjab. The 95-year-old veteran was unwell for several months and was going through treatment. The last rites took place at the village crematorium.


Bhardwaj was born in 1930 at Sanchui village in the Bharmour subdivision of the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. He was felicitated with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2014 for his contributions to the arts. Bhardwaj was a master of "Paun Mata," a musical instrument that resembles the damaru. Paun Mata is crafted from copper and lamb hide. The instrument is played by rubbing fingers along the hide. A sophisticated technique is required to play the instrument, as it is different than Damaru. The Paun Mata also holds a special place in religious practices as it is widely used while worshipping Lord Shiva. The Paun Mata holds significance in the Manimahesh pilgrimage and other local religious ceremonies.

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In an interview in 2019, Bhardwaj said that his father, Deewana Ram, taught him to play the instrument at the age of seven, and he dedicated several decades to entertain the classical music audience through his craft. Bhardwaj was awarded the Rashtrapati Award in 2009 and also performed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. He was a devotee of Lord Shiva and led the “Chhari Yatra” for many years in which he carried the Paun Mata during the annual Manimahesh pilgrimage, in which every year, on the eighth day of the light half of the moon in the month of Bhadon, a fair is held at this lake, which attracts thousands of pilgrims who assemble here to take a dip in the holy water.

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Bhardwaj was also a dedicated agriculturist and had worked as a tailor too. He was respected in several regions of the country for his craft, though he had no formal education. His passing marks a profound loss to Himachal Pradesh and the preservation of its cultural heritage.