Unlike tangible heritage such as monuments, temples or historic gardens, intangible cultural heritage consists of living traditions passed from one generation to another. It encompasses performing arts, music and oral traditions that continue to shape the identity of communities.For centuries, the classical music form, Sufiyana Mousiqi, has echoed through the mystical ensembles, homes and cultural gatherings of Kashmir. More than a classical musical tradition, Sufiyana Mousiqi has been a living expression of Kashmir’s cultural heritage, embodying centuries of dialogue between cultures, faiths and artistic traditions. It is a tradition sustained not merely through written texts but through oral traditions, performance and collective memory. Efforts are gathering momentum to secure its inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Convention seeks to safeguard precisely such living traditions by ensuring that they remain relevant and vibrant within the communities that practice them. The Government of Jammu Kashmir has formally approached Government of India seeking their support for this inscription.

The origins of Sufiyana Mousiqi can be traced to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, a period when Kashmir emerged as an important centre of cultural exchange linking the Indian subcontinent with Persia, Central Asia and the wider Islamic world. The Valley’s strategic location along the historic Silk Routes enabled the movement of scholars, Sufi saints, traders, craftsmen and musicians from regions such as Iran, Bukhara, Samarkand and Herat. These interactions merged with existing local practices to create a distinctive cultural synthesis. The tradition reflects influences from Central Asian melodic systems and indigenous Kashmiri musical sensibilities, as well as the centuries-old culture of spiritual dialogue that it represents.

Over time, these diverse streams evolved into a classical form that belongs exclusively to Kashmir. Scholars therefore often describe Sufiyana Mousiqi as a musical dialogue between India, Persia and Central Asia.

One of the defining characteristics of Sufiyana Mousiqi is its reliance on the maqām system of melodic organisation. The Arabic word maqām, meaning “station” or “place”, refers to a structured........

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