Pulwama, Oct 12: After proving his mettle with pen, an engineering student from Pampore area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district has taken to stringed traditional musical instrument, Rabab to keep the legacy of folk music reverberating.

Saraf Ali Bhat, a 6th semester student at SSM College Srinagar, has been playing Rabab from last one year with the curiosity to keep legacy of folk music alive.

While talking to Rising Kashmir this multi-talented youth from Kadlabal locality of Pampore said that he is inclined towards Sufi ideology and is reading a lot of literature on Sufism.

“Rabab has been frequently mentioned there,” he said, adding that Sufism drove him close to the Rabab.

After taking a musical course from a professional team of musicians, Bhat is showing his talent in different musical concerts.

After coming to limelight, he has been featured in different media platforms.

Noted traveloguer, Jinal Inamdar, in her travelogue, undiscovered Kashmir featured him on his channel Talkin Travel as Rababist wherein he is seen striking the strings with his skillful fingers to create a soul soothing musical note inside a cottage at Tangmarg area of Baramulla district.

Besides, he has also been featured as a Rababist in a musical film on Kashmir.

Bhat wished not to disclose the name of the film because of professional commitment.

“I am playing brief character of a Kashmiri Rababist and I also played the instrument in the film,” he said.

Rabab is one of the oldest musical instruments in Kashmir.

It is believed to have been invented in Afghanistan and is national instrument for the country.

The instrument made its way to India and other parts of South and west Asian countries.

Rabab is used in Chaker, Sufiana, Chaland and other singing forms in Kashmir.

Bhat said that he took to Rabab for inspiring other youth of his age towards Kashmiri music.

“I could have chosen Guitar or Piano, I chose Rabab for revival and rejuvenation of our tradition and culture,” Bhat said.

Bhat is also an author and cloumnist.

He has penned down two books, Triggered sorrows and a smile worth a billion poems.

Triggered sorrows, which is about personal experience of a student away from home, won him Reader’s Choice Award 2020.

 Bhat said that he writes vigorously for preservation of Kashmiri Culture and Tradition through columns in local and national newspapers.

“Whatever I write it is centered around our language, food, culture and tradition,” he said.

Bhat is also an ace footballer who is currently playing a national level tournament in Haryana.