| 1. Gafruddin Mewati Jogi was born in Kaithwara village of district Deeg of Rajasthan. |
| 2. He belongs to the traditional Mewati Jogi community, which has preserved folk music and oral storytelling for generations. |
| 3. Jogi did his formal education till class 9 and then dedicated himself completely to folk music. |
| 4. He started learning music as a small child from his father, Budh Singh Jogi through the traditional guru-shishya system. |
| 5. Since childhood, Gafruddin has mastered Bhapang, Jogiya Sarangi, Dholak, and Mewati-Vraj devotional singing. |
| 6. For several decades, he travelled village to village and supported his family financially by performing traditional songs. |
| 7. Gafruddin Mewati Jogi is regarded as one of the last surviving artists, who can perform the complete Pandun Ka Kada, a Mewati oral version of the Mahabharata containing more than 2,500 couplets. |
| 8. Besides the Mahabharata, he preserved traditional performances of the Lok Ramayana, Bhawan Shiv ka Byawale, and Shri Krishna Leela in the Ali Baksh tradition. |
| 9. In his traditional musician journey, Jogi has performed at various major cultural events organised by the Ministry of Culture and leading institution across India. |
| 10. He has appeared on stages hosted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, National School of Drama, Jawahar Kala Kendra, Rajasthan Tourism Department, and several other cultural organisations. |
| 11. Since the early 1990s, Gafruddin Mewati Jogi has represented Indian folk music in countries including Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan, and the UAE. |
| 12. In 1993, Gafruddin Mewati Jogi received Yuva Puraskar, one of the earliest recognitions of his contributions to Rajasthan’s folk music. |
| 13. On 26 January 2026, on the occasion of 77th Republic Day, Jogi’s name was announced for the Padma Shri in recognition of his lifelong contribution to preserving India’s folk heritage. |
| 14. In May 2026, he received the Padma Shri from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and became one of the country’s most celebrated folk artists. |
| 15. In 2026, he received the Padma Shri from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and became one of the country’s most celebrated folk artists. |
