Maikash Kashmiri (17 July 1926 – 19 January 2006), born Kailash Nath Kaul, was an Urdu poet, broadcaster and teacher associated with Jammu and Kashmir. He was born into a learned Kashmiri Pandit family and brought up in Jammu. His literary sensibility was deeply influenced by the cultural landscape and historical memory of the region.

He joined Radio Kashmir Jammu in its formative years in December 1947 and remained associated with broadcasting for several decades. Through broadcasting, writing and his literary interests, he established a connection with a wide audience. Integrity and self-respect remained important aspects of his personality. In the later part of his life, he turned to teaching and gave English lessons to students from his ancestral home in Jammu.

Maikash Kashmiri’s poetry draws upon personal experiences, resilience, hope, human emotions and a strong sense of self-respect. His work also reflects his attachment to the cultural and historical landscape of Kashmir and Jammu.

One of the distinctive features of his poetry is his engagement with the natural landscape of the region. His nazm on the River Tawi is particularly notable for its unusual subject: instead of celebrating the river itself, he focuses on the rounded stones along its banks, presenting them as silent witnesses to the passage of time and the history of the region. The poem was also included in the album Yadon Ke Charagh.

His literary contribution received recognition in later years. Through the efforts of Dr. Rafiq Masoodi, former Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, a special issue of Sheeraza was published in his honour, bringing together articles and reminiscences by contemporaries and admirers.

Maikash Kashmiri passed away on 19 January 2006 in Navi Mumbai. His son Sanjeev Kaul and singer-composer Seema Anil Sehgal helped preserve and present his poetry through musical renditions. His notable works include Bal-e-Huma, Bal-e-Anqa, Saz-e-Rag-e-Jan and Sheeraza. His life and work remain associated with a literary voice shaped by Kashmir, personal resilience and a deep commitment to poetry.