About Dogri Sanstha

Dogri Sanstha, Jammu was founded on the auspicious day of Vasant Panchami, Saturday, 29th January, 1944 and as such has completed seventy-five years of its existence. It is the oldest and most active literary and cultural organization in Jammu and Kashmir State. During these seventy-five years, Dogri Sanstha has created great awareness among the people of the country and the State in general, and the Dogri speaking people in particular, about their rich cultural heritage. It played an important role during 1947–48 in arousing the sentiments of the people by holding kavi-sammelans in different parts of Jammu region and by staging drama shows before large audiences. It also organized the first exhibition of 'Pahari Miniature' at Tikri in 1948 and was instrumental in the setting up of 'Dogra Art Gallery', presently in Jammu.

Dogri Sanstha brought out its first publication in Dogri entitled "Jaago Duggar". Till date it has brought out about a hundred fifty books, their number being second only to the books published by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. It is bringing out a quarterly magazine "Nameen Chetana" and till date, about 200 volumes have been published. It has also brought out special numbers of children literature, women writers' literature as well as novels, criticism etc.

It has also organized nine All India Dogri Writers conferences, a couple of workshops on theatre, a large number of seminars and symposia, debates and declamation contests. It has also been organizing folk fairs, wherein the rich folk cultural traditions of the Dogras are highlighted through the holding of exhibition of folk arts and crafts, and programmes of folk music and folk dances. The Sanstha also organizes literary meets and ghazal goshtis.

Dogri Sanstha started free coaching classes for the Shiromani classes and continued doing this for about 25 years. With the start of post-graduation in Dogri in Jammu University and as an elective subject at the graduate level, the number of students appearing in Shiromani has considerably dwindled. However, Sanstha even now helps the needy students by providing them free books and guidance.

Dogri Sanstha has got its own building known as "Dogri Bhawan", which was constructed at a cost of Rs 5 Lacs. Out of this, only a grant of Rs 90,000 was received from Govt. of India and the remaining amount was raised through public donations as well as from the Sanstha's collections raised by selling its publications to the students and libraries to maintain the Dogri Bhawan and manage its affairs properly. To extend its functions in the educational field, the Dogri Sanstha formed a trust known as 'Dogri Bhawan Trust'. Dogri Sanstha had been in the forefront in demanding the inclusion of Dogri in the VIII schedule of the Indian Constitution. It collaborated with various organizations in getting this genuine demand accepted by the Govt. of India. In response to this demand, Dogri was included in VIIIth Schedule of Indian Constitution on 22nd December, 2003.

Dogri Sanstha has also been voicing its demand for making Dogri a compulsory optional subject at the matriculation level and an elective subject in more higher secondary schools and colleges. Since 2005, following the introduction of Dogri as a subject for I.A.S examination, the Sanstha has been organizing free coaching classes for desirous students.

The Sanstha also has plans to construct a museum of folk arts and crafts but is hamstrung for want of funds. It is proposing to approach the state government for special grants to complete the project. The Sanstha has collected and tape-recorded hundreds of songs and is planning to prepare video cassettes of folk music, folk dances and plays. It has been rightly said that the history of Dogri literature is the history of Dogri Sanstha. The Sanstha has a library with a collection of almost all Dogri books and books regarding Dogra culture, art and the Dogras, which needs to be further augmented and provided with a proper reading room.