Roots and Reflections - Exploring Ideas, Experiences and Wisdom

Pt. Prem Nath Dogra is a famous political and social leader of Jammu and Kashmir. Dogra Shaib was a true nationalist and a great patriot and his contribution in founding and launching the agitation under the banner of Prja Parshad cannot be exaggerated. This movement was the apt reply to the forces inimical to the countries unity, integrity and above all nationalism. Prem Nath Dogra had a humble beginning and he was born in a humble family of Brahmins in village Smailpur some twenty kms from Jammu. He was born on 24th October 1884. Panditjee completed his basic education in his village and passed matriculation in 1904 from Lahore. He also did graduation and was appointed as Tehsildar at Akhnoor by the then British government. In 1910 Pt. Jee was posted at Udhampur as Assistant settlement officer. Later on he was deputed to Jammu with the powers of Munsiff. In 1931 Pandit jee was appointed as Wazir Wazar-e-Wazarat at Muzafarabad, where he became very popular among the people. Due to the...

  The 24th of August 2026 was the fourth and the last Monday of the most Sacred Hindu Calendar month of Sawan or Shrawan which is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva also known by several names such as Shiv Shankar, Mahadev, Bole Nath, Nilkant and is the Lord of destruction and is also called Ashtoush because of his characteristic of being easily pleased on the devotees on little worship. So I choose that day for penning down few lines on the great divine personality Lt. Shree Mahadev Pandit and a household saint of the 20th century Kashmir. It is not so easy to write the profile of such a saint whose life and thinking are as broad as wide as a sea. However, I am trying to pen down few lines on the life of the saint, simple, straightforward man who was orthodox, conservative but still pragmatic. At the outset it can be said that his life, thoughts and other aspects of his spiritual and Yogic life cannot be penned down in few lines as it will be unfair with his divine and do...

Kashmir has given birth to a number of Sages, seers, Rish’s and Sufi’s in both the forms of male and females. It has seen lean periods of economics, social and spiritual downfalls but nature has not failed to throw up at times one great personality of Godhead to take the fallen humanity back from the abyss of degradation and misery. His Holiness Swami Kral Babji Maharaj was born in 1928 on Phagun Purnima in a very humble agriculture family at Kralgund village in tehsil Handwara J&K. The name Kralbub was assigned to him by his Guru Maharaj Nand lal ji (Kaul). His parental name was Sh Bhagwan Dass ji. The name of his parents was Sh. Samsar Chand and Kudmali.From his childhood days he had a penchant for Godhead. While others of his age used to play with toys, he would make toys with ashes,cow dung and smear such dirt on his body.  From his childhood it was seen that he was not interested in materialistic things. As a child he was always inclined to have the company of his Kul Puro...

Gulchain Singh Charak was a reputed Dogra leader, politician, social worker, philanthropist and above all a good and gentle human being who was always fighting for the cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in general and Dogra community in particular. He was a former minister and president of Dogra Sadhar Sabha and throughout his long life he worked for the Dogra and Dogra cause and he was proud of belonging to Dogra community and served the community till his last breath. Charak, was associated with the Congress party for a long time and was a cabinet minister in the Congress-PDP coalition headed by G.N Azad. Charak Sahib was a household name in the Jammu region and he was a respectable leader and politician and his honesty, selfless service and contribution to society cannot be exaggerated. He always cared and fought for the rights of the poor people and Dogra community.  Gulchain Charak was the chairman of Dogra Group of Educational Institutions such as Dogra Bed Collage, Dog...

  Dr. Ved Kumari Gai was a scholar, professor, intellectual, social activist and was held in high esteem in Jammu. She was a reputed Sanskrit professor and great scholar. She was also well versed in Hindi as well as Dogri languages. Ved Kumari Gai was a literary figure of Jammu and Kashmir & his contribution to Sanskrit language, literature and society was well recognised. Ghai was born on 16th December 1931, in Partap Garh Mohallah, Jammu. She completed her school education in Jammu and passed Masters degree in Sanskrit from Punjab university in 1953 and MA in Ancient History and Culture in 1958 & then PhD in Sanskrit from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1960.  Dr. Ved Kumari Gai was an acclaimed professor and scholar of Sanskrit and she had the distinction of having been the privilege of presiding the literary, social and religious functions. She was involved in literary and social services throughout his life. Basically she was appointed as a professor of Sanskrit...

  Raksha Bandhan is a popular and traditionally Hindu annual rite or ceremony that is central to a festival of the same name celebrated in South Asia. It is also celebrated in other parts of the world significantly influenced by Hindu culture. It is one of the important festival of Hindus and in Santan Dharma its significance cannot be exaggerated. On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman or amulet called Rakhi around the wrists of their brothers. They symbolically protect them, receive a gift in return and traditionally invest the brothers with a share of the responsibility of their potential care. Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Shraavana, which typically falls in August. The expression Raksha Bandhan (Sanskrit, literally ‘the bond of protection, obligation and care) is now principally applied to this ritual. So this festival is the bond of love, affection and protection between the brothers and sisters and has an important p...