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Dogri
Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language.
Though it is chiefly spoken in the scenic region of Jammu, the presence
of Dogri language can also be felt in northern Punjab, Himachal Pradesh
and other places. The people speaking Dogri are called Dogras, whereas
the belt where it's spoken is called Duggar. It is a member of the
Western Pahari group of languages. Originally, Dogri language was
written using the Takri script, but now the Devanagari script is
employed for the same in India.
It was only recently that the Dogri language received official
recognition in the country. It was recognized as an "independent
modern literary language" of India, based on the unanimous
recommendation of a panel of linguists from the General Council of the
Sahitya Academy of Delhi, on 2nd August 1969. On 22nd December 2003,
Dogri language achieved another achievement as it was hailed as a
national language of India in the Indian Constitution.
The history of the Dogri language can be traced back to the times of
poet, Amir Khusrau. It is in his list of Indian languages that the
earliest known reference of the Dogri can be found. The gradual
evolution of Dogri literature witnessed scripting of Rajauli, which is
counted among its earliest level. It is actually a Dogri translation by
Tehaldas, from an original Persian work by Bali Ram. It is also said
that there exists a translation of the New Testament in Dogri language
carried out by the Christian Missionaries of Sirampur.
It was, however, during the 20th century that Dogri literature
witnessed a spurt in spheres like poetry, prose, novels, short stories
and plays. Today, one of the prominent names in Dogri literature is that
of Dr Karan Singh, who has penned numerous novels, travelogues and
philosophical treatises. He is also known for translating famous Dogri
songs into English to popularize this language. Some of Dr Singh's
praiseworthy works include Towards a New India (1974), Hinduism: The
Eternal Religion (1999), Welcome The Moonrise (1965), etc.
Dogri literature comprises a fabulous gamut of poetry, fiction and
dramatic works. Under the poetry category alone, there are Dogri poets
like Kavi Dattu from the 18th Century era to more recent ones like
Professor Ram Nath Shastri and Ms Padma Sachdev. Dogri poet Kavi Dattu,
who belonged to the court of Raja Ranjit Dev, is regarded in high esteem
for his Barah Massa (Twelve Months), Kamal Netra (Lotus Eyes), Bhup
Bijog, Bir Bilas and other works.