Kawoosahamad at 05:35, 12 November 2024

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{{Short description|Religious trust in Jammu and Kashmir, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Dharmarth Trust J&K
| formation = 1846
| founder = [[Maharaja Gulab Singh]]
| founding_location = [[Jammu]]
| type = Private trust
| origins = [[Dogra dynasty]]
| leader_title = Chairperson trustee
| leader_name = [[Karan Singh]]
| key_people =
| remarks = Active
}}

'''Dharmarth Trust''' (also spelt Dharmartha) in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] was founded by [[Maharaja Gulab Singh]] in 1846 as an [[Financial endowment|endowment]] for religious charity, and to manage and support [[Hinduism]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pintchman|first=Tracy|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JfXdGInecRIC&dq=Dharmarth+Trust&pg=PA57|title=Seeking Mahadevi: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess|date=2001|publisher=State University of New York (SUNY) Press|isbn=978-0-7914-9049-5|pages=57, 67|language=en|chapter=1}}</ref> In 1884, and under Maharaja [[Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir|Ranbir Singh]], the ''Ain-i-Dharmath'' (in [[Persian language|Persian]]) or 'The Regulations for the Dharmarth Trust' were formulated and a government department for religious affairs was created.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=114}} The trust helped the [[Dogra dynasty]] to consolidate and validate its control over its territory and over the functioning of [[Hinduism]] in the region.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=119}}

[[Karan Singh]] has been the sole chairperson trustee since 1959.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Badhwar|first=Inderjit|author-link=Inderjit Badhwar|date=31 March 1987|title=Take-over of Vaishno Devi shrine by independent board erupts into legal controversy|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19870331-take-over-of-vaishno-devi-shrine-by-independent-board-erupts-into-legal-controversy-798696-1987-03-31|access-date=2022-01-28|website=India Today}}</ref> In 2009 the trust had about 100 temples under its ambit, mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, but also in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home page, introduction|url=http://jkdharmarthtrust.org/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924170605/http://jkdharmarthtrust.org/index.html|archive-date=24 September 2010|website=Dharmarth Trust, Jammu/Srinagar, official website}}</ref> The Trust continues to be the guardians of major temples such as [[Shankaracharya Temple]] in Srinagar, [[Kheer Bhawani]] in [[Ganderbal district|Ganderbal]] and the [[Raghunath Temple|Raghunath temple]] and [[Bahu Fort|Bawe Wali Mata shrine]] in Jammu.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=10 June 2020|title=Dharmarth Trust awaits govt instructions to open shrines|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/j-k/dharmarth-trust-awaits-govt-instructions-to-open-shrines-97375|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-28|website=Tribune India|language=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615180345/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/j-k/dharmarth-trust-awaits-govt-instructions-to-open-shrines-97375 |archive-date=15 June 2020 }}</ref>

== History ==
In 1826 [[Gulab Singh]], a Dogra Hindu Rajput who had become the Raja of [[Jammu]] four years before,{{Sfn|Singh|1974|p=9, 197, 198}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Singh|first=Bawa Satinder|date=1971|title=Raja Gulab Singh's Role in the First Anglo-Sikh War|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/311654|journal=Modern Asian Studies|volume=5|issue=1|pages=36|doi=10.1017/S0026749X00002845|jstor=311654|s2cid=145500298|issn=0026-749X|url-access=subscription}}</ref> put aside funds which would be utilised towards religious charity.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=116}} The practice of utilizing that money remained a private practice for two decades.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=116}} In 1846 Gulab Singh donated five lakh rupee to [[Raghunath Temple]].{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=116}}

Gulab Singh's son, Ranbir Singh, adapted the practice inherited from his father and placed it under a larger arrangement including the state machinery.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=116}} Precedents for such a dharmarth department, a religious affairs department, included the darmarth under the [[Delhi Sultanate|Delhi sultans]], [[Mughal emperors]] and the Maharajas of the [[Sikh Empire]].{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=115-116}} The council of the trust was asked to oversee its functioning, including the running of institutions, prayer and meditation ceremonies, schools, and land and business associated with the trust.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=117}} Any foreign religious person coming to the state was to be brought before the Maharaja, welcomed accordingly, and given parting gifts according to their status.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=117}} Separate rules were prepared for all the different Gods and circulated accordingly.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=118}} The trust would go on to include temples in Kashmir.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=118}} Priests, including those on the furthest reaches of the Maharaja's territory, were to report occurrences to the state.{{Sfn|Rai|2004|p=118}} The ''Ain-i-Dharmath'' (in [[Persian language|Persian]]) was signed in 1884 by the issues of Ranbir Singh.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Zutshi|first=Chitralekha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7Ptp4Iod8EC&dq=Dharmarth+Trust&pg=PA48|title=Languages of Belonging: Islam, Regional Identity, and the Making of Kashmir|date=2004|publisher=Hurst|isbn=978-1-85065-700-2|pages=48, 49|language=en}}</ref> As the trust passed into the hands of Maharaja [[Hari Singh]], he opened the doors of all temples and shrines to a untouchables in 1932.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chauhan|first=Abha|url=|title=Holy Places & Pilgrimages: Essays on India|date=2011|publisher=Shubhi Publications|isbn=978-81-8290-228-2|editor-last=Singh|editor-first=Rana P. B.|location=New Delhi|pages=105–126|chapter=4. Sacred Landscape and Pilgrimage: a study of Mata Vaishno Devi}}</ref> Hari Singh passed on the trust to Karan Singh in January 1959.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1992-04-01|title=Temples of Dharmarth Trust|url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/april-1992/1992-04-temples-of-dharmarth-trust/|access-date=2022-02-05|website=Hinduism Today}}</ref>

Until 1987, [[Vaishno Devi Temple]] was under the care of the Dharmarth Trust. In 1987, during the governorship of [[Jagmohan]], the temple was taken over by the state.<ref name=":0"/> The Trust continues to be guardians of major temples in the region{{En dash}} [[Shankaracharya Temple]], [[Kheer Bhawani]], [[Raghunath Temple|Raghunath temple]], [[Bahu Fort|Bawe Wali Mata shrine]] in Jammu.<ref name=":1"/> As part of the [[Smart Cities Mission]] in Jammu and Kashmir temples under the trust are being upgraded for devotees, pilgrims, and tourists.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=29 October 2021|title=Temples under Dharmarth Trust will get face-lift under Smart City project: Mayor|url=https://web.statetimes.in/temples-under-dharmarth-trust-will-get-face-lift-under-smart-city-project-mayor/|access-date=2022-01-28|website=[[State Times]]}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{Cite book|last=Rai|first=Mridu|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzMx5mPJckkC|title=Hindu Rulers, Muslim Subjects: Islam, Rights, and the History of Kashmir|date=2004|publisher=Hurst. [[Permanent Black]]|isbn=978-1-85065-701-9|location=London. Delhi.|language=en|author-link=Mridu Rai}}
* {{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Bawa Satinder|title=The Jammu Fox: A Biography of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir, 1792–1857|publisher=Southern Illinois University Press|year=1974|isbn=0809306522|location=Carbondale and Edwardsville|orig-date=1966}}

== Further reading ==
;Books
* {{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qnxtCwAAQBAJ&dq=Dharmarth+Trust&pg=PA253|title=Pledge for an Integrated India. Dr Mookerjee in Throes of Jammu and Kashmir 1951 to 1953|date=2015|publisher=[[Bharatiya Janata Party]], New Delhi and [[Prabhat Prakashan]]|isbn=978-93-5186-537-7|editor-last=Khandelwal|editor-first=Devesh|language=en}}

;Journals
* {{Cite journal|last=Wani|first=Zahoor Ahmad|date=2017|title=Role of Dharmarth Trust (1846-1947A.D.) in the Shaping of Economic Policies of Dogra State|journal=International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research|volume=15|issue=21.2|pages=569–577|issn=0972-7302}}

;Government
* {{Citation|title=Information regarding present status of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and religious places|date=2020|url=https://srinagar.nic.in/notice/updated-information-regarding-present-status-of-kashmiri-hindu-shrines-and-religious-places/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106225653/https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s3f4b9ec30ad9f68f89b29639786cb62ef/uploads/2020/11/2020112359.pdf|publisher=District Srinagar, Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir|archive-date=6 January 2022}}

;News articles
* {{Cite web|date=9 March 2021|title=PM releases Manuscript with commentaries by 21 scholars on shlokas of Srimad Bhagavadgita|url=https://pib.gov.in/pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1703587|website=Press Information Bureau, Government of India}}
* {{Cite web|date=23 May 2016|agency=PTI|title=Passage of Temple Bill precondition to KPs return to Valley|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/passage-of-temple-bill-precondition-to-kps-return-to-valley-613585-2016-05-23|access-date=|website=India Today|language=en}}
* {{Cite web|last=Dubey|first=Navneet|date=2013-09-20|title=Passage of Kashmiri shrine bill hits rough weather|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/passage-of-kashmiri-shrine-bill-hits-rough-weather/story-6IhhYf70v4XDpJMqNbI7gI.html|access-date=|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}
* {{Cite web|date=2019-09-24|agency=PTI|title='Apt time to bring temple bill in J&K, rebuild Martand Sun temple,' demand Pandits|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/240919/apt-time-to-bring-temple-bill-in-jk-rebuildmartand-sun-temple-dem.html|access-date=2022-01-28|website=Deccan Chronicle}}
* {{Cite web|last=Naikoo|first=Javaid|date=5 February 2015|title=KPs demand handover of 13 temples from Dharmarth Trust|url=http://www.earlytimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=148581|access-date=2022-01-28|website=Early Times}}

[[Category:Hinduism in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Religion in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Jammu and Kashmir]]

Dharmarth Trust - Revision history

Kawoosahamad at 05:35, 12 November 2024