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| 199th Coronation Day of Maharaja Gulab Singh celebrated | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 18: To mark the beginning of bicentennial year of foundation of Princely State of Jammu & Kashmir by Maharaja Gulab Singh, 199th Coronation Day (Raj Tilak Divas) was jointly celebrated by Raj Tilak Celebration Committee and Dharmarth Trust in a simple and stand-alone manner in a public function at Jeo Pota on 17 June 2021, while strictly following Corona protocol.
Pertinent to recall that on this auspicious day in 1822, emperor of Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself administered ‘Saffron Tilak’ to Gulab Singh instead of granting the traditional privilege to the pundits and that too unconventionally, ie, upside down, lesser known commonly. When objected to by the priests, the emperor stated that he was planting a tree with roots strongly dug down so that no storm would uproot it ever. (Ironically the new empire that took off by this noble act lasted more than a century proving the prophesy of the emperor right while his own empire collapsed within 7 years of his demise). It was this act of divinity which turned a warrior into a Raja to later Maharaja of a vast empire spanning over 84,000 sq miles, largest in British India.
The function started with the Pooja at the Raj Tilak Platform by learned Pandit Dr. Shiv Raina with prayers for peace and prosperity of Maharaja’s erstwhile empire followed by offerings of floral tributes by all the persons present at the podium. After the Pooja Ceremony, the podium reverberated with ‘Maharaja Gulab Singh Amar Rahe’ slogans by Yuva Rajput huge contingent led by K. Rajan Singh and K. Rajvir Singh and other Yuva leaders.
Despite COVID - 19 Pandemic, a large number of dignitaries and prominent persons enthusiastically attended the programme. Sh. Bharat Bhushan, Hon’ble Chairman DDC Jammu; Th. Gulchain Singh Charak, President Dogra Sadar Sabha; Smt. Sharda Bahu, Hon’ble Member DDC Akhnoor; Veteran Col Bana Ram Sharma; Narinder Singh Bahu, President all India Bahu Sabha; Th. Davinder Singh Kaluria, Chairman Gen Zorawar Singh Memorial Trust with his illustrious daughters Diksha and Reha, both bearing Dogra Pagris; Col Karan Singh; K. Rajan Singh alias Happy, Chairman Yuva Rajput Sabha; K. Rajvir Singh; Capt Jagtar Singh, Gold Medalist in Shooting, Capt Dayal Singh, Shaurya Chakra, Capt Jugal Gupta, Th. Kuldeep Singh alias Keepo, and Col J P Singh were among many who paid floral tributes. The gathering would have been in thousands and celebration remarkable had the pandemic not forced the event to a low key. Sh. Chand Kishore, SDM Chowki Chaura & Akhnoor; Dr Ashok Kumar, BMO Akhnoor and Sh. Kuldeep Raj Sharma, JKAS, BDO Akhnoor were among many UT govt officials who paid floral to the visionary founder of J&K.
Karan Singh, former Sadar-e-Riyasat, in his message on this auspicious day, hailed the formation of a distinguished empire, today called the ‘Crown of India’, which was multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and yet by his ancestors; otherwise so diverse in many aspects and yet harmonious in its spirit and wished it peace and prosperity. Yuvraj Vikramaditya Singh, scion of the royal family, lauded the vision of the founder ruler in shaping the history and geography of the region and complimented organizers for keeping his glory alive.
Interacting with media, Bharat Bhushan, acclaimed the glorious achievements of Maharaja Gulab Singh and lauded the valour of Dogras for extending boundaries of India upto Afghanistan, China, Tibet, NWFP and Russia and assured that Indian Army is fully committed and strongly prepared to defend J&K from neighboring enemies. He also complimented efforts of Th. K P Singh and his team of enthusiastic members who have been conducting this function for last many years.
Lauding the role of Dogra warriors under Maharaja Gulab Singh and Gen Zorawar Singh, Th. K P Singh, organizer of the event stated that achievements of Dogras have been written in golden letters in the world history and would remain etched in everlasting Indian memory.
He described founder ruler as visionary, brave and a diplomatic ruler who gave to far flung, different, distant and diverse regions a closely knitted one identity as ‘Jammu & Kashmir’. Therefore Maharaja Gulab Singh Jyanti be declared a Public Holiday like Maharana Pratap Jyanti a pubic holiday in Rajasthan, to keep his memories alive. He thanked Maharaja Gulab Singh Trust for its patronage and sponsorship of this historic event. He took up development of Jeo Pota as ‘Heritage Tourism Site’ with the DDC Chairman and demanded Akhnoor be made District.
Sharda Bhau also paid befitting tributes to the founder ruler of J&K and stated that being a ‘Vir-Nari’, she was proud to represent the historic Akhnoor constituency from where the formation of an empire began.
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