DHARAMASHALA: In a significant step towards preserving and promoting India’s cultural heritage, the Saptasindhu Foundation has published ‘Sharadalok’, the first magazine in the Kashmiri language written in the Sharada script.
The magazine was released at the Saptasindhu campus of Himachal Pradesh Central University in Dehra. The launch ceremony was attended by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sat Prakash Bansal, Prof Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri, Vice-Chairman of the Haryana Sahitya Evam Sanskriti Akademi and Director of the Saptasindhu Foundation, and Dr Kismat Kumar, Assistant Professor at the university’s Dr Ambedkar Study Centre.
The Kashmiri language was written in the Sharada script for several centuries. However, following religious invasions, the script was replaced by the Perso-Arabic Nastaliq script. The displacement of Sharada, the language’s traditional script, affected Kashmir’s cultural identity and disrupted its historical continuity.
Through ‘Sharadalok’, the foundation seeks to strengthen the practice of writing Kashmiri in its traditional script and revive an important part of the region’s cultural heritage. The publication is being viewed as a significant cultural initiative aimed at reconnecting the language with its historical roots.
Dr Jaiprakash Singh is the editor of the magazine, Sanjay Pandita is the co-editor, and Aditya Awasthi is the executive editor.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri said, “The Sharada script has played a very important role in enriching and preserving the Indian knowledge tradition. It is hoped that ‘Sharadalok’ will become a means of exploring the unexplored dimensions of this tradition.”
Prof Sat Prakash Bansal said, “The publication of ‘Sharadalok’ is important for keeping the Sharada script alive. It also encompasses immense possibilities for accelerating the process of understanding the Indian knowledge tradition in its entirety.”
Dr Kismat Kumar said, “Scripts shape both language and expression. ‘Sharadalok’ will certainly help enrich Indian language and expression.”
