Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 11: Professor Lalit Magotra, President Dogri Sanstha, Jammu will be honoured with Kunwar Viyogi (KV) Sahitya Kala Sammaan- 2024.
A Dogri writer, Prof Magotra is one of the prominent voices of Jammu who has dedicated his life to preserve and propagate the Dogri language. He has also authored very popular books namely Hello Maya, Jameen, Cheten Di Galiyan, Dogri Sahitya-Ek Nazarsani, Anginit Gass, Shabad Se Moun Tak, while his essays and research papers have been published regularly in different newspapers and magazines including J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages’ Dogri Sheeraza, Sadha Sahitya, Nami Chetna among others.
Recognizing his contribution towards the cause, jury members of Kunwar Viyogi Memorial Trust decided to bestow him with this honour. The previous recipients of the Kunwar Viyogi Sahitya Kala Sammaan were Padma Shri Joginder Chattarpal, Padma Shri Padma Sachdev and renowned film director and Dogri author Ved Rahi.
The award ceremony is a part of the 9th annual Kunwar Viyogi Utsav held to celebrate the life and works of the Sahitya Akademi Awardee, often referred to as the ‘Father of Dogri Sonnets’.
A celebrated writer, Kunwar Viyogi has 26 books to his credit in Dogri, Hindi, English and Urdu and more than 2000 sonnets in Dogri and English. The Trust is instituted to honour his memory and take forward his legacy of nurturing and celebrating the Dogri language through multiple, innovative academic and non-academic endeavors.
The award is presented each year by the Trust and Dogri Sanstha, Jammu to encourage young writers in pursuing their dreams. It may be noted here that Kunwar Viyogi won the Sahitya Akademi award for his very first Dogri publication Ghar at the age of 40.
KV Sahitya Puraskaar was instituted to encourage young writers in pursuing their ambition and subsequently provide a platform so that like Viyogi their work is widely read and appreciated by people.