A book of collection of Dogri ghazals entitled “Cheten Di Chaanani” by Puran Chandra Sharma was released in a function organized by Dogri Sanstha Jammu at K.L.Sehgal Hall. Dr. Om Goswami was the Chief Guest on this occasion where Prof. Lalit Magotra presided and Prof. Veena Gupta was the Guest of Honor. Susheel Begana, the well-known ghazal maestro introduced the book in a well-researched paper, which shed light on various aspects of contents of the book and pointed out special characteristics of the ghazals by the author.
Another attractive feature of the function was a musical programme based on the ghazals by the author, the music of which was composed by the renowned musician Sham Sajan. Those who lent their voices include Sham Sajan, Nirbhay Singh Slathia and Sunandini and
accompanists were Purushottam Sharma on Tabala and Jony Kumar on Synth.
Prof. Lalit Magotra, in his presidential address said that the released book is a fine example of the high quality of Dogri poetry that has been achieved in recent times, in general and Dogri ghazal in particular. He further said that music can play a very important role in popularizing the ghazals in the masses. He appreciated Sham Sajan and others who are contributing in this context. He urged the local music industry to come forward and invest in such ventures.
Dr. Om Goswami, a leading Dogri scholar, dwelt in depth on the poetic merits of the ghazals. He evaluated his poetry in the perspective of overall ghazal scenario of Dogri and rated the poetry of Sharma as outstanding and commended him for that.
Prof. Veena Gupta, another stalwart of Dogri literature, while speaking, quoted liberally from the ghazals of Sharma, highlighting the special features of his poetry, like usage of chaste Dogri language & idiom, the unique style of expression and linguistic peculiarities. She said that “Cheten Di Chaanani” is a valuable addition to Dogri literature and has enriched its corpus in many ways.
Prof. Shashi Pathania, former Head of department of Dogri, University of Jammu and a poet of high standing herself, conducted and anchored the programme. She punctuated the proceedings by her informative & enlightening comments about the finer nuances of the poetry of the author. She also thanked the audience, media etc. at the conclusion of the proramme.
