| Formation | 1846 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Maharaja Gulab Singh |
| Founded at | Jammu |
| Type | Private trust |
| Origins | Dogra dynasty |
Chairperson trustee | Karan Singh |
| Remarks | Active |
Dharmarth Trust (also spelt Dharmartha) in Jammu and Kashmir was founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1846 as an endowment for religious charity, and to manage and support Hinduism.[1] In 1884, and under Maharaja Ranbir Singh, the Ain-i-Dharmath (in Persian) or 'The Regulations for the Dharmarth Trust' were formulated and a government department for religious affairs was created.[2] The trust helped the Dogra dynasty to consolidate and validate its control over its territory and over the functioning of Hinduism in the region.[3]
Karan Singh has been the sole chairperson trustee since 1959.[4] 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.[5] The Trust continues to be the guardians of major temples such as Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar, Kheer Bhawani in Ganderbal and the Raghunath temple and Bawe Wali Mata shrine in Jammu.[6]
- ^ Pintchman, Tracy (2001). "1". Seeking Mahadevi: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess. State University of New York (SUNY) Press. pp. 57, 67. ISBN 978-0-7914-9049-5.
- ^ Rai 2004, p. 114.
- ^ Rai 2004, p. 119.
- ^ Badhwar, Inderjit (31 March 1987). "Take-over of Vaishno Devi shrine by independent board erupts into legal controversy". India Today. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Home page, introduction". Dharmarth Trust, Jammu/Srinagar, official website. Archived from the original on 24 September 2010.
- ^ "Dharmarth Trust awaits govt instructions to open shrines". Tribune India. 10 June 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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