Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Jammu Signboards Bring Dogri’s Fading Script Back Into View
Dogri is a language mainly spoken in Jammu.
Long ago, people wrote Dogri using a script called Takri.
A newer version of that script became known as Namey Dogra Akhar.
Over time, people mostly began using Devanagari to write Dogri.
Urdu, English and other scripts were also used for official work.
This made the older Dogri script much less common.
Now, some people in Jammu want to bring it back.
New signs show local names in Namey Dogra Akhar beside Hindi and English.
Supporters also plan to hold classes so more people can learn it.
Jammu has begun installing public signboards featuring Namey Dogra Akhar alongside Hindi’s Devanagari and English’s Roman script.
Namey Dogra Akhar is a modified form of Takri, the historical script used for Dogri.
The script developed during Maharaja Ranbir Singh’s reign after Devanagari vowels were added to Takri.
Its use declined after Urdu, Devanagari and Roman scripts gained prominence in official and educational work.
Civil society members and the Jammu Municipal Corporation are now promoting the script through signs and planned classes.
- Who
- Civic authorities in Jammu, supported by civil society members including Kasturi Lal Gupta, are promoting Namey Dogra Akhar.
- What
- Public signboards are being installed with area names in Namey Dogra Akhar alongside Devanagari and Roman scripts.
- When
- The current signboard campaign began after an initiative launched a few years ago; Gupta began displaying script boards nearly three years ago.
- Where
- At prominent locations, institutions, religious places and cremation grounds in Jammu.
- Why
- Supporters aim to revive the traditional Dogri script, which declined as Devanagari, Urdu and Roman scripts became more widely used.
- Language
- Dogri is primarily spoken in Jammu and belongs to the Western Pahari group.
- Number of speakers
- The 2011 census recorded nearly 2.6 million primary Dogri speakers in India.
- Official recognition
- Dogri entered India’s Eighth Schedule in 2003 and became an official language of Jammu and Kashmir in 2020.
- Historical script
- Namey Dogra Akhar is a modified form of Takri, the original Dogri script.
- Script decline
- The script declined as Urdu became an official language and Devanagari became standard for Dogri education and literature.
- Literary milestone
- The Dogri Sanstha adopted Devanagari in 1944, helping Dogri gain Sahitya Akademi recognition in 1969.
- Current effort
- The Jammu Municipal Corporation has installed signboards using Namey Dogra Akhar, with script classes planned.