Dr. Jitendra Singh shares Maharaja Hari Singh birthday event at Ramban

Key Takeaways

Jitendra Singh shared photographs of Maharaja Hari Singh's birthday celebrations at Ramban, Jammu and Kashmir on 24 September 2026 .

The event was organised by Shri Amar Kshatriya (Rajput) Sabha , a community body active in heritage observances across the Jammu division.

Maharaja Hari Singh was the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir and signed the Instrument of Accession to India on 26 October 1947 .

Ramban is a district in the Jammu division situated along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway .

Such community-organised birth anniversary events for historical Dogra rulers are an annual feature of heritage culture in the Jammu region.

A local ceremony in Ramban, the district town nestled along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, marked the birthday of the last ruling Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir — and Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh shared glimpses of the celebrations on Thursday, 24 September 2026.

Who was Maharaja Hari Singh — and why communities still celebrate him

Maharaja Hari Singh was the last Dogra ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. His most consequential act came on 26 October 1947, when he signed the Instrument of Accession, formally bringing the state into the Indian Union amid a tribal militia invasion backed from across the western border. For many in the Jammu region, that signature is the defining moment of regional identity — a choice that communities like the Rajput sabhas mark with annual reverence.

Shri Amar Kshatriya (Rajput) Sabha takes the lead in Ramban

The event was organised by Shri Amar Kshatriya (Rajput) Sabha, a community body that has been active in organising cultural and heritage events across Jammu division. The Sabha's celebrations at Ramban reflected the broader pattern of Dogra-heritage observances that recur across the region's districts around the Maharaja's birth anniversary each year. Dr. Jitendra Singh, whose Lok Sabha constituency of Udhampur sits in the same Jammu division, shared photographs from the gathering on his official account.

Point of View

Such optics also serve to underline the legitimacy of that accession at a time when Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory under direct central oversight. The Rajput Sabha's role as a heritage organiser, rather than a political body, keeps the event in the ceremonial register. Still, the Minister's visible association signals the soft-power importance the Jammu division continues to hold in the broader political calculus of the region.

NationPress

24 Sept 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Maharaja Hari Singh?

Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the Dogra dynasty of Jammu and Kashmir. He is best remembered for signing the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947, which formally merged the princely state with India.

Why is Maharaja Hari Singh's birthday celebrated in Jammu?

Communities in the Jammu region, particularly Rajput and Dogra heritage groups, observe Maharaja Hari Singh's birth anniversary to honour his role in the history of Jammu and Kashmir and to celebrate Dogra cultural heritage.

What is Shri Amar Kshatriya (Rajput) Sabha?

Shri Amar Kshatriya (Rajput) Sabha is a community organisation representing Rajput groups in the Jammu region. It organises cultural and historical events, including annual celebrations marking the birth anniversaries of historical rulers associated with the Dogra dynasty.

Where is Ramban located?

Ramban is a district in the Jammu division of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, situated along the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

What did Dr. Jitendra Singh post about the Ramban event?

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh shared photographs on his official X account from the birthday celebrations of Maharaja Hari Singh organised by Shri Amar Kshatriya (Rajput) Sabha at Ramban on 24 September 2026.