Introduction
Bal Sahitya Sansthan is an organization registered under the Government of Uttarakhand. It is also registered with the NITI Aayog, Government of India. At present, the organization is primarily engaged in publishing the quarterly children’s magazine “Bal Prahari” and is also organizing online activities such as stories, poems, etc., for children. So far, approximately 1,420 online activities have been conducted.
To provide children with a literary platform, enhance their writing skills, give them opportunities for expression, and develop a scientific temperament among them, the organization has organized 335 five-day workshops with public support across approximately 16 states of the country.
The organization has a collection of about 88 children’s magazines published across the country. Exhibitions of these magazines are also organized during children’s literature seminars held at various places.
The organization has published 25 books with ISBN numbers.
Every year, the organization conducts national-level seminars on children’s literature with public support. Local-level seminars are also organized at different places.
The organization has honored around 250 children’s literature writers from across the country for their significant contributions, with public support.
The book titled “Children’s Literature Writers of Uttarakhand and Their Creative Works” is under publication.
The organization has worked, with public support, to provide books, clothes, shoes, etc., to poor and needy children.
In 2019, during the natural disaster in Kerala, an amount of ₹20,000 was sent with public support for the affected people.
Efforts are being made, with public support, to provide uniforms and books to underprivileged children.
Preparation of handwritten magazines/books by children and organization of children’s poetry conferences.
Participation of children as अध्यक्ष (chairperson) or guests in programs.
Providing support as resource persons in child-related activities organized by various government and non-government institutions.
During the COVID period, online programs were organized to provide children with a literary platform and opportunities for expression. So far, 455 workshops have been conducted.
Balprahri
The publication of Bal Prahari began in the year 2004 through the initiative of colleagues from the All India People’s Science Network and the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Uttarakhand. Initially, children’s fairs and children’s science fairs were organized through the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti. Later, poetry and story writing were also introduced for children in these fairs. During the workshops, handwritten magazines were prepared by compiling poems, stories, and drawings created by the children. These handwritten magazines were kept with us.
Later, it was thought that a magazine should be published in which children’s creations could be printed and which could remain with them. With this idea, Bal Prahari was first prepared as a four-page handwritten magazine. At that time, photocopying cost 50 paise per page. After photocopying four pages, we sold it for two rupees.
Subsequently, the name Bal Prahari was officially registered with the Registrar of Newspapers. After that, it began to be published as a quarterly magazine. The inaugural issue of Bal Prahari was released on July 11, 2004, in Dwarahat. The ceremony was held under the अध्यक्षता (chairmanship) of the then Block Education Officer, Mr. Omprakash Harbola, and the release was carried out by Mr. Dan Singh Rautela, the then Joint Director of the Education Department, Nainital. The event took place in the auditorium of Government Inter College, Dwarahat, and was attended by renowned litterateur Mr. Gambhir Singh Palni, along with several other writers, educationists, and well-wishers.
From the very first issue, Bal Prahari has consistently included at least 12 pages of children’s writings. To identify and encourage such young contributors, writing workshops have been organized at various places in collaboration with Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, with the support of the community. Through these workshops, children have been increasingly connected with Bal Prahari. Each issue provides an opportunity for expression to more than 100 children. Children not only read their own creations but also share them with others. In this effort, we receive valuable support from school teachers and parents.
Bal Prahari has organized 5-day writing workshops for children in various districts of Uttarakhand, including Almora, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri, and Haridwar. In addition, such workshops have also been conducted in Bhagalpur (Bihar), Bhilwara, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Salumber (Rajasthan), Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Deoria (Uttar Pradesh), and Mahasamund (Chhattisgarh), with the support of local collaborators. The editor of Bal Prahari has also participated as a resource person in children’s writing workshops organized by Anuvrat Vishva Bharati in cities such as Guwahati, Kolkata, and Chennai.
On behalf of Bal Prahari, seminars on children’s literature have been organized at the local level in Almora, Dwarahat, Berinag, Gangolihat, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Khatima, Dehradun, Joshimath, Uttarkashi, and other locations in Uttarakhand, as well as in places like the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan (Lucknow), Garhwal Bhawan (Delhi), Deoria, and Bhagalpur.
Every year in June, Bal Prahari and the Bal Sahitya Sansthan jointly organize national-level seminars on children’s literature in Uttarakhand with community support. So far, such seminars have been held in Almora, Dwarahat, Kausani, Bhimtal, Uttarkashi, Mussoorie, Joshimath, Anjanisain, Gairsain, and Nainital. Each year, more than 100 writers participate in these seminars.
Published from the mountainous region of Uttarakhand, Bal Prahari has established a distinct identity among children’s magazines. While it continues to receive blessings from renowned authors of the country, it also publishes contributions from children across different states. The Central Hindi Directorate of the Government of India has supported the magazine by purchasing 625 copies for distribution in schools and institutions in non-Hindi-speaking regions under its scheme to promote Hindi. The Directorate of Education, Uttarakhand, has approved Bal Prahari for schools in the state. Additionally, through institutions like the Hindi Academy Delhi and various government and non-government organizations, the magazine reaches schools in rural areas across the country.
In 2010, the Child Welfare and Children’s Literature Research Institute, Bhopal, honored Bal Prahari as the best children’s magazine in the country during its annual समारोह, thereby granting it national recognition.
From its journey as a handwritten magazine, Bal Prahari has now completed 20 years of publication. Incorporating valuable suggestions from friends and children, several improvements have been made from time to time. We believe there is still ample scope to make this magazine more useful for children. For this, we look forward to receiving child-friendly and scientifically oriented contributions from our friends and well-wishers.