Sanskrit Isn't Dead Here

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HYDERABAD, India (July 20, 2004): There is nothing out of ordinary

when one sees B.Sc. student C. Naga Aparna's family. But when you

call her, you will be surprised to hear not the customary 'hello',

but 'Hari Om.'

 

Though Sanskrit is not a language commonly heard, there are as many

as 1,000 families in the state which speak Sanskrit. They simply

don't bother even if people don't respond to them in the same

tongue.

 

Welcome to the world of Sanskrit speakers. These unique citizens of

India claim learning and speaking Sanskrit was the best thing to

have happened to them.

 

"Sanskrit is not just big words that are used in poetry or found in

epics like Ramayana, it can be as simple as Telugu or Hindi," said

an ardent Sanskrit fan, A. Sajeev Kumar, who does not speak any

other language but Sanskrit.

 

This rage for Sanskrit is fast catching up in the state with the

opening of at least 40 spoken Sanskrit learning centres since the

past two years. The Rashtriya Sanskrita Samsthan, a Delhi-based

deemed university, introduced a three-month spoken Sanskrit courses

all over the country in voluntary organisation, with Sanskrita

Bharati as a nodal agency, last year.

 

In Telangana and Rayalaseema, there were 1,700 people learning to

speak Sanskrit in the first round of the course. The second round of

classes began in July and the number of centres in the state have

been increased from 30 to 40 with the possibility of the number of

students crossing 2,000.

 

The learners say it is their love for the language that has beckoned

them to join the course. There is no age bar or qualification

required to learn the language. People may first come to just while

away their time, but are generally bowled over by the language and

pursue it with great zeal.

 

"The response from people is enormous. Now we are sure our dream to

revive the ancient language will come true," said N. C. P.

Acharyulu, president of West Andhra, Sanskrita Bharati.

 

Source: The Times of India, "Sanskrit isn't dead here," by MRIDULA

CHUNDURI, TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2004 11:52:12 PM ]

 

URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-

784936,curpg-1.cms