Schools for Vedic studies in Ujjain

[Avinash]

A rhythmic chanting of Vedic mantras greets anybody entering the Navi Mandal Veda Vidya Mandir in the heart of Ujjain.

 

Inside, 80 boys, between 8 and 18, in white dhoti and kurta with tricolour angavastrams recite the shlokas in unison.

 

Their heads are shaved, save for a tuft of hair tied in a knot at the back. There are no desks and chairs; pupils sit on the floor to study.

 

In this ancient holy city, there are several schools where students are taught the Vedas.

 

According to the principals of these schools, the courses are recognised by the union HRD.

 

The students stay in the hostel where food is strictly vegetarian and are permitted to go home for a 15-day summer vacation and five days for Diwali.

 

The syllabus consists of Yajurveda and Sanskrit along with English, history, geography and the sciences.

 

Yajurveda is compulsory as it is the complete scripture for pujas, yajnas and all arts and mantras meant to appease the Hindu gods. If a student is extraordinarily bright, he is given an additional Veda to study.

 

After six years, a student is given a certificate equivalent to higher secondary education. Then he can take admission in a college for a BA in Sanskrit.

 

The students are mostly the children of priests who wish their sons to carry forward the tradition of their ancestors.

 

Admission is open to boys between 8 and 12. There is no school fee, but they have to pay a security deposit of Rs 10,000, which is returned on completion of the course. The school runs on government grants and donations.

 

The first lesson is the Gayatri mantra. A student is judged from the recitation of this mantra. His dedication and his voice are tested. Rigveda is taught only to very bright students as the teachers consider it to be the toughest.