Garhwal Post Bureau
Goda (Pauri), 27 Jun: Uttarakhand Secretary, Sanskrit Education, Deepak Kumar Gairola visited the Model Sanskrit Village, Goda, in Pauri district on 27 June to review the ongoing initiatives aimed at promoting Sanskrit and interacted with the villagers.
Addressing the gathering, Gairola described Sanskrit as the Devavani (divine language) and said that since Uttarakhand is known as Devbhoomi (Land of the Gods), every resident should learn conversational Sanskrit to better understand India’s rich knowledge tradition. He emphasised that the study of Sanskrit helps inculcate culture, values, and strong character among children.
Encouraging villagers to develop fluency in spoken Sanskrit, he advised them to regularly listen to Sanskrit news broadcasts on All India Radio and Doordarshan. He said that, much like a child learns a language through listening, continuous exposure would help people naturally acquire spoken Sanskrit.
The Secretary also informed villagers about various initiatives undertaken by the Uttarakhand Government to promote Sanskrit as the state’s second official language. Referring to scholarship schemes for girls and students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, he urged parents to consider enrolling their children at Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, where a new hostel facility has been introduced from the current academic session.
He also highlighted conversational Sanskrit camps conducted not only in Sanskrit villages but also at the Secretariat, during Assembly sessions, summer camps, and through online Sanskrit conversation classes.
Gairola informed the gathering that Mathematics and Science have been introduced in Sanskrit schools across Uttarakhand. He also shared details about examination reforms aimed at improving opportunities for Sanskrit students.
Discussions were also held on the scientific knowledge embedded in Sanskrit scriptures, including Vedic Mathematics, Prajna Chakshu (inner vision), mantra-based healing traditions, expanding employment opportunities through Sanskrit, translating Sanskrit scriptures into international languages, and the government’s efforts to develop Haridwar and Rishikesh as Sanskrit cities during the upcoming Kumbh.
During the programme, village children and women captivated the audience by presenting Sanskrit conversations, songs, and recitations of Subhashitas (wise sayings). All villagers introduced themselves in Sanskrit, demonstrating their proficiency in the language.
Gram Pradhan Saurabh Godiyal welcomed the dignitaries and submitted proposals for the further development of the Model Sanskrit Village.
The programme was conducted by the Research Officer of Uttarakhand Sanskrit Sansthanam, Haridwar, who explained the vision and objectives behind the Model Sanskrit Village initiative. He also elaborated on the institution’s efforts to promote Sanskrit through tableaux, Sanskrit Day and Week celebrations, and competitions held from the block to the state level. He further highlighted the rapid implementation of bilingual nameplates across government offices and institutions over the past two years.
Earlier, on the Secretary’s arrival at Goda village, residents accorded him a traditional welcome with Swasti Vachan (Vedic chants) and a shower of flowers.
Among those present were Assistant Director (Pauri) Manoj Kumar Semwal, Khirsu Naib Tehsildar Sudama Singh, Shaurya Chakra awardee Captain Devi Prasad Godiyal, Revenue Inspector Vijendra Singh, Anusuya Prasad Godiyal, Raghunandan Godiyal, Asharam, Rajeshwari Devi, Indu Devi, Lalit Mohan Godiyal, and several other villagers.
