Assam has a village known as ‘Sanskrit Village,’ where everyone speaks this ancient and classical language since 2015.
Every single person, including children and adults, in the village Patiala of the Ratabari Assembly Constituency of the Karimganj district communicates in this language.
The village has up to 60 families with a total population of around 300 ‘happy Sanskrit speakers.’
The villagers are attempting to effect change by encouraging future generations to speak the language. They believe that it is the language that is not widely spoken.
The villagers also hold ‘Yoga Shibirs’ on a regular basis.
Deep Nath, a resident of this village and a Yoga teacher, stated that they began the Yoga Shibir in 2013 and that the Sanskrit Bharati workers visited the village in 2015.
“A Sanskrit Shibir was organized in our village in 2015, and since then, we have learned to speak Sanskrit, and now everyone here speaks it.” “There are 60 families in our village who use this ancient language as a medium of communication with their children,” yoga teacher and village resident Deep Nath said, adding that they are attempting to pass on their culture to future generations.
He went on to say that the Yoga Shibirs are held on a regular basis from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., and that all instructions are given in Sanskrit.
“Every month, we also organize Gayatri Yagya, in which every resident participates,” he added.
Nath also stated that the majority of the villagers here are farmers, with only 15 people working.
Deep Nath also mentioned another nearby village called Anipurbasti, where people have adopted similar practices to speak this ancient language.
The development of Sanskrit literature in Assam has been brisk, with contributions from both traditional and modern Sanskrit scholars in the post-independence period.
On the other hand, according to reports, Assam has a total of twenty-two universities. There are two Central Universities, one Deemed University, fourteen State Universities, and six Private Universities in Assam. Only five universities offer Postgraduate Sanskrit courses. The University of Gauhati, founded in 1948, has a full-fledged Sanskrit department with a strong faculty.
By ancient Indians, SANSKRIT was regarded as ‘DEV BHASHA’ or ‘DEVAVANI,’ the language of God. The script is called DEVANAGIRI, which means “use in God’s cities.” The earliest SANSKRIT language was VEDIK SANSKRIT, which dates back to around 1500 BC, when knowledge was passed down orally through generations.
Here 7 Sanskrit Speaking Villages in India:
- Muttur (Karnataka)
- Jhiri (Madhya Pradesh)
- Sasana (Orisa)
- Baghuwar (Madhya Pradesh)
- Ganoda (Rajasthan)
- Mohad (Madhya Pradesh)
- Hosahalli (Karnataka)
Among all these Mattur is termed “India’s Sanskrit Village.” It is a sleepy hamlet on the bank of the Tunga river in Karnataka, 300 kilometres from Bangalore. People who are fluent in Sanskrit can be found using it in their daily communication. Villagers who follow a Vedic lifestyle chant ancient texts and communicate in the language.
