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Himachal govt contemplating to open Sanskrit varsity: CM
He said Sanskrit scholars and Sanskrit Academy should come forward with suggestions to make this language accessible to common man so that students could be motivated to study it.
The Himachal Pradesh government has accorded the status of second language to Sanskrit since it is rich in vocabulary, literature, thoughts and ideas, meanings and values, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday.
He was presiding over the first meeting of Himachal Pradesh Sanskrit Academy through video conferencing.
The CM said the state government is also contemplating to open a Sanskrit University for which land was being identified. He said Sanskrit scholars and Sanskrit Academy should come forward with suggestions to make this language accessible to common man so that students could be motivated to study it.
The CM said Sanskrit, whatever be its antiquity, was more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than both of these. “Sanskrit was the oldest and most used language in the world. It is still taught in some schools in India and at a few places in the West,” he said.
“With India playing an important part on the world stage, there has been a corresponding growth of interest in Sanskrit. In this era of unprecedented change and uncertainty, it can be a valuable tool to assess and look afresh at the society,” the CM said, adding that steps taken by the state government to popularise Sanskrit has been appreciated at various levels and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the decision to accord the status of second language to Sanskrit.
He said efforts will be made to make Sanskrit more simple and practical to make it popular among the masses.
State education minister and vice-chairman of Sanskrit Academy Suresh Bhardwaj said Himachal Pradesh is the second state after Uttarakhand to give Sanskrit the status of a second language.
He said the state government will ensure that school children willing to opt for Sanskrit have adequate opportunities at various levels.
CM launches home delivery of prasad of Chintpurni temple
The CM launched the ‘Online Prasad Chhinmastika Bhog’ of Chintpurni temple in Una district through video conferencing on Monday.
He said the pandemic has forced the state government to close all temples and religious shrines to avoid social gathering and spread of virus.
The CM said although most shrines were providing online ‘Darshan’ facility to the devotees but it was for the first time that the facility of providing ‘Prasad’ to the devotees has been launched with cooperation of the postal department.
He appreciated the efforts of the Una administration for providing home delivery of ‘Prasad-Bhog’ to the devotees. He also thanked the Indian Postal Department for its cooperation in online home delivery of the ‘Prasad’.
People will now be able to get ‘Prasad’ of this holy shrine at their door steps by applying online for ‘Darshan and Prasad’. He said with this, Himachal Pradesh is among the few states after Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Baba Kashi Vishwanath, Banaras, to have home delivery of ‘Prasad’.
The CM said the state government is committed to develop Himachal as the best destination for religious tourism. “All major temples and shrines are being developed and maintained to attract devotees and religious tourists. Mata Chintpurni Temple was one of the most sacred religious place which draws tourists from all over the world,” he said.
“The state will take steps to provide better connectivity to the shrine besides providing good infrastructure to facilitate devotees,” he added.
