Author: ANI
Publication: Keralanext.com
Date: April 6, 2005
URL: http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=172187
With plans afoot to build a university
for the promotion of Sanskrit, the temple town of Somnath in Gujarat may
soon emerge as India's Sanskrit capital.
The town down the ages has been
a place of religious importance. Now, with a Sanskrit school alreadyin
place and a Sanskrit University in the pipeline, Somnath can turn itself
around and become a centre of knowledge and learning.
One India's most revered pilgrim
spots, Somnath is located about 435 km from Gujarat's capital of Gandhinagar.
The holy town is known world wide for its magnificent shore temple.
Somnath is one of the twelve most
sacred "Jyotirlingas" or Shiva shrines in India. According to legend, Somnath
is as old as creation itself. Ransacked and destroyed by invaders during
the medieval ages, the Somnath temple has been rebuilt several times.
Thousands of devotees throng to
this place with abounding reverence. Besides being a centre of religious
importance, Somnath is slowly establishing itself as a centre of knowledge
and learning.
Tshere exists a Sanskrit Pathshala
or school in which knowledge of Sanskrit and ancient scriptures and texts
is imparted to students. Students from this school chant vedic hymns and
prayers in the town temple.
Students feel that the opening up
of a Sanskrit university would expose them to numerous avenues and would
provide them with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge.
"We would have a great future ahead
if there is Sanskrit University. Also it is very important to have a University
or a centre of higher education. No one becomes knowledgeable or a priest
by learning just two three words or by donning the attire of a priest.
One should know everything which can only be learnt at a University," said
Valmik Bhatt, a student of the Sanskrit Pathshala.
According to Ashok Sharma, the Secretary
of the Somnath Trust, the government has already cleared the project of
"Somnath Sanskrit University" and the trust would not leave any stone unturned
to see that the plan gets materialized soon.
A summer palace located in Veraval,
five kilometers from Somnath, will be converted into the University and
the additional 17-acres of land just adjacent to the palace would also
be utilized for the same. Both the properties belong to the Somnath Trust.
"Very soon a Sanskrit University
would be established in Somnath. The state government has given its consent.
Besides providing the site for the university along with 17 acres of land,
we have also proposed to provide an aid of 50 lakh rupees for the same.
Students would be taught Sanskrit
and Indology in the University. In order to make the students self-reliant,
they would be taught the disciplines of astrology, Vedic Mathmetics, "Karmakand"
and so on. Such courses would help in boosting the confidence of the students,"
said Sharma. (ANI)
