The Sanskrit Department of Delhi Public School, R.K Puram organized a Sanskrit Diwas on 14th August 2014. The entire program was conducted in Sanskrit and the event showcased a number of competitions like “Nibandh Lekhan” (Essay Writing), “Shlok Ucharan” (Prayer Recitation), “Sanskrit Natika” (street plays) and “Yuva Sansad” (Youth Parliament) in order to disseminate information to the students regarding the vitality of Sanskrit.
Two leading lights, who have contributed immensely to the promotion of Sanskrit language, namely, the chief guest for the event, Dr Girish Nath Jha, Associate Professor at the Computational Linguistics Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and the guest of honour, Ms. Shruti, an educationist, musician, teacher and exponent of Indian traditional knowledge systems and philosophy, were present on the occasion. They were welcomed by the Principal, Dr. D.R.Saini and the Head of the Sanskrit Department, Dr. Asha Lata Pandey.
The event started with the lighting of the lamp and the “Ganesh Vandanam”. The cultural programme had a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the exuberance of Sanskrit. The Principal, Dr. D.R.Saini addressed the audience and emphasised on the importance of Sanskrit and its relevance as a foundation for other languages. There was a group song, followed by a play on the beauty of nature and man’s destructive tendencies. Next the students performed a Kavyaali (Qawwali) in Sanskrit followed by a street play, depicting the significance of Sanskrit. The chief guest put forward a presentation on the importance of preserving and promoting the language. The Guest of Honour, Ms.Shruti graced the stage with her presence, where she shared her thoughts at the current state of Sanskrit in present times, and advocated a renewed interest in Sanskrit amongst the youth. She concluded with a soulful vocal performance of a Sanskrit shloka (Shivoham).The students put forward a mellifluous rendition of Vande Mataram, and the vote of thanks was delivered by the Head of the Sanskrit Department, Dr. Asha Lata Pandey.