Stating that it is the collective responsibility of every Indian to revive the glory of the Sanskrit language, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday emphasized that it is important to create opportunities for preservation and promotion of "our civilization values."

Sanskrit is the primary sacred language of Hinduism, and has been used as a philosophical language in the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Sanskrit is a standardized dialect of Old Indo-Aryan, originating as Vedic Sanskrit as early as 1700-1200 BCE.

Addressing after laying the foundation stone for the new building of Chudamani Sanskrit Sansthan, at Basohli of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, Sinha said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration is trying to promote the Sanskrit language according to the recommendations of the New Education Policy.

"Along with five official languages, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is trying to promote the Sanskrit language according to the recommendations of the New Education Policy," the LG added.

Sinha said that Sanskrit has been the only language in the country that has not only united different regions but also created a close relationship between teachers and their disciples.

Last year, the Uttarakhand government gave Sanskrit the status of second official language of the state. This comes after Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that he intended to promote Sanskrit in the state. In fact, Uttarakhand is the only state to have accorded Sanskrit this status.

The following are the places in India that still largely Sanskrit:

• Mattur, Karnataka
• Jhiri, Madhya Pradesh
• Hosahalli, Karnataka
• Sasana, Odisha
• Baghuwar, Madhya Pradesh
• Ganoda, Rajasthan
• Mohad, Madhya Pradesh

"The foundation stone laying of the new building of Chudamani Sanskrit Sansthan is a historic moment. Pandit Uttam Chand Pathak Shastri had done great and noble work in promoting Sanskrit language, cultural, and heritage values. Sanskrit has been the only language of our country which has not only united different regions but also created a close relationship between Guru and disciples. The values of the Sanskrit language were also recognised by great personalities like Albert Einstein, Oppenheimer, and Max Muller," he further said.

"It should be our endeavour that Sanskrit is taught in schools according to the modern requirements. Wisdom in Sanskrit scriptures can help today's generation while dealing with the emerging challenges," Sinha said.

The LG said that the inauguration of various projects in Basohli shows the resolute commitment of the Union Territory's administration towards the economic, cultural and social development of Basohli and adjoining areas.

"We are making efforts to revive the historical glory of Basohli and promote it as a unique destination for water sports with state-of-the-art facilities on the lines of Water Sports Centre at Srinagar, providing all necessary resources to the sports talent," he said.

Image source: Hindustan Times