Ahmedabad: A Sanskrit kaksh (Sanskrit room) was inaugurated at Jyotirmay campus of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) on Tuesday, in collaboration with Gujarat State Sanskrit Board of the state education department. The inauguration was held as part of the university’s Sanskrit Week, which also featured the celebration of Sanskrit Literature Day.The programme was organised under the guidance of BAOU vice-chancellor Ami Upadhyay and the direction of Prof Yogendra Parekh, director of the department of humanities and social sciences.Addressing the gathering, the VC said Sanskrit is not merely a language but also a medium of India’s cultural identity. She stressed that preservation of any culture depends on preserving its language. Referring to the revival of Hebrew in Israel, she highlighted the role of commitment and cultural pride in safeguarding a language.Upadhyay announced a 20-day free Sanskrit conversation course for university employees and residents of the surrounding areas. She also proposed developing a new concept of ‘Sanskrit Tourism’ connecting the Ramayana, Vedas and ancient heritage sites. She noted that BAOU has been running a Sanskrit Language Lab for four years and postgraduate programmes in Sanskrit, Indian knowledge tradition and Hindu studies for three years.Chief guest Himanjay Paliwal delivered his address in Sanskrit and said a Sanskrit Bhavan is built not merely with bricks, but through active conversation and ideas. He noted that over 550 institutions have joined Gujarat’s Sanskrit Kaksh initiative, with BAOU being the first university-level institution to establish one.Vishnuprasad Trivedi delivered a lecture on the movement of the mind based on the first six mantras of the Shiva Sankalpa Sukta, explaining the importance of controlling the mind for knowledge and constructive actions.
