www.speaksanskrit.org

[drisya]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rhyme-for-reason/560491/

( same news also at http://www.punemirror.in/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2009122820091228005311624207d353e&sectxslt= )

Bhara bhara jaladhara varsha hi sara sara, Khumbhaparimitam jalam re Zara zara Nirzar, sara bhara purataha Khumbhparimitam jalam re…

When hundreds of children sing this in various city schools, their grip on the language, says Varsha Sarda, confronts even the students who were auditioned to sing it on record. These Sanskrit rhymes that Sarda has penned over the last five years constitute her effort towards introducing the language at the earliest age while releasing a musical compilation of a few of them soon.

Initiated as an effort to popularise the language while exercising all the gains through the activity from an early development of speech, jaw exercise to the early adaptation of the language itself Sarda says, “There is a lot of literature in this Indo-European language as well as scriptures on medicine, architecture, science and so on which are uncharted. Teaching it to the children will generate a generation of proficient Sanskrit speakers ahead. It is tough to find people with fluency in Sanskrit and the best way is to start young, equalizing it to and prioritizing like the mother tongue.”

As a result the Sanskrit professor along with her student Shefali Kosta has the language introduced to children in the age gap of three to 11 in almost thirty schools including at the Learning Home.“When I am taking classes no other language is spoken except Sanskrit. I realized during my post graduation that the method of learning refrains from studying the language wholly hence I make them learn it in its originality devoid of any translations and they do perceive through my repeated actions,” adds Kosta

Besides rhymes Sarda has also written short stories for the children, derived pronunciation patterns and vedic chants from the ancient texts and also trains teachers to conduct the speech therapy. The CD will also have a book with illustrations of the 11 tracks which have been given a musical approach for an easier appeal. Sarda who is a member of the Sanskrit Bharati Saustha says that many of her university level students relied on the translation while the beauty of the language was in oblivion. “Rhymes are rare and those available tend to have a classical tone making the kids jittery while grasping them. Also it needs to go beyond the realms of academics and be explored for its application in various spheres of our life which I am expecting this initiative to instigate,” says Sarda.