Gandhinagar, Aug 4 (IANS) Gujarat will celebrate World Sanskrit Day with a three-day festival from August 6 to 8, featuring a Sanskrit Gaurav Yatra (Pride Parade), Sambhashan Divas (Spoken Sanskrit Day), and Sahitya Divas (Literature Day). The events will coincide with the larger Sanskrit Week observed across India, culminating in World Sanskrit Day on August 9.

Organised by the Gujarat State Sanskrit Board, the celebrations will highlight Sanskrit’s relevance in modern India, with parades, exhibitions, speeches, and cultural programmes to rekindle public interest in the world’s oldest living language.

As part of its broader initiative titled ‘Yojana Panchakam’, the Board has rolled out five key schemes for the holistic promotion of Sanskrit: Sanskrit Saptahotsav Yojana – Celebration of Sanskrit Week at state and district levels. Sanskrit Sanvardhan Sahay Yojana – Financial aid to institutions, researchers, and teachers for organizing Sanskrit activities.

Sanskrit Protsahan Yojana – Incentives for teaching and studying Sanskrit in secondary schools. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Yojana – Encouraging people of all ages to study and memorise the Gita for spiritual and ethical guidance. Shat Subhashit Kantha Path Yojana – Promotion of memorising 100 moral Sanskrit verses to instill values in youth.

On August 6, Sanskrit Gaurav Yatras will be held across Gujarat featuring tableaux of Sanskrit heritage, chanted slogans, literature displays, and participation from students, teachers, poets, and scholars. On August 7, government officials and ministers — including the Chief Minister — will deliver messages in spoken Sanskrit, marking Sambhashan Divas.

On August 8, the state will observe Sanskrit Sahitya Divas with Veda Pujan, Rishi Pujan, Vyasa homage ceremonies, and lectures celebrating Sanskrit literature across various institutions.

The Board emphasised that Sanskrit is more than a language — it is a vision of life, a medium that embodies India’s spiritual, philosophical, and cultural consciousness.

Sanskrit Day is traditionally celebrated on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) — the auspicious day marking the beginning of academic sessions in ancient India, when Vedic studies commenced. With combined efforts from the Centre and the Gujarat government, and through the use of modern tools, digital media, and education reforms, Sanskrit is steadily being reintroduced into classrooms, communities, and public consciousness — making a 5,000-year-old language resonate in the 21st century.

–IANS

janvi/pgh