Disseminating Sanskrit education for more than 55 years

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Published: February 27, 2011 00:00 IST | Updated: February 27, 2011 04:04 IST

Disseminating Sanskrit education for more than 55 years

R. Keerthana

Memorable: Justice R.S. Ramanathan releasing the souvenir ‘Jnanadhara' and advocate P.B. Ramanujam receiving the first copy.

Sanskrit, which is the store-house of scriptures and language of prayers in Hinduism, has influenced most Indian languages. But when it comes to learning the language, there are only few institutions in Chennai that offer the course. Mambalam Samskrita Vidyalaya fills this gap. It has been offering Sanskrit education for about 55 years and still counting. The classes are offered free of cost.

Mambalam Samskrita Vidyalaya was established by Kulapati Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachariar. What started small in 1955 has been disseminating Sanskrit education, keeping the interest in one of the oldest languages alive. The school has been cultivating the literary knowledge among its students.

Classes are held regularly in the evening on all working days between 6.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Students, from school children to retired persons, are coached for the examinations conducted by Chittoor Samskrita Bhasha Pracharini Sabha.

There are 60 students currently with the institution at six levels.

“They come purely for the love of the language,” says O.R. Devanathan, son of the late Rajagopalachariar and honorary principal of the school. Talking about job prospects after doing the course, he says, “Teaching and curators at Museum are most sought after.” People also do literary works.

“Many students, who have passed from this Institution, are in esteemed positions in various fields,” says Mr. Devanathan. He cites - “Dr. K. Srinivasan, Head of Sanskrit Department, Sri RKM Vivekananda College, Dr. V. Abhiramasundaram, Lecturer, Dept., of Sanskrit, Sri RKM Vivekananda College, Dr. L Kumaraswamy , Head of Sanskrit Department, D.G. Vaishnav College, Dr. M.V. Anantapadmanabhachariar, and R. Sivaraman, leading advocate, to name a few.”

“U.Ve. Rajagopalachariar started the institutions inspired by the Mambalam Hindi Vidyalaya instituted by Dr. R. Venkatakrishnan. Mambalam Samskrita Vidyalaya can be called as the offshoot of Hindi Vidyalaya,” says Mr. Devanathan, who is also a lecturer at Dept. of Sanskrit, Presidency College. Mr. Rajagopalachariar, fondly called as ‘Periya master' by his students, ensured that the classes are held free of cost.

The institution has been conducting inter-school, inter-collegiate sloka recitation competitions, lecturers on various topics related to Sanskrit at various occasions. “For the Golden Jubilee celebration, year-long celebrations which included competitions and seminar by various eminent scholars, the response to which was overwhelming,” he adds.

The Vidyalaya has its own history of staging various dramas such as ‘Parvati Parinayam', ‘Bali Niyamanam', ‘Pancharaatram', ‘Sri Vedanta Desika Vijayam' by Anantha Padmanabhan, and ‘Kalidasa Vilasam'.

The Samskrita Vaagvardhini Sabha formed for the benefit of the students to increase their power of speech in Sanskrit has been meeting every Saturday.

Anniversary celebration

The 55th anniversary celebration was held on February 5 at Ahobila Mutt Oriental Higher Secondary School. Justice R.S. Ramanathan was the chief guest and released the souvenir ‘Jnanadhara', a compilation of lectures, articles from eminent scholars. Advocate P.B. Ramanujam received the first copy.

Teachers who served the Vidyalaya were honoured by the Judge. The chief guest spoke in praise of the Vedas and Sanskrit language and lauded the service of the Vidyalaya. Advocate P.B. Ramanujam said that Sanskrit language is not only used for spiritual benefits but also for monetary benefits. Earlier, inter-school and inter-collegiate sloka reciting competition and an inter-collegiate quiz competition were conducted and prizes were distributed during the occasion.

Mambalam Samskrita Vidyalaya functions in the premises of Ahobila Mutt Oriental Higher Secondary School at 116, K.R. Koil Street, West Mambalam. Contact 2489 0311/ 98843 64620 / 99624 22480.

R. Keerthana

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-downtown/disseminating-sanskrit-education-for-more-than-55-years/article1494163.ece 

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Lakshmi Hayagreevar

About our vidyalaya

Sri:

Mambalam Samskrita Vidyalaya, a free Sanskrit School, established by Kulapati Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachariar, in the year 1955, has been rendering yeomen service these 60 years in the dissemination of Sanskrit education to all, from school students to retired persons irrespective of age, sex, caste or religion.  Classes are held regularly in the evenings on all working days between 6.30 pm and 9 pm. Students are coached for the examinations conducted by Chittoor Samskrita Bhasha Pracharini Sabha.  The growth and progress of the institution is entirely due to the unstinting dedication of the founder, Kulapati Sri U.Ve. Rajagopalachariar.  Dr. O.R. Devanathan, Head of the Post Graduate and Research Dept. of Sanskrit, Presidency College, Chennai, is presently conducting classes, with the assistance of Mrs. Jayanthi Sankar.  Dr. K. Srinivasan, Principal, Sri RKM Vivekananda College, Dr. L. Kumaraswamy, Head of Sanskrit Department, D G Vaishnav College, Dr. Balasubramaniam, Curator, Govt. Museum, Chennai, Dr. V. Abhiramasundaram, Lecturer, Department of Sanskrit, Sri RKM Vivekananda College, Dr. K. Rama, Sanskrit teacher, Sri RKM Sarada School, Burkit Road, T. Nagar, Dr. O.R. Devanathan, Head of the Post Graduate and Research Dept. of Sanskrit, Presidency College, Chennai, Dr. V. Charumati, Former Sanskrit Teacher, Sri Ahobila Math Oriental Higher Secondary School, Dr. M. V. Anantapadmanabhan, are some of the many who have studied here and are following their career through Sanskrit knowledge.

The Silver Jubilee of the Vidyalaya, was celebrated under the esteemed presence of His Excellency, Sri Prabhudoss Patwari, the then Governor of Tamil Nadu.  The tri decennial anniversary celebration was held under the kind presence of Sri V. Sethuraman, retired Judge, High Court, Madras.  The 36^th anniversary was celebrated under the esteemed presence of Sri C. L. Ramakrishna, IPS, Director General of Police, Vigilance and Anti corruption, Govt. of Tamil Nadu.  The founder’s 80^th birthday celebrations were conducted in a grand scale as a year-long function during 1999-2000.  This included, inter school, inter collegiate sloka recitation competitions, lectures on various topics which included, a lecture by Sri Sundarkumar on ‘Gurubhakti’, lecture on Samskara by Dr. S. Ramaratnam etc. Year-long golden jubilee celebrations were conducted during the period 2004-2005 which included an inter school and inter collegiate competition and a one-day seminar on Samskaras by various eminent scholars, the response to which was overwhelming.  In May 2008, the “Abhinandanotsava” felicitating, Dr. O.R. Devanathan, for his completion of 20 years in the Vidyalaya was celebrated under the presence of Dr. K. Srinivasan.  Since the year 2007, monthly lectures are being conducted on Chitra nakshatram, the birth star of our Periya Master.  Around 50 lectures have been conducted so far. 

 The 55^th Anniversary celebrations were conducted in 2011.  As part of this celebration, an inter school and inter collegiate sloka recitation competition was conducted on 26^th January, 2011. An inter-collegiate (Post Graduate level) Sanskrit Quiz competition was held on the same day which was attended by seven teams representing various colleges and Universities of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.  On 5^th February, 2011, a commemorative souvenir named “Jnanadhara”, containing about 65 articles of various stalwarts of the country is being released.

Having the Vidyalaya students themselves as the cast, the Vidyalaya has staged the following dramas: Parvati Parinayam in 1991, Bali Niyamanam in 1993, Pancaraatram in 1994, Sri Vedanta Desika Vijayam in 1995, and Kalidasa Vilasam in 2002.

The Samskrita Vaagvardhini Sabha formed for the benefit of the students to increase their power of speech in Sanskrit has been meeting every Saturday.  The sabha’s activities have been uniformly satisfactory and the cause of the students is better served.

The 60^th Anniversary celebrations are to be conducted as a year-long function, the inauguration function of which is to be held on 12^th May, 2014.  It is proposed that a workshop on various sastras like Vaastu Sastra, Jyotisha Sastra, Ayurveda Sastra and Yoga Sastra, a one-day Seminar on Science and Sanskrit where eminent speakers will give lectures, a Sanskrit Exhibition where students from various schools will exhibit their exhibits, an inter school and inter collegiate sloka reciting competition, oratorical competition and inter collegiate quiz competition, a Sanskrit drama and a debate are to be held during the course of the year and in May 2015, a grand Valedictory function is to be held where a souvenir release and a book release are planned, when various eminent Sanskrit scholars will be honoured.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER OZHAPAKKAM KULAPATI SRI U. VE. RAJAGOPALACHARIAR

-          Fondly known to his students as Periya Master

-          Born on 1^st May 1920, Saturday, Chitra Nakshatram, Chitrai month

-          Studied in Madhurantakam Pathashala.

-  Kaalakshepam under Kothimangalam U.Ve. Sri Veeraraghavarya Mahadesikan and later under his father in law Madhurantakam Sri U.Ve. Veeraraghavacharyar.

-          Came to Chennai in 1947 and was married in 1949.

-     First worked as a copyist in Adayar Library, then took up a job as a Sanskrit teacher in Anjugam school. Later he joined Wesley High School as a Sanskrit teacher where he worked till his retirement.

-          Three sons and a daughter

-      His works: Acarya Saptati Ratnamalika in 1972, Navaratna Malika in 1972, Acarya Mangalam in 1972, Acarya Namavaliyukta Nakshatra in 1980, Vatsya Veeraraghavacharya Mangalam in 1986 and Sundararya Padya Malika in 1992.

-     Titles Conferred upon him: Sahitya Ratna in 1965, Samskrita Prachara catura in 1987, Kulapati in 1993, Nyaya Veda Vedanta Ratnam in 1993, Ubhaya Vedanta Desikan in 1995, Vidwan Mani in 2003, Yogakshema Ratna, Sastra Ratnakara in 2004, and Sri Vaishnava Simham in 04.

-          Started Mambalam Samskrita Vidyalaya in 1955 and conducted FREE Sanskrit classes for nearly 50 years with a dedication which is unparalleled.

-          On 17^th  November 2005, he left us all to reach the Lotus Feet of Sriman Narayana.