The college currently aspires to grow into a national resource centre for Sanskrit and enrich its existing research facility by undertaking in-depth research in Sanskrit and Indology.

Modelled on the lines of Varanasi’s 228-year-old Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya at the time of its inception, the Government Sanskrit College in Thiruvananthapuram has carved its own niche in the State and plays a crucial role in preserving the ancient language.

As it completes 130 years of existence, the institution aims at evolving methods to uphold Sanskrit’s relevance and popularise the language.

The Government Sanskrit College has come a long way since its establishment in 1889 by Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma of the royal family of erstwhile Travancore within the confines of a temple at Mitranandapuram in the Fort region. The college now has five undergraduate and postgraduate courses under various branches — Nyaya, Vyakarana, Sahitya, Jyothisha, and Vedanta.

Having been initially accredited with grade B++ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the institution was re-accredited with A+ two years ago, thereby becoming the first government college in Kerala and the first Sanskrit college in the country to achieve the distinction.

The college boasts of a rich legacy with its alumni comprising Vice Chancellors, Principals, and Civil Servants. J. Prasad, director of the State Council Educational Research and Training (SCERT), said: “The college had enabled our generation to engage in activism and become a part of the nation-building process even as ensuring high standards of education in Sanskrit.” “The campus remained a platform that spurred creativity and allowed us to express our views with unbridled freedom,” Dr. Prasad, who was the Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, said.

The college currently aspires to grow into a national resource centre for Sanskrit and enrich its existing research facility by undertaking in-depth research in Sanskrit and Indology.

College Principal K. Unnikrishnan said that the college has been making efforts in popularising Sanskrit courses by ensuring that the curriculum remains in tune with the changing times. Despite the limitations in the applicability of Sanskrit, many graduates have gone on to pursue careers in teaching, astrology, and Ayurveda.

To ensure that the courses did not become redundant, the college strives to identify ways by which Sanskrit teachings can be applied to the modern times. “We have sought to emphasise through various activities that Sanskrit is not at odds with science as is perceived by many. Ancient Sanskrit texts can be used to prove that the teachings went hand-in-hand with modern science. As part of such efforts, we organised a Sasthrayan expo on science and Sanskrit a year ago. We intend to organise a similar one this year too,” Prof. Unnikrishnan said.

He added that the curriculum did not excessively rely on ancient texts, but emphasised on contemporary writings, including those by Sanskrit scholars P.C. Devassia and Muthukulam Sreedharan. The college has also sought approval from the University Grants Commission to launch a research journal titled Syanandooradhwani (in Sanskrit, Syanandoora stands for Thiruvananthapuram and dhwani, sound).

Dr. Prasad called for a major overhaul in pedagogical techniques that can arouse interest among younger generations to pursue Sanskrit for higher education. “Very often, we come across youngsters who look down upon Sanskrit. I would squarely blame the teachers and their teaching style for this,” he said.

Shed ‘divine’ tag

P. Rajesh Kumar, an assistant professor in the college’s department of Vedanta, said Sanskrit would gain greater acceptance only if concerted efforts were made to shed the ‘divine’ or ‘sacred’ tag associated with the language.

The primary challenge faced by the institution is the dwindling number of students who are adept in Sanskrit. Even while efforts to popularise Sanskrit in schools are yet to attain fruition, Prof. Unnikrishnan said many students who opted for the language in the Kendriya Vidyalayas chose to pursue higher education in Sanskrit. He, however, lamented that a large section of society remained unaware of the possibilities of learning Sanskrit and undertaking research in classical Indian literature.

Nevertheless, around 300 people, mostly middle-aged and senior citizens, pursue various job-oriented courses, including Sanskrit, Yoga, Jyothisha, and Vasthu through the sub-centre of the Centre for Continuing Education Kerala that functions on the campus.