VIJAYAPURA : R Garments, a textile shop in the bustling Meenakshi Chowk area of Vijayapura, has created a unique identity for itself by transacting daily business in Sanskrit. The shop owner, his family members and employees speak the ancient language while attending to customers. What more, even Muslim employees and from other minority communities too speak Sanskrit inside the shop.
The brain behind the initiative is the shop owner, Ramsingh Rajaram Rajput, who has been in the textile business in Vijayapura for nearly four decades. First, his interest in Sanskrit and his initiative to promote the language was well received by his family members. It was eventually introduced in his business too.
Ramsingh started promoting the classical language after he attended Sanskrit Bharati’s 10-day Sanskrit learning camp at a local ashram in Vijayapura in 2004. Instead of restricting Sanskrit to religious rituals, prayers or classrooms, he decided to use it in daily life. He first introduced the language to his family members and began teaching it to his employees later.
Ramsingh’s son Rahul Singh Rajput said, “After attending the Sanskrit camp, my father taught the language to our family members and later to our employees. Now, all of us are well-versed in Sanskrit. Although Hindi is our mother tongue, we all speak Sanskrit. Even those married into our family are now familiar with Sanskrit.”
Ramsingh’s family employs around 20 Hindus and 15 Muslims. Sanskrit conversation sessions are held at 3R Garments and at Sanskrit Bhavanam, the residence of Rajput family, in Adarsh Nagar, Vijayapura, from 9 am to 10.30 am every day. If a group of more than 10 people is interested in learning Sanskrit, the family members travel to that place and conduct a camp there.
Besides, in association with Sanskrit Bharati, the family conducts free Sanskrit learning and conversation classes in Vijayapura and other parts of the district.
Prof GR Ambali, president, Sanskrit Bharati’s North Karnataka branch, too is associated with the initiative. While the Rajput family focuses on spoken Sanskrit, Prof Ambali teaches grammar. The family also distributes free copies of a book for Sanskrit learners published by Sanskrit Bharati.
As per Rahul, over 5,000 people have benefited from free Sanskrit classes conducted by his family. Many Sanskrit students visit his father and get their doubts cleared.
Samir Salotagi, a senior manager with 3R Garments, said learning Sanskrit at his workplace also helped him improve his Kannada, Hindi and English. “I taught Sanskrit to my sister and her children. Though we speak Urdu, Sanskrit has now become part of our family,” he added.
This is a reaffirmation of the Rajput family’s belief that Sanskrit should not be restricted to any particular religion or caste.
“Sanskrit is an ancient language. Indian culture, traditions and knowledge are deeply associated with it. People can learn and speak other Indian languages if they are thorough with Sanskrit,” Rahul said.