'Bhavan katham asti?' Sanskrit finds new life in Assam's border villages

GUWAHATI: "Ek kilo parimitam alookam dadatu," requested Amalendu, a villager in Patiala Basti, asking for a kilogram of potatoes. Shopkeeper Akbar responded: "Astu dadami (take it)."

This exchange, a scene from daily life, is just one of many where Sanskrit has become an integral part of communication in Anipur Basti and Patiala Basti near the Bangladesh border in southern Assam's Karimganj - a Muslim-majority district where the official language is Assamese and the native tongue is Bengali.

Here, the 5,000-year-old language is not just a subject in textbooks but a language spoken fluently in everyday life. Villagers greet each other with a friendly "namaskaram" while callers exchange, "Bhavan katham asti (How are you)?" to which the reply is, "Samyak asmi (I am fine)."

Patiala is also witnessing a revival, with at least 50 residents fluent in Sanskrit.

Concentration levels of kids up since Sanskrit shift, say locals

Around 300 of the 400 residents of Anipur Basti converse comfortably in Sanskrit, conducting business and even personal calls in the ancient language.

Suman Kumar Nath, a local school teacher and resident of Anipur, is proud of the village's linguistic journey. "Being the oldest language of the country, Sanskrit is a very rich language and a reservoir of our ancient knowledge," he said.

For Nath, Sanskrit is not only a way to honour heritage but a means of accessing the knowledge embedded in the language. Nath's school, which educates 200 children, including 20 Muslim students, teaches all students to converse in Sanskrit. From Classes 1 to 10, every child learns Sanskrit.

The revival began about nine years ago, when villagers attended workshops and educational programmes aimed at reintegrating Sanskrit into daily life.

The benefits of learning Sanskrit have been noticeable, particularly in education. Patiala Basti resident Dipan Nath said that adopting Sanskrit has positively impacted students' performance.

"Since using the language, the concentration level of the students has increased, and they have performed well in academics," he explained.

He attributed this to Sanskrit's extensive vocabulary, which allows villagers to answer questions concisely, often in a single word.

The resurgence has drawn the attention of academics and language experts. Dr Sudeshna Bhattacharya, head of Sanskrit department at Gauhati University, visited Patiala Basti and was amazed by what she saw.

"Though many tend to label Sanskrit a 'dead language', the villagers, including those without formal education, have been doing commendable work by using it in their life," she said.

Bhattacharya recalled her visit to the village, where a woman without formal schooling welcomed her in fluent Sanskrit. "It was a powerful moment," she said.