REPORT OF THE SANSKRIT DAY CELEBRATION on 20/09/2025.
The Mumbai university department of Sanskrit celebrates the Sanskrit Day as a festival every year. This year also it was celebrated on Saturday 20th September 2025, with customary zeal and devotion. The proceedings of the day started with the invocation of Goddess Sarasvati. Priyanka Joshi, a first year MA Sanskrit student rendered it in her beautiful melodious voice. The Day’s proceedings were launched by the customary lighting of the lamp by all dignitaries. Then Associate professor Suchitra Tajane, the head of the department, welcomed the chief guest Dr. Nityanand Mishra. Dr. Tajane then presented a brief report about the activities and achievements of the department during the period 2024-2025. The main highlight was that last year the university conducted a survey of all the departments of the university and awarded the best departments in each stream. The department of Sanskrit was awarded the second prize along with a grant of Rs. 5 lakhs in the stream of humanities for its excellent academic performance and other activities. In the month of June 2025, World Sanskrit conferencewas held in Kathmandu, Nepal where various research papers were presented by the faculty and students of the department. Dr. Tajane was invited to act as panel chair for three panel discussions and paper presentations.
After this, Prof. Madhavi Narsalay introduced the chief guest Dr. Nityanand Mishra, and invited him to deliver his address. In his brief address, he stressed on the universalisation of Sanskrit education. Shri. Ajay Pendse then started the prize distribution ceremony. Every year, the department honours the top two performers among its various courses. This year also, the top performers in MA Sanskrit, MA Yoga shastra, MA Epics and Puranas, MA Artha shastra, etcwere felicitated at the hands of the hon. Chief Guest.
Another feature of the Sanskrit Day celebration is the distribution of awards and certificates for the winners of various Sanskrit related competitions conducted by R̥tāyana, an NGO, across various schools in Mumbai. One of the competitions consists of storytelling in Sanskrit for different age groups. Two of those winners who were present that day, won the hearts of everyone by their beautiful spellbinding story telling in Sanskrit.
The entertainment began after the formal programmes were completed. This year, the department had invited Dr. Shrihari Gokarṇakar and his pupils to present a unique program of presenting Sanskrit versions of popular songs from Hindi, Marathi and a few south Indian languages. The program was aptly titled “Śrāvya”. Dr Shrihari himself, regaled the audience with their rollicking performances. Dr Shrihari’s two young sons also performed with acumen. The singing was so intoxicating that two young students of the department joined in with an impromptu performance of dancing. Pranjal Akkalkotkar could sing the Sanskrit songs with perfect pronunciation which was always in sync with the original meter, tune and composition. No wonder, the group has won various awards and prizes. The program ended with a Marathi children’s song ‘Ago bai Dhaggu bai …’ which brought the audience to their feet.
As all good things have to come to an end, the program ended with a brief but pointed vote of thanks from Dr. Shakuntala Gawde. Ms Renuka Panchal skilfully conducted the entire proceedings. All were then treated with a sumptuous spread of snacks and sweets.
Today’s event will forever remainembedded in the memory of all participants.
Report by Mohan Datar and Dr. Medha Deshpande