Panjab University’s Sanskrit department and Bank of Baroda (Chandigarh zone) joined hands to celebrate International Matribhasha Diwas on February 21. The event featured declamation and poetry recitation competitions, showcasing the linguistic diversity of mother languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Garhwali, and more.
Prof. V. K. Alankar commended the richness of India’s linguistic variety, emphasizing that even illiterate individuals often speak at least two languages – their mother tongue and a locally used language. Prof. Alankar expressed appreciation for Bank of Baroda’s efforts in promoting mother languages and Sanskrit.
Teachers from the department actively participated in the events, with Dr. Vikram reciting a Punjabi poem on martyrs, and Dr. Satyan Sharma presenting an excerpt from a Vedantic poem composed in Punjabi by Sant Brahm Kushaal.
Research scholars Shalini, Ritu, and Apoorav from PU’s Dayanand Chair for Vedic studies served as judges for the competitions. The declamation contest winners were Vasundhra (1st prize), Abhishek (2nd prize), and Vaishno (3rd prize). In the poetry recitation contest, Poonam secured the 1st prize, followed by Smriti (2nd prize) and Priyanshu (3rd prize). Winners received certificates and prizes, and certificates of participation were also distributed.
Monica from Bank of Baroda expressed gratitude for the collaboration, noting that it was the third time the Sanskrit department and Bank of Baroda had worked together. Dr. Vijay Bharadwaj, a teacher at the department, extended thanks to Prof. Alankar, Bank of Baroda, teachers, and participants for the successful completion of the events.