On a cricket field in Bhopal, vedic pandits with dhoti-kurtas and religious symbols on their foreheads are competing as part of a yearly competition to promote Sanskrit.
As part of an annual competition to promote Sanskrit, a group of vedic pandits, dressed in dhoti-kurta and with religious symbols on their foreheads, are playing cricket on a field in Bhopal. According to one organizer, this year’s victors will get to travel to Ayodhya, where the consecration of the Ram temple will take place on January 22, in honor of the birth anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who brought transcendental meditation to the West. The four-day competition got underway on Friday at the capital city of Madhya Pradesh’s Ankur Ground, where referees and participants conversed in perfect Sanskrit. In the archaic tongue, even the pundits described hits, misses, and catches made on the field.
The spiritual guru, whose birthday is January 12, formed an organization that operates seminaries and Vedic schools over the nation.
Ankur Pandey, a member of the Maharishi Maitri Match Committee, claims that the winners will be flown to Ayodhya after January 22. He stated that the runners-up would receive Rs 11,000 and they would also receive a prize of Rs 21,000.
Twelve teams, four of which are from Bhopal, are taking part in the cricket tournament’s fourth edition, according to Pandey.
An additional organizer stated that the occasion seeks to enhance sportsmanship and Sanskrit within the Vedic community. In addition to prizes, he said, players are receiving 100-year “panchang” (almanac) and Vedic texts as gifts.
