New York (USA): It would seem Sanskrit has become the flavor of the month in some parts of the United States. Last week, a two-day Sanskrit seminar, the first of its kind in Nevada, concluded in Reno. Earlier this month, the Gayatri Mantra from the Rig Veda, hymns from Taittiriya Upanishad and shlokas from the Bhagvad Gita were used to bless students at the liberal Bishop Manogue Catholic High School, situated in Reno.
Twenty six Indian-American teenagers took a resolution on New Year’s Eve to learn to speak in Sanskrit, before a 150-strong audience at the Harvard Community Center in Irvine, southern California. The pledge was made during the celebrations organized by the Samskrita Bharati USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to popularizing spoken Sanskrit.
"There has always been an interest in Sanskrit in the United States, even among many Americans," said Arun Sankar, a computer engineer who says he speaks Sanskrit fluently."I think in recent months there have been some pro-active movements to popularize Sanskrit and Hindu culture and civilization," Sowmya Joisa, who teaches children Sanskrit language, told rediff.com. "Sanskrit is the language from which we derive our culture and heritage. There are so many Indian languages that come from Sanskrit. Naturally, those who want to learn about India and its culture, want to learn the language," she added.
Source: ‘www.rediff.com’
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