In an era when ‘reel-making’ is an essential feature of any college festival, V G Vaze College in Mumbai has coined a Sanskrit word for it – chitrashrenika – as part of ‘Dhruvaa Sanskrit Mahotsav’, the city’s only Sanskrit festival organised by a college. The festival, which features many more Sanskrit-substitute words, is all set to host its tenth edition in August under the theme ‘Bhagwad Geeta’.
Aimed at promoting the ancient language in a contemporary context, the festival seeks to introduce Sanskrit literature to today’s generation in engaging ways. It is open to students as young as those in Class 5 to college-goers, to ensure a broad audience. Over the past two years, the event has been financially assisted by the Central Sanskrit University Delhi under the Union Ministry of Education.
Professor Aditi Madhavan, Sanskrit faculty at the college and teacher coordinator of the festival, explained, “The idea is to provide enriching exposure to Sanskrit language and literature—not through lectures and scholarly discussions, but by encouraging young students to engage with it through various events and competitions. It was important to make it relevant to today’s youth by incorporating new-age activities, but with a Sanskrit twist.”
Sanskrit festival at V G Vaze College (Pallavi Smart)
For instance, the chitrashrenika competition requires participants to create a short video reel with a voiceover or background track in Sanskrit. The accompanying caption must also be in Sanskrit and the reel needs to be posted on social media. The organisers believe that such a format encourages students to explore the language creatively and spark curiosity.
“You never know what might resonate with a young student—some of our past participants, especially our student volunteers, have actually developed a deep interest in Sanskrit literature,” Madhavan said.
To ensure accessibility, the festival follows a bilingual format. “The aim is to make Sanskrit inclusive, not limited to a niche audience,” she added. The organisers have even coined Sanskrit terms for other modern activities such as ankiyachitram for digital art, among others, to make the event more relatable to youths.
Professor Preeta Nilesh, principal of VG Vaze College, which is run by the Kelkar Education Trust, noted, “To date, our college remains one of the few institutions that host a Sanskrit celebration bringing together both school and college students in a shared cultural and scholarly space. It aligns well with the ethos of the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) as formally recognised in the National Education Policy 2020. This year’s theme, Bhagwad Geeta, makes the 10th edition particularly significant.”
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
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Sanskrit festival at V G Vaze College (Pallavi Smart)