In This Karnataka Village, Locals Only Speak In Sanskrit

We all know about the significance of the language Sanskrit in Indian culture and its history. Almost all our ancient scriptures and Puranas are composed in Sanskrit, which was revered as a holy language in ancient times. The 18th century saw the introduction of European settlers in India, which led to the downfall of Sanskrit’s reputation as a language of wisdom and understanding. English was brought by British colonialists; soon afterward, it replaced Sanskrit as the language of government, academia, and science. But has the language of Sanskrit completely lost its use ? We would argue otherwise, because there exists a village in India where the only language spoken is Sanskrit. In an era, where Indian regional languages are struggling to survive, there is still a population in the Shimoga district of Karnataka that takes pride in speaking Sanskrit. Mattur, a village in Karnataka on the banks of the Tunga River with a rich cultural legacy, is referred to as the Sanskrit village. Even the vegetable dealer here speaks Sanskrit. Not only is Sanskrit utilised for pujas in this area, but many people engage in it during daily conversation.

Everyone speaks Sanskrit fluently in Mattur village, regardless of gender, age, literacy level, or lack thereof. Even Muslim households converse in Sanskrit as fluently and without reluctance as Hindu families do. The children are often heard chanting Sanskrit shlokas on the streets.The children are taught the Vedas here from an early age and people from all over the country come to Mattur to learn Sanskrit.

The origins of Mattur’s village embracing Sanskrit can be traced back to almost 4 decades ago. An association dedicated to promoting Sanskrit, Sanskrita Bharati, arranged a 10-day workshop in Mattur approximately forty years ago. Numerous well-known people went, including the seer of nearby Pejawar Mutt in Udupi. The residents at Mattur enthusiastically embraced the seer’s proposal to establish a Sanskrit village once he saw their excitement for maintaining Sanskrit.

In addition to Mattur in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh has a Sanskrit village too. It is in the Rajgarh district and is known as Jhiri village. Fifteen years ago, people connected to Sanskrit Bharati visited this place and instructed the locals in the Sanskrit language, who adopted the language.