Dehradun/Haridwar: The picturesque Dimar village—a centuries-old hub of Sanskrit learning and home to the Dimri Brahmins who oversee worship and religious activities at Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district—is all set for a linguistic revival. The State Sanskrit Academy is preparing to deploy trainers in April to encourage locals to embrace Sanskrit as a spoken language.
Selected as one of the "Aadarsh Sanskrit Villages", Dimar has had a Sanskrit school since 1910. However, the language largely remained confined to religious and academic settings rather than daily conversations.
Sanskrit, one of India's 22 scheduled languages under the 8th schedule of the Constitution, holds a special status in Uttarakhand, which in 2010 became the first state in India to declare Sanskrit as its second official language, a move later followed by Himachal Pradesh in 2019.
Under this ambitious project, one village in each of the 13 districts has been designated as

Aadarsh Sanskrit Gram

to promote spoken Sanskrit and uphold cultural traditions.

The selection process, including tests and interviews, has been completed, and the academy is set to announce the trainers soon.
Apart from Dimar, the other chosen villages include Noorpur Panjanhedi in Haridwar, Bhogpur in Dehradun, Kotgaon in Uttarkashi, Goda in Pauri Garhwal, Beinji in Rudraprayag, Mukehm in Tehri Garhwal, Pande Gaon in Nainital, Jainti in Almora, Kharkaarki in Champawat, Urg in Pithoragarh, Sheri in Bageshwar and Nangla Terai in Udham Singh Nagar.
Welcoming the initiative, Ashutosh Dimri, a resident of Dimar, said, "Many villagers understand Sanskrit, and hence adopting it as a spoken language will be easier. This project is a much-needed step toward reviving our linguistic heritage," he said.
Dimri said the Shri Badrinath Dimri Dharmik Kendriya Panchayat had set up a Sanskrit college in the village in 1910, reinforcing a strong tradition of Sanskrit education. "People know the language but rarely use it in day-to-day life. This initiative will instil confidence and encourage everyday interactions in Sanskrit."
Uttarakhand Sanskrit Academy

, which is overseeing the project, plans to provide necessary learning materials and collaborate with scholars and institutions to ensure its success. "Sanskrit schools and colleges in these villages will be roped in to implement the programme," said Vajashrava Arya, secretary of the academy.
Initially, a monthly stipend of Rs 35,000 was proposed for trainers, but this was later reduced to Rs 10,000. Sources aware of the developments, however, said Central Sanskrit University may revise the stipend to Rs 20,000. "Interviews for trainers have been conducted, and results will be announced soon. If needed, we will send selected trainers for short-term courses at Vidya Bharati training centres in Delhi and Varanasi," Arya said.
Central Sanskrit University vice-chancellor Srinivas Varakhedi told TOI that the varsity has allocated funds for the project from its skill development grants. "If the pilot project in Uttarakhand is successful, we will expand it to other states where there is demand. Sanskrit Bharati, as an organisation, will help in execution of the project from outside," Varakhedi said.