History of World Sanskrit Day

The history of World Sanskrit Day dates back to 1969, when the Government of India declared August 19 as Sanskrit Day to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the birth of Pāṇini, a Sanskrit grammarian.

Pāṇini is considered the father of Sanskrit grammar. His work, the Ashtadhyayi, is a comprehensive treatise on Sanskrit grammar that is still used today.

The first Sanskrit Diwas was celebrated in 1969, with the theme “Sanskrit: The Language of Knowledge”. The event was held in New Delhi and was attended by scholars and dignitaries from all over the world.

Since then, World Sanskrit Day has been celebrated every year on the full moon day of the Shravan month in the Hindu calendar. The day is celebrated by holding various events, such as seminars, lectures, and cultural performances.

Purpose

The purpose of World Sanskrit Day is to raise awareness of the importance of Sanskrit and to promote its study and use.

Sanskrit Diwas is a day to celebrate the beauty and richness of Sanskrit and to reaffirm its importance in the world. It is also a day to encourage people to learn Sanskrit and to use it to promote understanding and cooperation between cultures.

In 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared August 19 as the International Day of Sanskrit. This was a major step in promoting the language and its importance on a global scale.