Fri Dec 12 17:12:28 UTC 2025: Headline: Sanskrit Returns to Pakistani Classrooms After Decades-Long Absence
Lahore, Pakistan – In a historic move, Sanskrit is being taught in Pakistan for the first time since the Partition. The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has launched a four-credit course in the classical language following a successful three-month workshop that garnered significant interest.
Students in the course are also exploring the Urdu rendition of “Hai katha sangram ki,” the theme from the Mahabharat television series. This initiative aims to revive interest in the rich Sanskrit archives held at the Punjab University library, which have remained largely untouched by Pakistani academics since 1947.
“Pakistan has one of the richest yet most neglected Sanskrit archives,” said Dr. Ali Usman Qasmi, Director of the Gurmani Centre. He hopes that training local scholars will unlock the potential of these collections.
The university plans to expand its offerings with courses on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, potentially fostering a new generation of Pakistani scholars specializing in these texts.
Dr. Shahid Rasheed, Associate Professor of Sociology at Forman Christian College, spearheaded this change. He emphasizes the importance of classical languages and envisions a more cohesive South Asia if people embrace each other’s classical traditions.
“Sanskrit is like a mountain – a cultural monument. We need to own it. It is ours too; it’s not tied to any one particular religion,” Dr. Rasheed stated, highlighting Sanskrit’s historical significance in the region and its potential to bridge cultural divides. He added that learning each other’s classical traditions could bring fresh and hopeful start for South Asia, where languages become bridges instead of barriers.
First Piper 