By Girish Kumar Dubey
A residential school, in Varanasi city of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state, took the initiative to instruct girl students on methods of learning traditional Hindu scriptures like Vedas and Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines associated with the study of the Hindu traditional scriptures).
More than 80 girls, between the age group of eight to twenty years, reside in the residential education school of 'Panini Kanya Mahavidyalaya'. The girl students are being trained in priesthood, an arena conventionally considered as a male bastion.
Speaking to mediapersons, Nandita Shastri, an instructor said that it was essential to educate the young generation on the need to develop moral principles which will equip them to deal with various hurdles in life.
"No matter how modern we become, at present children are ready to commit suicide over any small issue. They do not have self-belief and they think that in case they fail to achieve their goal, then they have lost everything. So by educating them about their moral values, we tell them that the purpose of their life is very vast and great for which you have to struggle till you achieve 'dharma' (religion), ' karma' (action deeds), 'kaam' (work), 'moksha' (salvation). Your aim should be to achieve 'par brahma' (universal soul). By overcoming the small hurdles in your life, you should move towards achieving your goal and that can be attained by imbibing the moral values," said Shastri.
Meanwhile, the women instructors of the school were also seen performing 'upanayana ceremony' (Hindu thread ceremony) with the girl students. Conventionally, the traditional Hindu thread ritual is performed before the marriage of Hindu men which gives them the authority to perform Yajna (a religious fire ritual) and allows them to read verses and hymns from the traditional scriptures.
Explaining the purpose behind wearing the sacred thread, known as 'Janeu', a student said that the thread represented an oath to always tread on the path of truth during their student life.
"Every human being after wearing this (sacred thread) takes an oath that they would always tread on the path of truth and devote their lives towards studying. We will never use foul language and not indulge in any misdeeds. We would devote our lives to learning the Vedas and would try to become a person who has moral values," Divya Arya, a student.
There are very few schools in India which instruct girls in traditional Hindu hymns and verses in the medium of Sanskrit.
The traditional Hindu scriptures contain hymns and verses written in Sanskrit and has been translated in various other Indian and foreign languages.
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE -RE-SENDING WITH REVISED SCRIPT
A residential school in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state has taken the initiative to instruct girl students on traditional methods of learning Hindu scriptures like Vedas and Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines associated with the study of the Hindu traditional scriptures).
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (AUGUST 30, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)
1. GIRL STUDENTS IN THE COMPOUND OF A SCHOOL
2. A GROUP OF GIRLS PERFORMING YAJNA (HINDU FIRE RITUAL)
3. THE GIRL STUDENTS CHANTING SANSKRIT SHLOKAS (HYMNS) WHILE PERFORMING YAJNA
4. HANDS OF THE STUDENTS PERFORMING A RITUAL
5. A WOMAN INSTRUCTOR POURING DROPS OF WATER ON THE HANDS OF THE STUDENTS
6. STUDENTS CHANTING HYMNS IN SANSKRIT
7. TWO INSTRUCTORS TEACHING STUDENTS
8. FOLDED HANDS OF A STUDENT
9. FACE OF THE STUDENT
10. AN INSTRUCTOR TYING A ROPE WITH COLOURFUL THREAD AROUND THE WAIST OF A STUDENT
11. INSTRUCTOR TYING ROPE ON ANOTHER STUDENT'S WAIST
12. HANDS OF THE INSTRUCTOR TYING ROPE
13. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) NANDITA SHASTRI, AN INSTRUCTOR, SAYING:
"No matter how modern we become, at present children are ready to commit suicide over any small issue. They do not have self-belief and they think that in case they fail to achieve their goal, then they have lost everything. So by educating them about their moral values, we tell them that the purpose of their life is very vast and great for which you have to struggle till you achieve 'dharma' (religion), ' karma' (action deeds), 'kaam' (work), 'moksha' (salvation). Your aim should be to achieve 'par brahma' (universal soul). By overcoming the small hurdles in your life, you should move towards achieving your goal and that can be attained by imbibing the moral values."
14. TWO INSTRUCTORS PRESENTING SAFFRON STOLES TO THE STUDENTS
15. AN INSTRUCTOR GIVING A STOLE TO A STUDENT
16. AN INSTRUCTOR TEACHING THE STUDENTS
17. INSTRUCTOR GIVING STICKS TO THE STUDENTS
18. STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS HOLDING A HINDU SACRED THREAD (USED FOR CEREMONIAL PURPOSES) AND CHANTING HYMNS IN SANSKRIT
19. AN INSTRUCTOR CHANTING HYMNS AND PERFORMING RITUAL OF UPANAYANA CEREMONY (HINDU THREAD CEREMONY)
20. ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR PERFORMING THE RITUAL WITH A STUDENT
21. TWO STUDENTS SITTING
22. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DIVYA ARYA, A STUDENT, SAYING:
"Every human being after wearing this (sacred thread) takes an oath that they would always tread on the path of truth and devote their lives towards studying. We will never use foul language and not indulge in any misdeeds. We would devote our lives to learning the Vedas and would try to become a person who has moral values."
23. TWO INSTRUCTORS GIVING FOOD OFFERING TO THE STUDENTS
24. STUDENTS RECEIVING FOOD OFFERING IN THEIR SAFFRON STOLE
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