Vedic vote

The Ashok Gehlot government is wooing the Hindu voter; now with the expansion of Ved Vidyalayas

- SONI MISHRA

THE LAKSHMAN DUNGRI HILLS on the outskirts of Jaipur look weather-beaten, redeemed only slightly by the shrubs that grow on the rocky terrain. Set in their midst is the Khole Ke Hanuman Ji—a popular destination for the devout—where a bright orange idol of Lord Hanuman presides over proceedings. Up a flight of stairs from the main level of the shrine, away from the rush of devotees, the air resonates with Vedic chants.

Seated on the floor of a spacious hall are the students of a Ved Vidyalaya. The pupils, boys between 10 and 17, are in white dhotis and kurtas, with a teeka on their foreheads completing the look. They are in different stages of a five-year course that focuses on learning the Yajur Veda. One of the four vedas, it is a compilation of hymns and instructions on how rituals are to be performed.

The Ved Vidyalaya, run by the Shri Narwar Ashram Sewa Samiti, is one of 26 such residential schools operating with the Rajasthan government’s support. Education here is free, and only about 10 students are taken in every year. While private players—a temple trust or social institution—provide the infrastructure, the government, through the Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy, funds these schools and decides the curriculum and the academic calendar. The Academy comes under the state’s art and culture department.

This Vidyalaya was started in 2017 with a batch of five boys; it now has 35 students and a fresh batch of 10 will join in July. The education is in the gurukul format, with the boys staying away from home and learning in a simple setting.