If you thought learning foreign languages ranks the highest among people in India, think again.
You’d be surprised at the rising demand for the ancient language, Pali. A large number of people are enrolling at city institutions that offer courses in the language.
Perhaps this prompted a group of students from Pali department of Mumbai University to set up a stall at Dadar, where they wore T-shirts promoting Pali learning.
Their stall was one among the several stalls put up for devotees, who visited Chaitya Bhoomi a memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to pay their respects on Thursday and today – his death anniversary. A revivalist for Buddhism in India, Dr Ambedkar is regarded as a Bodhisattva by some Indian Buddhists, though he never claimed it himself.
Records obtained from the university, shows the increasing popularity of Pali. According to the data, MA (part II) in Pali, which started in 2005, with only 13 students, has increased to 54 in 2013-2014 academic year. Similarly, for MA (part I), there are 43 students this year, as compared to 12 students in 2006-2007. In the certificate course of Pali, which started from 2008, the number of enrollment has gone up from 62 in 2008 to 91 in the current academic year.
Dr Yojna Bhagat, coordinator of department of Pali, Mumbai University, said that the number of takers for the language is on a rise. “Texts written by Buddha in Pali around 2,500 years ago, offer solutions to problems we encounter in our daily lives. Learning Pali helps decipher Buddha’s messages, which helps people to deal with several issues,” said Bhagat.
Abhishek Koli, 32, a management professional is a student of Pali at the university. “In Maharashtra, there are about 1,200 rock-cut architectures, with different inscriptions in the language. Learning Pali helps to understand history and culture,” said Koli, adding that Pali also provides knowledge about Vipasana.
Gautam More, a Pali teacher at Somaiya Vidyavihar, said that the demand is also because of the international popularity enjoyed by the language. “Moreover, knowing Pali has an added advantage if you want to have a career in architecture, archeology, epigraphy and history,” said More.
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