In Mattur (or Mathur) of Shimoga district in Karnataka, around 300km (186 miles) from Bangalore, businessmen and farmers alike talk in Sanskrit- or if nothing else at least understand it. In 1983, Mattur was declared the first Sanskrit village of the country by a noted seer from the state, and ever since, there's been no looking back. Mattur is the village, which is just 10 km away from Shivamogga city. Children studying at the Mattur school in Shimoga in Karnataka are taught the Vedas once they turn 10 and all the students who come from the village speak Sanskrit fluently. Mattur is an agrarian village that primarily cultivates areca nuts and paddy. Yes, I visited village because Mattur is near to my native. Mattur is a quaint village in Karnataka that lies some 300 km from Bangalore. Here, even the vegetable vendor speaks in Sanskrit. It is the only village in the world of its kind, with a population of 5000. However, Sanskrit still breathed its existence through invaluable scripts and scrolls over the centuries past. The village is infamous for its residents conversing in the Sanskrit … There is a school that teaches in Sanskrit to the kids. Mattur (or Mathur) is a village in Shimoga district near the city of Shivamogga in Karnataka state, India, known for the usage of Sanskrit for day-to-day communication, although the general language of the state is Kannada. [India] May 4(ANI): Tucked away in Karnataka’s Shimoga district, Mattur holds the unique distinction of being the only village in the country to still converse in Sanskrit. Nowadays Sanskrit is mostly used by Hindu priests during religious ceremonies. Something that might have been a norm in good old days, but is a rare exception in 21st CE, has to be intriguing. The village is inhabited by about 5000 people consisting of mostly the Brahmin families. It means “Cleanliness is as important for a road as good people are for the village”. This village is situated on the banks of the River Tunga and has a beautiful Lord Rama temple, Shivalaya and a Someshwara temple situated on its banks which is one of the few attractions of the village. Also, this village has one software professional from almost every family. According to the 2011 survey; there are 1454 men & 1410 women living in this village. Mattur has been on my wishlist since I first heard that all the people of this village can speak Sanskrit. Mathur is the last Sanskrit speaking village left in India. Students from all over the world come here to learn Sanskrit. What next? Mattur’s twin village, Hosahalli, also located across the bank of the Tunga River, shares almost all the qualities of Mattur. A group of elders recite vedic hymns at the riverside. Mattur is typically differ from any other places in India. Everyone from children to elders speaks Sanskrit. How The Village Formed? A Sanskrit village!” It was a call the residents of Mattur took to heart and this is how Sanskrit became the primary language of the village. "The priest of [the local religious centre] Pejawar Mutt gave a call to make Mattur a Sanskrit-speaking village. On visiting Mattur you would find that the entire village is built as a square, with a central temple and a village … A village lined up with areca nut plantations and farm fields on the banks of river Tungabhadra has held on to its ancient roots. In this village; there are almost 537 families & thus there is a total contribution of 2864 people residing in Mattur. Few more villages in India where Sanskrit is spoken to a great extent are Sasana in Orissa and Jhiri, Mohad, and Baghuwar in Madhya Pradesh. A lost tongue, Sanskrit has however found it’s patrons in the Vedic village of Mattur. Mattur and Sanskrit. Mattur – India’s Last Sanskrit Speaking Village. Mattur, a culturally rich village is now almost famous & is also called as a “Sanskrit Village”. Only 1% of Indians speak Sanskrit today. Mattur - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia It is a village widely known for the usage of Sanskrit for day-to-day communication. There all are w… The slogans painted on the walls are ancient quotes such as “Maarge swachchataya virajate, grame sujanaha virajante”. Another interesting fact about Mattur village is the Sanskrit graffiti on the walls of the houses in Mattur. Sanskar Bharati, a school in the village that imparts the knowledge of Sanskrit to the 5000 odd people, attempts to preserve this ancient language in the modern times. There is a Ved Pathshala where scholars learn the Indian scriptures. The amazing thing about this village is that here most of the people speak Sanskrit. The journey back to its Vedic roots started for the village in 1981 when Sanskrita Bharati, an organisation that promotes the classical language, conducted a Sanskrit workshop in Mattur. Mattur – India’s Last Sanskrit Speaking Village. It was attended, among others, by the pontiff of the Pejawar Mutt in nearby Udupi. While, Sanskrit remains a language of Hindu priests in the rest of India, here, it is the lingua franca of the masses. Every generation in Mattur and Hosahalli learns and teaches Sanskrit, making sure the language never goes extinct. More about Mattur and its people. Mattur is a village nearby Shimoga, Karnataka. The giant statue of goddess Saraswati at the centre of a courtyard of a village school and the Sanskrit signboard outside the gate is the perfect prologue to this story. Other than Sanskrit, they also speak a rare dialect called Sankethi, which is a mixture of Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada, and bits of Telugu. There is a small village called Mattur which is situated near the river Tunga in Karnataka. Mattur village is in Karnataka. More regions across India should adopt Sanskrit as one of the spoken languages. Mattur is an agrarian village that primarily cultivates areca nuts and paddy.People who are interested they can come and get infirmation regarding aggriculture here. Mattur is known for having Sanskrit language as their primary language. Samvad or Daily conversations on Sanskrit at Mattur village. Villagers use Sanskrit here for their day to … The village came into light when there was a contention in India over the recent government order to replace German with Sanskrit in central schools. Also, this village has one software professional from almost every family. The ancient language is not spoken in day-to-day life by anyone in the country but them. History of Sanskrit language in Mattur. Mattur is one such village in the southern state of Karnataka, where it is taken very seriously and is practiced with great passion. For over 400 years, two villages in India have spoken Sanskrit, a language with origins dating from the second millennium BCE. Daijiworld Media Network - Shivamogga (MS) Shivamogga, Sep 2: There is a unique village in the district, which has the distinction of being the only village in Karnataka, in which all people, irrespective of caste and religion speak the Sanskrit language. Most of the people are engaged in Sanskrit in some way. from Shimoga, the district head quarters. On the banks of river Tunga, around 8 kms from Shimoga, Mattur Village which is inhabited by only 5000 people, mostly Brahmins, is known for the people speaking Sanskrit even for their daily day-to-day talks. Nestled on the banks of River Tunga is the village of Mattur at a distance of 8 km from Shimoga. On the banks of river Tunga, around 8 kms from Shimoga, Mattur Village which is inhabited by only 5000 people, mostly Brahmins, is known for the people speaking Sanskrit even for their daily day-to-day talks. Sanskrit is also known as the ‘Language of the Gods’. Training We provide education regarding sanskrit language and veda from elimentary to secondary. Shimoga is just six hours journey from Bangalore. The villages not only know Sanskrit, but fluently speak the ancient language. But in the midst of all this, there remains a village in Karnataka called Mattur, where the charm and royalty of Sanskrit is still preserved. Mattur Sanskrit Speaking Village of Karnataka I wondered if it would be like visiting India that existed 2000 or more years ago. Mattur (Mathur) is a village near Shivamogga city known for the usage of Sanskrit for day-to-day communication, although the general language of the state is Kannada. Karnataka Edited by Richa Taneja (With Inputs From ANI) Updated: May … Mathur also known as Mathoor or Mattur lies seven kms from the district headquarters of Shimoga. Mattur, a culturally rich village on the banks of the river Tunga in Karnataka, is now famous across India as the 'Sanskrit village'. If you are from Chennai, you have to come to Bangalore and then take a bus to Shimoga. … This village is noted at world level now for this special aspect. Mattur has a Rama temple, a Shivalaya, Someshwara, and Lakshmikeshava temples. This village is situated on the banks of the River Tunga and has a beautiful small Lord Rama temple situated on its banks which is one of the few attractions of the village. There are temples dedicated to Rama, Shiva, Someshwara and Lakshmikeshava. Tucked away in Karnataka's Shimoga district, villagers in Mattur can be seen speaking eloquently in Sanskrit. A village like no other, Mattur have been safeguarding the language and also the essence of Vedas over time and continue to do so to this day. It is located on the banks of River Tunga and is at a distance of about 8 km from Shimoga (Shivamogga). Villagers use Sanskrit here for their day to day conversation and not just during poojas. Only people who have taken up Sanskrit in their academics will understand its format and difficulty level. The Sanskrit language rules the roost, it is the official language in Mattur or Mathur. Mattur is just seven Kms. The village is inhabited by an ancient Brahmin community, the Sankethis, that moved to Mattur from Kerala about 600 years ago. People are converse in Sanskrit with fluent accent. The Sankethis of Mattur did not always speak Sanskrit and conversed in a rare dialect called Sankethi which is a mixture of Tamil (one of the other oldest languages of India), Sanskrit, Kannada and Tamil. 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