Daijiworld Media Network - Lahore

Lahore, Dec 13: For the first time since Partition, Sanskrit has made a comeback in a Pakistani university curriculum. Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has introduced a four-credit course in the classical language, reflecting a rare institutional effort to revive Sanskrit studies in the country.

The initiative has been largely driven by Dr Shahid Rasheed, Associate Professor of Sociology at Forman Christian College, who has spent years studying Sanskrit. “Classical languages contain much wisdom for mankind. Sanskrit is like a mountain – a cultural monument. We need to own it,” he said.

The course grew from a three-month weekend workshop and has drawn strong interest from students and scholars. Dr Ali Usman Qasmi, Director of the Gurmani Centre at LUMS, highlighted Pakistan’s rich yet underexplored Sanskrit archives, including Punjab University’s palm-leaf manuscripts catalogued in the 1930s.

Dr Rasheed emphasized Sanskrit’s shared cultural legacy in the region, noting that wider engagement across borders could foster fresh connections in South Asia. Plans are underway to expand the curriculum to include structured courses on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, along with cultural material linked to classical literature.