What do the terms Kashtapattika, Kandukam, Yashtithreyam and Davanasankhya have in common? Though the words may seem indecipherable for some, they actually define one of the simplest terms of the most followed game in the country i.e., cricket, in Sanskrit.
Besides the cricketing terminology, a wide range of topics from mythology to science were explained to the youngsters with the help of colourful models and charts, by the students of Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha (RSVP). This exercise was conducted as a part of the ‘Teaching Practice Programme’ for the students pursuing Siksha Sastri (B.Ed), which is monitored by the National Council for Teaching Education (NCTE).
The two-day exhibition, which concluded here on Tuesday, boasts of more than 300 models accompanied by 600 charts elucidating on religion, technology, pollution, games, entertainment, farming, political schemes, mythological scenes (‘Abhigyana Shakuntalam’, ‘Gajendra Moksham’ etc.), places of importance and much more.
Speaking to The Hindu , RSVP’s Head of the Department for Education Prahalad Joshi said that such an event would help in strengthening the teaching skills of the students. “After a 45-day training period, students display their exhibits at the varsity, with the intention of reaching a wider audience. They have to prepare lesson plans, on any topic of their choice, in Sanskrit and one of the three languages: English, Hindi and Telugu,” he added.
One of the striking features of the exhibition is the ban on the use of thermocol, which is generally used as the main building block for such models, to promote an eco-friendly message. Programme Coordinator A. Sachidananda Murthy and Prof. S. Dakshinamurthy Sarma said that the programme had focused on macro and micro teaching methodologies while imparting the lessons to the students. “The varsity students go to schools, where Sanskrit is taught as a subject, and teach the students on various topics, keeping the methodologies in mind. They prepare models and charts on this occasion to drive the point home,” they said.
The programme was inaugurated by RSVP Vice-Chancellor Hare Krishna Satapathy, accompanied by Dean (Education) Rajnikanth Shukla and other faculty members.