Sanskrit-Speaking Vedic Pandits Take Part In Cricket Competition. Top Prize Is Ayodhya Trip

Vedic pandits clad in dhoti-kurta and with religious marks on the forehead are facing off on a cricket pitch in Bhopal as part of an annual tournament aimed at promoting Sanskrit. The winners of the event, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who introduced the practice of transcendental meditation to the West, this year will get to visit Ayodhya, where the consecration of the Ram temple will be held on January 22, said an organiser. The four-day tournament began at Ankur ground in the Madhya Pradesh capital on Friday, with players and umpires communicating in fluent Sanskrit. Even the commentators narrated hits, misses and catches on the field in the ancient language.