LBSI airport comes alive as 9-year-old twin sisters eulogise Kashi in Sanskrit

Varanasi: Written in Gujarat and recited by 9-year-old twin sisters from Indore, rhythmic Sanskrit lines eulogizing Kashi were broadcast on the screens of flight information system at Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport to mark the World Sanskrit Day on Sunday, inviting tremendous response from the thousands of visitors and staff present there.
“The idea behind choosing this unique greeting style at the airport was to keep people connected to Sanskrit. Not only passengers, but also a large number of staff of airlines, services and security personnel were unaware about the World Sanskrit Day,” said LBSI airport Aryama Sanyal, who recently assumed office.
Since early Sunday morning, the celebration of this special day on Shrawan Purnima (full-moon day of Shrawan month in Hindu calendar) was evident, especially on the flight information display boards and public address system.
Lines in Sanskrit, meaning “located on western bank of Ganga, Kashi, which is adorned by Lord Vishwanath and depends on Goddess Annapurna, bestows wisdom, salvation and good luck. Keep coming to Kashi from the country and abroad as it always welcomes you,” were on display along with its Hindi translation on huge LED screens, attracting the attention of the visitors.
The display of the above lines and their melodious recital in Sanskrit by 9-year-old twin sisters — Devyani Bhardwaj and Shivaranjani Bhardwaj — soon became the prime attraction as people gathered near the display boards to listen to the soulful rendition.
Sanyal, who utilised her connections made in Indore during her previous posting, said, “I knew these twins from Indore. They are daughters of Nitish Bhardwaj, who portrayed Lord Krishna in the television serial Mahabharat, and managing director of Madhya Pradesh Finance Corporation, Smita Bhardwaj.”
“The girls have been learning Sanskrit since the age of four. Before reaching grade 4 at the age of nine, they had earned quite a fame for themselves. As I thought they could be inspired by their command over Sanskrit, their recital was used for promoting the language on this special occasion at Kashi airport. This ageless city is known as a seat of Sanskrit learning and the ancient language is deeply embedded in its culture,” she added.
“When Sanyal expressed her wish for doing something special on the World Sanskrit Day at Kashi airport, I discussed the matter with my daughters’ teacher Pravesh Vainsho. He requested vice-chancellor of Gujarat’s Shree Somnath Sanskrit University (Veraval) Prof Gopabandhu Mishra. Prof Mishra then wrote these special lines on Kashi. My daughters recited the lines and a video was prepared to be displayed at LBSI airport,” Smita Bhardwaj told TOI on Monday.
On the rare talent and interest of the girls in Sanskrit, she said, “As the heavenly language is in vogue in my family, my daughters too developed a keen interest for the language.”
“They have not only learnt Sanskrit, but also authored books like ‘Sun Salutation’,” she said adding, “Apart from winning many contests, prizes and awards up to the national level, they have also received appreciation letters from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and legendary personalities like The Dalai Lama.”