Nearly 150 youths and students of Sanskrit and Vedas in Bhopal are vying for a free trip to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya by winning a competition, albeit not of religious knowledge or shlokas but of cricket.
The youths, clad in traditional dhoti kurta and donning sports T-shirts, are contesting as part of 12 teams in the ‘Maharishi Cricket Tournament’ organised by the ‘Sanskriti Bachao Manch’ at the Ankur Cricket Ground in Bhopal.
This is the fourth year of the tournament, which features live commentary in Sanskrit.
According to organiser Chandrashekhar Tiwari, this year’s mega prize for the winning team is a free trip to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He said the final of the four-day tournament would be played on 8 January.
According to the organising committee members, the event aims to promote Indian culture, and religion and popularise Sanskrit besides inculcating a feeling of sportsmanship and camaraderie amongst the students through sports and fitness.
Students from various Vedic Schools in Bhopal and nearby towns strive to participate in the cricket tournament.