Little Guru: India launches first-ever app that teaches Sanskrit language

New Delhi: In a bid to promote Sanskrit, the Centre has recently launched an app called 'Little Guru' for people who want to learn the language. The app has been developed by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and aims to make learning Sanskrit easy and entertaining by gamifying it. 

The app has been produced by Bengaluru-based Gamapp Sportswizz and is available on the Google Play Store. 

Dinesh K Patnaik, DG, ICCR said, "Little Guru is a beautiful symbol of what we proposed to do in teaching to people across the world. This app will help students, teachers and monks to be able to get an app that will help them learn easier at their own pace, whatever time they want. It helps you do better." 

He explained, "We realized something, we need something more modern, more up to date which works with technology to bring this ancient language to the people. We decided to use modern-day tools like machine learning, AI, and gaming techniques. Gaming techniques help in bringing life to language."

Sanskrit is a versatile, systematic and phonetically accurate language. Learn it through LittleGuru’s gamified techniques that makes learning easy and fun. You can download Little Guru app on Google Play: https://t.co/XsRGChFC8E and App Store: https://t.co/UypPMVBHTO. pic.twitter.com/AWTr57P4pX

— ICCR (@ICCR_Delhi) April 11, 2021

The ICCR has in the past been providing Sanskrit books, material for the propagation of the Sanskrit, also known as 'language of the Gods'. The institute comes under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and also deputes teachers, professors to universities and institutes.

This is to be noted that members of the Indian diaspora and foreigners have been requesting the ICCR for assistance in the Sanskrit learning. Many of the Buddhist, Jain, and other religious texts are in Sanskrit and there has been a great demand in some countries for assistance in learning the language. 

Sanskrit, notably, holds the key for the religious text of many religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Many Indian languages like Bengali, Tamil and Marathi also use Sanskrit as a base. 

A number of Sanskrit Universities across the world have also been keen on an app that would help not only the students who are currently studying in these Universities but also to act as a feeder for young scholars to learn Sanskrit before joining Universities.

Interestingly, a fact that is well known, that in the 80s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also did a study to know which is the most computerable language. They realized given its clear grammatical structure and strict pronunciation that Sanskrit was the most computerable language in the world as its structure allowed it to merge into any computerable system.