Sanskrit Education in Bihar: Colleges Used As Cattle Sheds, Schools in Ruins

The Quint's team visited Sanskrit schools in Darbhanga and nearby districts, and what we found was deeply alarming.

Not a school, but a settlement of ruins

(फोटो -The Quint)

The language often described as the “language of the gods” is today struggling for survival in Bihar. While politicians routinely invoke Sanskrit as “India’s cultural identity” during election campaigns, the condition of Sanskrit schools in Darbhanga and several other districts paints a starkly different picture — one of neglect, disrepair, and complete institutional collapse.

The Quint's team visited Sanskrit schools in Darbhanga and surrounding areas, where we found a story of severe neglect.

Schools Turned Into Ruins

At the entrance of one Sanskrit school in Pachadhi village, broken roofs and collapsed walls are the first things visible. Spaces where chants of mantras once echoed now lie silent and damp, filled with the stench of decay.

The old school building has almost entirely crumbled. Bricks have fallen from the walls, and wild grass has overtaken the campus.

Former school peon Ram Parikshan Mandal says,

“This has been the condition for almost ten years. When the old building started collapsing, two rooms were built in front of it. These rooms too were constructed with the help of a local political leader. Teachers retired over the years, but no new appointments were made. This is also one of the reasons the school kept deteriorating.”

Ram Parikshan Mandal claims that the Sanskrit school located in Pachhadi, Darbhanga, was once counted among the top 10 Sanskrit schools of Bihar.

The grandson of the school's first headmaster and former principal of MLSM College, Dr. Vidyanath Jha, says:

“My grandfather, Jyotish Shivanandan Jha, was the headmaster of Bansiraj Ramkrishna Sanskrit Vidyalaya in 1945. Many students from this school are still working in different parts of the country. If you ask why Sanskrit education declined, the answer lies in changing times. One major reason is the push towards so-called modern education, because there was a time when, apart from Sanskrit, there was no other teaching method."

He adds: "But people’s inclination shifted towards modern education. During the Congress era, Sanskrit education received support. Now governments are simply letting it collapse. In the name of modern education, Sanskrit has been pushed to the margins. Earlier, the Mahant of Pachhadi Sthan used to look after the school, but even the condition of Pachhadi Sthan has changed now.”

Goats Tied Inside College, Library Turned Into a Bedroom

Right next to the school, it stands Baba Saheb Ram Sanskrit College, where a lock hangs on the common room door. Outside the common room, a few goats are tied—making it clear that this place has now become a shelter for animals, not an institution of learning.

The college library has turned into a bedroom. Old Sanskrit books lie buried under thick layers of dust and cobwebs.

Hostel Shut Down

The women’s hostel, built for female students, has been shut for years. There are no security guards, and the building is in a dilapidated state.

To understand the condition of Sanskrit schools, we contacted teachers in Darbhanga as well as in Madhubani and Saran districts. Rajendra Jha, a teacher from Madhubani, says,

“The government now wants teachers who don’t need to be paid.”

Uday Narayan, a teacher at a Sanskrit school in Saran district, says:

“Sanskrit schools get no grants. Since 2016, there has been no new recruitment, nor has any retiring teacher been replaced.”

According to teachers, where a district once had 300–400 Sanskrit teachers, now hardly 100 remain. Salaries are delayed for months, and there is no fund for repairs or even basic facilities.

Numbers Also Tell the Story of Decline

According to Bihar government data, the state has more than 531 Sanskrit schools, but teacher shortages, crumbling infrastructure, and lack of funds have pushed these institutions into a battle for survival rather than education.

Has Sanskrit Been Reduced to Just a ‘Poll Language’?

Leaders have projected Sanskrit as the “language of the gods” and “the soul of Indian culture,” turning it into a political slogan. But on the ground, their seriousness toward this language and the institutions associated with it is close to zero.