Mattur and Hosahalli: Villages that speak ‘Sanskrit’, uphold ‘Gurukula’ and promote ‘Gamaka’ art!!

“Don’t give man a fish as you feed him just for a day. Instead teach him how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime” says a famous Chinese proverb. Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik quotes that the  ancient Indian version of education system believes, “Don’t give man a fish. Don’t teach him how to fish either. Instead INSPIRE him to DISCOVER his own method of fishing. Then, it is HIS”....... 


The role of the teacher has been ‘to inspire’. Well, if you remember the beautiful series of Ramayana and Mahabharata that once ruled our televisions, you would notice the Gurukula system of education wherein a student seeks a teacher for higher knowledge, stays with the teacher along with the other students, learns and masters the required skills; very much unlike the present day system with exuberant advertisements of schools and colleges that occupy a complete page of the newspaper, inviting students. Is the ancient education system still applicable to modern India? That’s a debatable question. But you will be surprised to know that Gurukula still exists in a small village called Mattur near Shimoga District, Karnataka. Mattur’s people have also played a significant role in reviving Sanskrit, which is also the language for day to day communication in this village for a major part of the population here, irrespective of their occupation and religion. Hosahalli, also known as Gamaka Kalagrama has Gamakis (artists who sing Gamaka) almost in every home, who uphold a unique art called Gamaka.

Located on either side of the river Tungabhadra, the twin villages of Mattur and Hosahalli are divinely tucked amidst never ending green paddy fields. Stretches of tall arecanut trees on either side of a small road and heaps of arecanut shells invite one to the village. As you enter the village, young boys wearing white cotton dhotis, communicating in Sanskrit with each other and playing cricket is a sight you probably would not miss on a Sunday morning. Slogans and messages in Sanskrit adorn the signboards and walls of the houses.

Bountiful green paddy fields close to Mattur

A movement that started in Bangalore in 1981 by an organization called Sanskrit Bharati through Spoken Sanskrit Workshops had a deep impact on Mattur. For more than three decades, the people have been promoting the language not just through workshops and programs but also by being a role model themselves. A talk with a scholar in Mattur reveals that the people here believe that Sanskrit is a language for one and all and disapprove the illusion that Sanskrit is a tough language and is meant for a particular sect of people.

Young cricketers in conversation

The Gurukuls are run by learned scholars where the students stay with the teacher till they complete their studies. The course begins with communication classes and then focuses on the reading and writing abilities. Then the students learn Samskrutha Vidya wherein they study Naitik Shastra (Moral science), Bhakti Shastra (devotional theory that teaches love for the Universe), Dharma Shastra (The knowledge of right & wrong and one’s duties) and Tattva Shastra (The philosophical science). Attempts are also being made to include English and Computer Education to the students.

During a conversation with the teachers who run the Gurukul, it was evident that they are sad about the fact that most of the youngsters are looking for lucrative job opportunities and only a handful of them passionately look for ‘true gyan’ or ‘higher’ knowledge. The message to the youth from the learned teachers is to make an attempt to go back to their villages, share and apply their knowledge to make a difference to the people. They looked deeply worried about the future of villages provided everyone wants a high-paying job in the cities that is causing mass migrations.  But I was extremely spirited being with these self-motivated masters who have retained a unique masterpiece of our ancient civilization, the Gurukula system even to this day, in spite of lower turnouts, barely sufficient resources and very little encouragement and recognition.

‘Teachers with a difference’ and ‘Treasurers of India’s rich past’

The village has also been promoting the art of ‘Gamaka’, the art of storytelling through music. While one sings a paragraph melodiously, another explains the  meaning of it through many examples. This art has its origin in Karnataka and people of these twin villages have kept it alive. While very few know about this music form, fewer develop an interest to learn Gamaka, that demands dedication and hard-work apart from talent. Talking to Hosahalli R Keshavamurthy, who is a master in Gamaka rendition, who has been awarded with the title ‘Gamaka Gaqndharva’ and also the recipient of prestigious Kumaravyasa award, he says that he feels happier when he finds interested listeners and true appreciators of Gamaka than when receiving any award and honors.

Gamaka artist, Hosahalli R Keshavamurthy

Friendly people who go out of their way to help and guide a complete stranger like me; a generous welcome and lunch served, see-off with tambulams (the traditional South Indian way off seeing off a guest by giving a coconut, beetel leaves, a piece of cloth and the sacred red powder); some snacks packed in a piece of paper for the further journey, everything offered with so much of love without expecting anything in return - I wondered if I have just experienced “Athithi devo bhava” in its true sense. With the apartment culture on the rise with people hardly knowing who stays the next door, this is something that should make us pause and think!

To see the video of Gamaka rendition by Hosahalli R Kesahavamurthy, checkout the following link:

Video: Rendition of Gamaka by an artist