Even though most of my experience has been in computer science and research, my most breathtaking experience at Berkeley took place during my second semester when I took a Sanskrit class. Before we got to the literature, we had to learn the basics ... Eventually, I was able to read authentic texts from thousands of years ago. Being able to read an ancient language after only two semesters of studying was a breathtaking moment for me.
— Sam Kumar, B.S. '17, Berkeley University Medal Runner Up
Sanskrit is the heart and soul of traditional Indian civilization and culture, and Berkeley has a long and proud tradition in Sanskrit studies dating back to the 1890s. Supporting our Sanskrit Studies program ensures that it will continue to produce groundbreaking research and offer stellar language instruction to both undergraduates as well as PhD students. Community support also helps protect a much larger ecosystem of Sanskrit-based learning that benefits Jain Studies, Buddhist Studies and Southeast Asian Studies programs at UC Berkeley. Major gifts to support and grow Sanskrit Studies at Berkeley include:
The Samskrtaparmpara: The Berkeley Sanskrit Studies Fund
Sanskrit is the heart and soul of traditional Indian civilization and culture, and Berkeley has a long and proud tradition in Sanskrit studies dating back to the 1890s. UC Berkeley alumni Raj and Helen Desai (image on right) want to preserve that tradition so that other students like Sam can have the opportunity to study Sanskrit. To do this, they have established Samskrtaparmpara: The Berkeley Sanskrit Studies Fund in order provide for the growth and continuance of teaching and research in and on the Sanskrit language and literature for the benefit of future generations of students.
Purpose
An endowment, the payout of which will be used in support of the Department of South & Southeast Asian Studies in the College of Letters & Science at the University of California, Berkeley. The Fund will support the study of Sanskrit and may be used for, but not limited to, such things as direct language instruction, indirect language instruction, lectures, research, symposia, and travel.
The Inder Dosanjh Gift in Support of Sanskrit Studies
Many thanks to Inder Dosanjh for his generous support of the Sanskrit Studies program at UC Berkeley. Mr Dosanjh is the President of California Automotive Retailing Group Inc. and owns 16 franchises retailing over 2,500 units per month. Mr. Dosanjh started his automotive career as a mechanic at a Saturn dealership in 1978 and worked his way up to becoming the General Manager and partner. He is currently also serving as a board member of the New Motor Vehicle Board (California), He was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in June 2019, and is a member of the Board’s Policy and Procedure Committee and a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Equity, Justice and Inclusion. Mr. Dosanjh’s term expired in January 2021 and he is currently serving under a one -year grace period.
The T.V. Nagendra Prasad Gift in Support of Sanskrit Studies
Many thanks also to Consul-General T.V. Nagendra Prasad for his unstinting efforts to find sources of funding and support for the Sanskrit Studies program at UC Berkeley. Dr. T. V. Nagendra Prasad is the Consul General of India in San Francisco. He is a senior diplomat, who served at Indian Missions in Tehran, London, Thimphu, Bern in various positions and was Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan (2014-2018). Back home, he served as Regional Passport Officer at Bengaluru, Project Director of Passport Seva Project, and was Head of Gulf Division at the Ministry of External Affairs before taking over as Consul General in San Francisco in June 2020. Dr. Prasad was born in the district of Warangal, Telangana. He graduated from the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University and received his Doctorate from the prestigious Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi.
