Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Sudharma Sanskrit Daily Turns 40



     Sudharma, the only Sanskrit daily in the country (perhaps the only Sanskrit Daily Newspaper in the world today), completed 40 years of publication on July 19th, 2009 Sunday. Celebrations were held and many scholars were felicitated on the occasion.
     Swami Veereshanandaji Saraswathi of Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashram, Tumkur, exhorted the people to patronise Sanskrit and complimented Editor of Sudharma K.V. Sampathkumar for striving hard to keep the daily afloat despite the recession and lack of adequate advertisement support.
     Sudharma, which launched its Internet edition (http://sudharma.epapertoday.com) in the first week of August last year, has increased its readership base significantly. Mr. Sampathkumar said the number of hits during the weekends was very high (between 6,000 and 8,000 a day), while it was relatively low on weekdays. The current annual subscription fee is Rs. 250.
     Started in 1970 by Sanskrit scholar Kalale Nadadur Varadaraja Iyengar, Sudharma has a daily circulation of about 2,000 copies and is mostly circulated through post and has subscribers around the world especially in Japan and USA. K.V. Sampath Kumar, son of Mr. Iyengar, is the present editor of the daily.
     Published from Mysore, the only income generated by Sudharma is from the 250 rupees of annual subscription fee. It is the determination of K.V. Sampath Kumar and his love for Sanskrit language that is keeping Sudharma afloat.

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