Muslim girl emerges topper in Sanskrit Vedanta BA

Thiruvananthapuram, June 30 (PTI) A Muslim girl has
emerged topper in Sanskrit Vedanta graduation examination
conducted by Kerala University.

A student of a college at Sasthamcottah in Kollam run by
the Devaswom Board, managing temples in the state, 21-year-old
Rahmath said she chose Sanskrit and Vedanta as she believed
this language is a "symbol of our national culture".

Hailing from an orthodox Muslim family, Rahmath said she
did not face any resistance from her family or the community
when she chose Sanskrit as her principal subject.

"In fact, my parents and others in the family encouraged
me when I told them of my wish to join the BA Sanskrit
Vedandta course. Teachers in my college also gave me total
support", she told PTI here in the capital of the southern
state of Kerala.

It was at the plus-one level that Rahmath started
learning Sanskrit as second language.

"Since Sanskrit was Greek to me when I started learning,
I had to put in some extra effort. But soon I became
interested, picked up the basic grammar and was able to read
Sanskrit texts", she said.

The focus of the graduate course was Advaita Philosophy
as elucidated by sage Sanakaracharya.

Rahmath says she wants to become an academic and
researcher pursuing the same subject. PTI