The Shree Yagyavalkya Sanskrit Secondary School Gyankoop, located in Dhanusha's Janakpurdham-8, has been providing Sanskrit education in the region for more than a century, precisely 113 years. Established as a Sanskrit University in Madhesh Pradesh, the Gyankoop faced a decline in Sanskrit education during the armed conflicts. However, it resumed its academic activities a few years ago, overcoming the challenges posed by the armed conflicts.
The historical significance of this educational institution led many to believe that it might never return to its former glory. Yet, due to dedicated efforts, the school revived its traditional focus on Sanskrit education. The Principal, Sanjay Kumar Jha, mentioned, "Sanskrit education was in crisis due to the armed conflicts. Many were afraid to study Sanskrit. Therefore, in 2066 BS, when we resumed academic activities, we found only about 25-26 students after visiting every household. Due to everyone's hard work, the number of students increased every year. Now, we don't have to go door-to-door to find students."
Working in a challenging environment, where Sanskrit education had become a target during armed conflicts, the school's management committee and teaching staff bravely worked to revive the ancient tradition. The campaign to revive the school's old objectives finally bore fruit in 2073 BS. Sanjay Kumar Jha emphasized, "Our school, running since the time of Sage Yagyavalkya, is not limited to Sanskrit education only. In 2073, we also started modern technical subjects along with Sanskrit. Despite that, we had only 123 students initially. However, the unwavering commitment to provide quality education made the number grow steadily. Now, we have reached a total of two thousand five hundred students, thanks to our dedication, parental support, and collaboration with other organizations."
In 1966 BS, Yagyavalkya Sanskrit Pradhan Pathshala started providing formal Sanskrit education. During this period, many proficient Sanskrit language scholars were born from this institution. In the current era, as the Gyankoop continued to preserve Sanskrit education, Assistant Principal Somnath Bhattarai highlighted the continuous efforts to kindle the flame of 'Sanskrit knowledge' in new publications. He stated, "I started teaching in this school in 2071 BS, and there were 75-76 students. Later, with the aim of integrating Vedic education with technology, we introduced technical subjects (computer) in 2073. The message reached every home, and since then, the number of students has been increasing continuously."
Currently, the school offers Sanskrit education with full marks from classes 1 to 5, language and grammar from classes 6 to 8, and technical, Sanskrit, and general education from classes 9 to 12. In the residential setup, 65 students are currently enrolled, and overall, the school is educating more than 2,400 students.
