- The Sanskrit language is undergoing a major revival currently, in India and outside of India. Submerged and vilified under centuries of colonial and Islamic suppression, and the vestiges of that suppression that unfortunately continue in many circles, Sanskrit and Samskriti are finally beginning to rise in popularity. That it has survived all the pressures thrust upon it and is beginning to re-emerge is a testament to its underlying strength.
In India, there are now villages where Sanskrit is the spoken language.
Samskrita Bharathi is playing an important role in promoting spoken Sanskrit. Sanskrit is starting to be taught in many schools in the UK. Enrollment in Sanskrit programs among German colleges is ever increasing. In the US, Sanskrit is being offered in many high schools through the SAFL (Sanskrit as a Foreign Language) program through which students can earn academic credits.
- Maragatham earned her Bachelors, Masters and MPhil in Sanskrit from the University of Madras, India. Immediately after graduating, she was hired to teach Sanskrit to high school students in Chennai, something that which she carried out with such a passion that her old school students continue to correspond with and learn from her. Her many activities included involving children in cultural programs, including several that were broadcast on Doordarshan.
- Marriage made her migrate to the United Sates in 1988, to the Washington DC area. At that time, the Chinmaya Mission in Washington D.C. was looking for a Sanskrit teacher. HH Shri Chinmayananda, being aware of Maragatham’s presence in the area, advised the local Mission to appoint Maragatham as the Sanskrit teacher.
- Maragatham also helped to initiate the Bala Vihar program for pre-school kids named Madhuram. Her association with the Chinmaya Mission continued after transfer to the Chicago area in 2003 where she continued to teach Sanskrit. Maragatham is also one of the main teachers of Sanskrit at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. She was also requested by Samskritha Bharathi to help in their teaching sessions as well as prepare students for the SAFL program.
- What differentiates Maragatham as a Sanskrit teacher is her exceptional ability to make the language alive, by bringing in her contextual knowledge of slokas, bhajans, music, dance, and puranas.