Our Story
Vidyasthanam: School of Indian Music, Culture and Languages was founded in 2015. Operating in Chennai and Montréal, the school offers a variety of online and in person courses ranging from Indian Classical Music, Culture, Hindu Rituals and Philosophy, Indian Languages, French and personalised tutoring assistance for school, college and university students. It is registered under the name Lieu de Connaissance in Québec, Canada.
Vidyasthanam was started on 16 January 2015 in Mylapore, Chennai, India by Dr. R. Saraswati Sainath with just one student for Sanskrit. The school gradually grew extending its teaching in the fields of Veena, Music, Slokas, Hindi, French, and Tamil. Children were given training to recite slokas and participate in the Bhagavadgita competitions organized by Chinmaya Mission. Many students won medals. The school also trained students to write Hindi exams conducted by Dakshin Bharat Hindi Pracar Sabha. In 2018 the school had around 25 students.
Teaching began in Montréal from September 2018 and teaching for Indian students continued online. Four levels of Veena and Vocal training are offered to students and students receive certificates after completing each level.
Students receive certificates for other courses as well. Annual Day is celebrated every year in which students get the opportunity to showcase their talents and also receive their certificates.
The school took the next step in development when it was formally registered as a School of Indian Music, Culture and Languages on September 9, 2021. The school has been registered under the name Lieu de Connaissance in Québec, Canada. Besides music and languages, traditional learning of texts such as Bhagavadgita, Tarkasamgraha (basic text on Indian Logic), Syamaladandakam etc., takes place.
On September 6, 2021, the school organized the First Seminar on Hindu Culture. Students of the school presented papers on various aspects of Hindu Culture. On this occasion, the collection of articles presented at this seminar titled Samṛddhi was released. On September 27, 2021, the school organised a Kolam-Rangoli Workshop in association with Thanjai Restaurant, Montréal. This workshop conducted at Thanjai Restaurant had around 15 participants. Participants were given a Kolam–Rangoli Book and a Certificate. In summer 2021, the school offered a course on Hindu Ethics.
Muttamil Vizha was conducted on June 12, 2022. The first Veena Arangetram of the school was performed by Aparna Sainath on August 13, 2022. A Workshop on South Indian Languages was conducted on April 28, 2024. A new initiative of the school is a program called Uyir Tamil Arangam in which participants speak in Tamil without mixing English words. Students from Vidyasthanam regularly participate in various events organized by Bharatiya Sangita Sangham Montréal. They have also performed at Durgai Amman Temple, AMMA, ISCKON festival, Tamilagam Québec Celebrations and so on in Montréal. The school’s band is called Gandharva. The first musical album called Gandharvaganam was released on January 16, 2026.
Conversational French classes for adults in Canada enables people to integrate in the Québec and Canadian societies. Most of the classes are online. However, for some courses students are required to write their tests and exams at a centre in the city of their residence. The school continues to teach students in Canada and in India and thus contributes to knowledge enrichment and exchange between these two countries. One of the aims of the school is to take knowledge and research from the walls of universities and research institutions and spread it to the masses. In the years to come the school aspires to expand its teaching to various other disciplines of Indian Art and Culture. One such initiative is the Vidyasthanam Foundation which is aimed at promoting performance of Hindu Rituals to all the sections of the society. It is hoped that this school will continue to teach and contribute to the promotion of Indian Music, Culture and Languages to the present and succeeding generations.
