A Bengaluru gang’s ingenious attempts at reviving a 3,500-year-old language are going viral. Netizens react: ‘Tathastu…’

Bengaluru is undergoing a linguistic revolution. A biker’s gang are going around the streets popularising Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages in the world. Their incredible story was shared by the Instagram page of The Better India. The Kimbho Sanskrit Rider’s Club, established by Sanskrit enthusiast Samashti Gubbi, brings together bikers who chat and play games entirely in Sanskrit.

You don’t need to be fluent in Sanskrit to join the gang; just have the curiosity to learn. They believe the best way to preserve a language is to use it. Their journeys turn every halt into an opportunity to speak Sanskrit, from Bengaluru to Nandi Hills, Skandagiri, Lepakshi, and beyond. Even contemporary phrases are making their way into the language; for example, "Kimbho?" is their equivalent of "What's up?"

In order to make Sanskrit a part of everyday life, the members of the gang use Sanskrit words and phrases such as “Aham Dhavami” (which translates to 'I am riding/driving') instead of relying on English, according to Curly Tales.


The video went viral on Instagram with over 28K likes. Many Instagram users applauded the gesture of the gang. One quipped: “Tathastu.” Another commented: “How awesome!” Another praised: “Great going team. Bravo!”

Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in existence. It is an old Indo-Aryan language which is more than 3,500 years old. The earliest texts, such as the Rigveda (The Veda Composed in Verses), which scholars generally date to around 1500 BCE, originate from the northwest region of the subcontinent, the area of the ancient seven rivers (sapta sindhavaḥ), even though Vedic documents reflect the dialects then found in the northern midlands of the Indian subcontinent and areas immediately east thereof.