Mani Rao believes this leaves a significant part of India's literary heritage outside the reach of most people (Special arrangement)When Mani Rao visits a bookstore, her eyes scanning shelves for her own titles, she usually finds them in the religion section. It amuses and mildly frustrates her. Her English translations of Sanskrit classics, she says, are meant to bring these works back into the realm of literature rather than leave them treated only as sacred texts.“People are happy to read Homer. Do we consider the Odyssey a religious text because it has gods and humans interacting with one another? There are characters who are the sons and daughters of a god and a human,” says Rao.On Sunday (August 9), Rao will speak at a session, “What Words Hold: The Subtleties of Poetry”, at the Pune International Centre. The event is being held in collaboration with The Word Bookshop. She will talk about how the reverence with which Sanskrit texts are often approached can make readers forget to engage with them as literature.If you put a book on a pedestal, you can’t actually see it clearly because you no longer have the ability to interact with it on equal terms. It is also foolish and dangerous. We must free our minds. Sanskrit classical texts are our inheritances. We are the heirs to a rich legacy that is unrivalled across the world,” she says. ” The Bhagavad Gita is about a methodology about living,” she adds.Works by Kalidasa and Bhasa, as well as texts such as the Saundarya Lahari, are today read by a relatively small group of readers. Rao believes this leaves a significant part of India’s literary heritage outside the reach of most people. The difficulty of Sanskrit, combined with a lack of translations that speak to contemporary readers, can make these works seem more inaccessible than they are.“Many readers would be surprised that there is so much drama, relationships and conversation in the Bhagavad Gita. This is essentially a spoken-word text,” says Rao, who translated it as Bhagavad Gita: God’s Song.Rao studied Sanskrit in school, when the subject was still part of the total academic marking system. “That stopped in 1982, when I passed out of Class XII,” she says.Story continues below this adAround 2005, when she was 40, Rao became interested in ancient Indian thought. It was then that she realised she had never read the Bhagavad Gita in its entirety. As she began reading the text, she found it very different from what she had expected.“I used to think that I was a scientific and modern person. Why should I read anything which was not relevant? But, the Gita turned out to be interesting and delightful with a lot of word play,” she says.Rao went back to studying Sanskrit and later completed a PhD in religious studies, researching mantras. Her work since then has included translations of Sanskrit texts, bringing them to readers who may otherwise never encounter them.“What a unique position we have in India. We have access to thousands of years of sophisticated thinking, a lot of it contained in our old texts. All we have to do is read,” says Rao.Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories