Young Achiever: Aryama Shukla

May 14, 2026 /Posted byPrajwal EW / 0

Lucknow-based Aryama Shukla (10), a class V student of the top-ranked City Montessori School, Aliganj 2 Campus, is wowing audiences in the city with her memorisation and chanting skills. In early January this year, while blindfolded she recalled 630 decimal places of the mathematical constant Pi (3.14) in one minute, a record breaking feat.

Earlier in 2024 on the occasion of Bhagavad Gita Jayanti (December 11) at Lucknow’s Ramakrishna Math — a monastic organisation established by Swami Vivekananda — young Aryama flawlessly chanted all 700 verses of the Bhagavad Gita in two hours and ten minutes, a feat which won her the World Record for Excellence (UK) certification.

The elder of two children of Vivek Shukla, a senior manager in a multinational company and Anshika, a homemaker, Aryama began speed chanting in 2022 as a six-year-old. “I memorised a few Sanskrit shlokas which my teachers had taught me. When the audience started cheering for me, I felt their positive energy come through which became my inspiration to learn Sanskrit,” recalls Aryama.

What began as a memory-building exercise has fully transformed this young prodigy’s life. On the first anniversary of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir in January 2025, Aryama made a resolution to chant Shri Ram Sahasranama — a sacred hymn comprising 1,000 names of Lord Rama — 18 times continuously. Last year on Navaratri, she was felicitated by Lucknow’s mayor for reciting the complete Sri Durga Saptashati, a 700-verse text from the Puranas.

Apart from being a memorisation record breaker, Aryama is an avid linguist having learned to speak several languages including Spanish, German, Russian and Mandarin fluently. She is also an astronomy enthusiast who routinely consults reference books and YouTube videos to acquire knowledge about the universe and its galaxies

“Memorisation and chanting are great educative and meditative experiences. Ever since I took it up, I have noticed my concentration has improved. I’m lucky to have a supportive Principal, Samvida Adhikari and teachers who always encourage me. These opportunities helped me to develop my talent,” says the academic topper, who over the years has won five gold medals at Maths, science, English, computer science and general knowledge Olympiads.

Mind boggling!

Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)

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Tags: EducationWorld May 2026

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Young Achiever: Aryama Shukla

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