Religious channels might not seem as glamorous as their purely entertainment-based counterparts, yet they have unique advantages in their kitty. The recent gush in interest in spirituality in urban India has ensured that devotional channel surfing is not limited to Sunday mornings or limited to the elderly. It has led to a rising demand for TV channels wholly devoted to religion and spirituality, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

`Sanskar` is a Hindi word, meaning culture, upbringing, a deep and pure reason to create a good human being, a good family, a good society, a good nation and thus a good world to live in.

The Sanskar TV channel is a full time religious channel. This channel is dedicated to the Indian Philosophy, Religion and Spiritual solidarity, Culture and dissemination of the vast and timeless knowledge of the great "Sanatana Dharma" to the people of the world. This channel is the biggest software producer of Indian Cultural Heritage programming. The programmes on this channel range from Hindu bhajans, kirtans, aartis , aradhanas and spiritual discourses by prominent, respected sants to Good healthy living - Programs on Yoga, general well being, Special educational programming - among others highlighting ayurveda along with Documentaries on places of worship - Temples, cities, on the various festivals of India and also Animated movies, discourses on audio and video.

Sanskar`s office and studio is near Nariman Point in the heart of Mumbai. Dilip and Dinesh Kabra are the joint owners of this channel. Popular bhajan singers like Anoop Jalota and Vinod Agarwal are some of the imminent personalities, which appear on this channel. Both brothers maintain that religious channels in general, unlike entertainment channels, develop a deep and enduring relationship with viewers. It is a relationship based upon spiritual commitment. But the channel does suffer greatly from lack of funds and that their financial ambition right now is simply to break even.

Although both Aastha and Sanskar unabashedly draw most of their educational content from a grand wealth of ancient knowledge stemming from the Vedas, the central scripture of Hinduism, they both refrain from openly acknowledging this obvious Hindu source. The producers of Aastha and Sanskar are swimming boldly upstream, against the tides of easy financial success. No one-not even their competitors-would deny their courage. Though for the future they promise to broaden their presentation by including programs loosely classified in a category often termed "New Age" or "spiritual," they are in their heart of hearts deeply Hindu and are doing this work for no other reason than to express, share and propagate the Hindu dharma.

Seventy percent of Sanskar`s audience consists of women. In rural areas and villages, after the husbands leave for work, the wives watch it. Even while working around the house. Bhajan is a big part of bhakti (devotion). The perspective on life benefits from the discourses, but bhajan is important for devotion. Sanskar features Hinduism and tries to teach the real essence of Hindu religion. Sanskar is more focused on bhakti (devotion) and less on adhyatma (spiritua-lism).