| A Gurukul is a type of ancient Vedic school in India in | | | | of our society but to whoever interested in getting their |
| which students go to the house of their teacher, or the | | | | children trained in the best possible environment for |
| guru, to live and study under his care. The students are | | | | devotional service to the Lord. In our Krishna |
| all treated the same no matter what their social castes | | | | consciousness movement, the Gurukula plays an |
| are or how elevated in society his family is. The | | | | extremely important part in our activities, because right |
| students not only study, but also render menial | | | | from childhood, the boys and girls are instructed about |
| services such as cleaning, washing clothes, collecting | | | | Krishna consciousness. |
| wood and water, etc. Even when Lord Krishna | | | | Thus they become steady in their pursuits in life and |
| appeared on earth He underwent the same austerities | | | | they are not prone to become materialists. Students |
| while living at the house of His guru, Sandipani Muni, | | | | learn to become Krishna conscious and live up to |
| along with His elder brother Balaram in a place now | | | | Brahminical standards. They become well conversant |
| known as Ujjain. The ashram is still there and millions of | | | | in the revealed scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita |
| pilgrims go to visit this sacred place. | | | | and Srimad Bhagavatam. While growing up, the |
| This system of education is the oldest on earth for it | | | | students develop different qualities and as such they |
| has existed since the dawn of Vedic civilization. | | | | get to know to which social class they belong: |
| According to modern chronology its roots can be | | | | brahmans, ksatriyas, vaisyas or sudras. The girls don't |
| traced back 10,000 years to the time of the ancient | | | | go to gurukul. They stay at home and learn cooking, |
| civilization. The curriculum ensures the development of | | | | sewing, etc. They also learn dances such as kathak |
| the physical, mental and spiritual conditions of the | | | | and Bharat Natyam. Girls are meant to be protected |
| student. | | | | at every stage of their life and they are not the ones |
| At the Gurukula, the student learns about | | | | who run a family or who take the leading roles in |
| self-development in all possible areas that he will go | | | | society. That is one of the reasons why it is not |
| through different stages of life, such as householder | | | | necessary to send them to gurukul. |
| life, professional life, etc. What is astonishing is that | | | | But nowadays in the ISKCON society there is gurukul |
| students also learn about ecology and world | | | | for girls where training is given to them. This is because |
| preservation for they become fully aware of | | | | we have devotees all round the world and most of us |
| self-sufficiency, farming and cow protection. | | | | don't come from a family of vedic background. So the |
| ISKCON Gurukul: Srila Prabhupada had a vision which | | | | gurukul is there to give training to such children coming |
| is being accomplished by his disciples nowadays. This | | | | from these families. |
| vision was to provide education not only to members | | | | |