「Gurukul」 is a modest, informal and cultural non-profit initiative by Indian parents and volunteers in Beijing to offer a Sunday school program for kids aged 4 to 12. The word 『Gurukul』 finds its origin in the ancient Indian 『guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) parampara』 (tradition). Its motive is synchronous to the ideology and teachings of the centuries-old Gurukul albeit with a contemporary twist. It endeavors to present Indian children studying and growing up in China a learning opportunity to discover and stay connected to their roots.
Gurukul, Beijing was the brain-child of an able and proactive Indian parent Mrs. Anamika Gupta, which was nurtured and supported by Mr. Mehernosh Pastakia (Owner of Taj Pavilion Indian restaurant chain in Beijing). The driving force to begin Gurukul was and remains to integrate Indian values in the children’s lives to help them grow up into responsible, mature, consceintious and knowledgeable global citizens with a core fortified with morals, ethics and spiritual values. The program draws from insights, teachings, lessons, injunctions and wisdom encapsulated in ancient Indian texts, folklore, poems, songs and legends, and from the lives of real-life heroes and giants among men and women. Moreover, Gurukul pupils also get an opportunity to learn Hindi, one of the most popular languages of India.
Gurukul collects a nominal fee per term and the parents work here as volunteers. The fee collected is well-spent on the study material, events, props, refreshments and festival celebrations. The additional money that remains is saved for future use or donated. Gurukul classes are held in Taj Pavilion Restaurant, Lido and Mr. Pastakia and his team not only offer their facility for free but also serve their delicious tea and snacks to the kids and their parents with an unfailing warmth and cheerfulness.
A typical 90-minutes Gurukul session on Sunday afternoon commences with Sanskrit Shlokas that invoke and praise the Gods of knowledge, health, wealth and prosperity. These shlokas are recited in a sequence with the last one focussed on world peace. The tranquillity of the surroundings is filled with the beauty and sanctity of the shlokas or Vedic verses and is an experience that all the students and parents embrace with much love. Hindi language lessons (both verbal and written) begin after the shlokas and the children, depending on their age, are taught Hindi characters, poems, words, etc.
Art Workshop
Finally, the kids’most favorite part comes, the story-telling session, one which they eagerly await throughout the week. Quizzes and other forms of knowledge-sharing sessions also take place from time to time. All this is done in a fun and educative way using multi-media content to keep the kids interested and engaged. The session ends with everyone standing in attention singing the national anthem and that is a heart-tugging moment for all Indians living in a home away from home.
Gurukul kids also get an opportunity to celebrate important Indian festivals and enjoy a sense of community and fraternity, which is crucial to the development of social intelligence among kids. A celebration at the end of the term offers a platform for the participating students to showcase their respective talent through various performances and games.
While there are many parent volunteers who have come forward to support this wonderful initiative, the contributions of Mrs Anamika Gupta, Mrs Latha Iyer, Mrs. Priya Sundaer, Mrs. Prachi Gupta, Mrs. Manisha Bhakhre, Mrs. Hema Kriplani, Mrs. Priya Mahesh, Mrs. Pooja Srinivas and Mrs. Jyoti Sharma remain the most applause-worthy. Currently, Mrs. Deepti Pareek and Dr. Vrushali Sorap are carrying the legacy forward.
Kids in Festive Mood.
If India, its languages and its diversity intrigues and fascinates you, if learning Vedic-verses or 『shlokas』 is in your bucket list, if you want to celebrate Indian festivals the traditional way, and, in general, if you are curious to know more about Gurukul, please visit and take home a memorable experience.
Venue: Taj Indian Restaurant, Metro Park Hotel, Lido.
Day & time: Sundays, 3:30-5:00 pm.
IIC (Indians In China) applauds the effort of Gurukul in Beijing and hoping they also inspire similar initiative in other cities.
Source: www.IndiansInChina.com
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