Sayan Hazra

This is the chronicle of life inside a Vedic Gurukula located close to the Silicon Valley of India. The place is surrounded by hills, forests, and the confluence of rivers. Vedic chanting, along with the chirping of birds and rippling of the river, and frequent glimpses of peacocks, monkeys, and elephants can make one travel back to the Vedic Period (1500 - 500 BCE). The place is charged with Spiritual Energy and one can feel serenity all around. The Guru is seen as the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance and Gurukula is the center of learning where the Guru, his family, and the students live under one roof. The students of Gurukula are oblivious of outer distractions. The system functions on the well-rounded holistic development of a child, enshrining values such as discipline, self-reliance, the right attitude, empathy, creativity, and strong moral beliefs. Great emphasis is laid on the students' mental, cognitive, spiritual, and physical well-being.

Since the last 25 years, this Gurukula has been promoting the time-tested values and principles of Vedas, focusing on the sustainable coexistence of human and nature, reducing overconsumption, respect for every individual, and contemplative activities such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, deep listening, and chanting of Vedic Mantras, along with contemporary subjects of modern education. Modern science acknowledges the effectiveness of the ancient Vedic chanting. The students of this Gurukula have achieved professional success in diverse career paths.  

Since 2000 BCE, many Gurukulas have dotted the landscape of South Asia. From north to south, east to west, these centers of learning attracted students and travelers from all over the ancient world. Learning and seeking knowledge was an aspect of culture that was spread across the entire subcontinent and the Vedic education system was accessible to everyone. No one has ever claimed the authorship of the Vedas but none could deny their validity. Vedas have remained unchanged due to fixed meters. Vedic meters have a fixed number of syllables per verse. The Vedas existed in oral form for ages and were passed down from Gurus to students for generations until they were committed to writing on dried palm leaves after 1500 BCE.

Note: This gallery does not include all images from this project.