Gurukul

Gurukul refers to a traditional residential schooling system in ancient India in which students live with and are educated by a guru, typically in a hermitage or ashram. The term derives from Sanskrit guru 'teacher' and kula 'family, household, or place of education', and signified a close teacher-student relationship and a learning environment centered on the guru's guidance.

In a gurukul, education was holistic and lifelong, spanning sacred texts, philosophy, grammar, mathematics, astronomy, arts, martial training, and practical skills. Instruction was primarily oral and participatory, with students memorizing sutras and engaging in debates and discourses. Daily life combined study with chores and service to the guru, reinforcing discipline, humility, and social responsibilities. The curriculum often began with the Vedas or Upanishads and could extend to medicine, astrology, or religious rituals, depending on region and lineage. Admission usually came from families that sought traditional learning and were able to support the student's stay for years.

Traditionally gurukulas were small, lineage-based institutions, often located in forest hermitages or temple complexes. Access was largely limited by caste and gender norms of the period; most programs were intended for boys from households that could afford the tuition and time away from home.

The gurukul system declined with the rise of city-based institutions, invasions, and later colonial schooling, but elements survive in some ashrams and modern gurukul-inspired schools. In contemporary usage, gurukul often denotes residential schools that emphasize Vedic learning, spirituality, or traditional Indian disciplines, sometimes combined with modern curricula.