IT city gets a cool school and it's a gurukul

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">BANGALORE: Classrooms without blackboards. Teachers without textbooks. Students without uniforms. And no ding-dong to remind them of break time. Computers? What''s that...<br /><br />At a time when everything in Bangalore is going the IT-way, here''s something that will take you back in time and space. It''s a <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span>.<br /><br />Breaking the traditional four walls of modern-day hi-tech schools, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">shishyas</span> at this <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span> strike a bond with their gurus by learning to live in harmony with nature, and empowering their thoughts dipped in values from the Puranas.<br /><br />The New Horizon Gurukul, a unit of New Horizon Public School (NHPS) and New Horizon English School (NHES), has become an ideal place for hundreds of students, who are otherwise driven by the cartoon culture and pizza joints.<br /><br />Situated off Marthahalli Ring Road, the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span> strikes a visitor from all corners.If anything is missing here, it''s the saffron-clad guru. But for that, the place wraps you with a feeling often experienced in the Ramayana and Mahabharata serials or visualised during story-telling sessions with your grandma.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">A brainchild of Mohan Manghnani, chairman of New Horizon Educational Institutions, the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span> has drawn up a syllabus covering yoga, meditation, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bhajans</span>, dance, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">karmayoga</span> and other activities. "Nature has so much to give and teach. I wanted the children to come out of classrooms. I wanted them to live without modern gadgets. The quality of life here is much better — without TV, music and other material comforts. Students enjoy living in open space, breathing fresh air and exploring the hidden treasures of Mother Nature," Manghnani adds.<br /><br />At the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span>, students are trained in personality development and communication skills apart from triggering their creativity through theatre and pottery. "Students make their rules here. They maintain gardens. They take up vegetation, cook their food and relish what they have made," he outlines.<br /><br />Another interesting feature: the wards are taught to milch a cow — something the CBSE and ICSE syllabi can''t teach us. Warm and tasty milk straight from the ‘<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gomata''</span> for your children. Can you beat this?!<br /><br />Students of NHPS and NHES come to the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span> twice a year and stay for two days and three nights. No parents. No homework. No imposition. No tension. To top it all, milk at will.<br /><br />"Next year, we are starting Art of Living courses. The syllabus will be updated to make the whole exercise more exciting," adds Manghnani.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal">For project director Sharmila Mirchandani, the gurukul experience has given her enough room to bring in new teaching aids to classrooms.<br /><br />"We aim at building multiple intelligence in a child, through fusion of ancient methodology of the gurukul system and application of modern theories. While bringing out the child''s cognitive capabilities, those of the people around are also brought into the child''s focus. This helps the young mind to be competent together," explains Sharmila.<br /><br />Like their gurus, even the children are excited about the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">gurukul</span>. "We learn how to cooperate with others. There is serenity all around. Our concentration levels are getting fine-tuned. It''s fun," says Sucheta Sridhar of Class 8.<br /><br />Abhav Kini too feels the same. He has learnt sleeping in a ‘<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">kutir''</span> and keeping it clean. "We have no complaints. We relax here," he says.<br /><br />And, for those who want to keep their heels, mind, body and soul cool, take a dip into the pool. Of course, after a glass of milk.</div> </div>