Children of ages 5 and above can participate in the Balagokulam. The children are grouped into two age-based groups. (See FAQ #17 for more info) Teenagers and adults have their own activities within the Balagokulam center as well. No one is denied entrance to the Balagokulam center, regardless of age or anything else

English is used to communicate in each Balagokulam. The shlokas, prayers, are mostly in Sanskrit language. Songs are mostly in Hindi and sometimes in English, Sanskrit or any other Indian language.

We always encourage children to speak in their mother tongue at home and with friends from similar background. We strongly believe that Bhasha (language), Bhusha (dressing) and Aachar (manners) make and sustain our Sanskriti (culture).

Since children at Balagokulam come from different regions, they have different mother-tongues. Learning one more common Indian language (example Hindi) in addition to their mother-tongue is sometimes hard on them. Hence we have English as the primary means of communication in Balagokulam. At many Balagokulams, a separate session is conducted after Balagokulam to teach Indian language(s) provided there are volunteers to conduct the sessions. Shared repository of resources (syllabus, teaching material used at other places) to teach these language(s) should be useful in this regard.

It’s very simple. Just show up at a Balagokulam center, thus becoming a part of Balagokulam family. “Once a swayamsevak*, always a swayamsevak.” There are no fees for the Balagokulam activities.

Please visit our centers information.If you do not find one near your place, please send an email to info at balagokulam.org

The only things required to start a new one are: passion and time! We will help you and the local team there to develop skills to conduct a Balagokulam, as well as provide all the necessary support for its sustenance by providing resources and frequent visits by our Karyakartas*. We have a special Balagokulam Teachers’ Training workshop specifically for the skills development of new Shikshaks*.

Simply, it means keeping in touch. Contacting new potential families who could come to Balagokulam and maintaining contact with those already coming to Balagokulam. Sampark is regularly executed by spending some time with a family every once in a while. But, sampark for large events such as utsavs* in your Balagokulam would require telecommunication to inform families of the event.

We recommend having a practice session for all shikshaks at least one hr every week. This is to re-enforce the teaching skills, learning new skills and trying them out in the abhyas varga before conducting a session in Balagokulam.

Baithak is a crucial part in the team-building process amongst shikshaks in the Balagokulam. In the baithak, shikshaks review the activities of the past month, plan for the upcoming month, share thoughts/ideas about new projects/activities and discuss the progress of all children coming to Balagokulam. The bhaitaks obviously are vital in maintaining an organized Balagokulam. Bhaitaks are usually held at a different shikshak’s house each time.

At a minimum, each Balagokulam should start with hoisting the saffron flag (which is considered as the Guru in Sangh*) and end with prarthana*. Most or all of the activities should remain regular and consistent. Frequent changing of the activities is discouraged. A typical time-line for a Balagokulam is given below (total 90 min):

5 min — Flag hoisting and starting prayer
15 min — Warm-up and surya-namaskar (sun salutation) and yoga
25 min — Games
15 min — Chanting of shlokas
5 min — Singing a group song
20 min — Story/discussion
5 min — Prarthana

Once the Balagokulam activity gets stabilized and regularized, the Karyavaha (HSS secretary) for the local/nearest area will award a dhwaja (saffron flag) to that Balagokulam.

We treat saffron flag as our guru (guide) in Sangh. Sangh is not a person or personality oriented organization. The source which has inspired generations for times immemorial is the saffron flag. Hence as a symbolic representation we bow to the saffron flag and treat it as our Guru.

In the Balagokulam, one person is assigned as the Mukhya-shikshak. He/she trains other karyakartas, and plays a key role in the planning and implementation phase of the Balagokulam. The Karyavaha of the Balagokulam is primarily responsible for overseeing the activities and environment of the Balagokulam. He/she also acts as an interface between the Balagokulam and society, in the sense that he/she maintains communication with local press and other personnel. Bala-shikshaks plan the children’s activities and implement them, working with the shareerik pramukh to conduct physical activities and the bauddhik pramukh to conduct stories/intellectual activities.

An effective Balagokulam has a bala gana, shishu gana, kishor gana and a tarun gana . Children between the ages of 5 to 8 are grouped in the shishu gana. Children between the ages of 9 to 12 are grouped in the bala gana. Teens of ages 12 to 17 are grouped in the kishor gana, and those 18 and older are grouped in the tarun gana, which consists of mahila (women) and purush (men). Grouping varies per shakha based on the number of swayamsevaks* and sevikas*. In each shaakha, the whole family is engaged in fun-filled, sanskaar-imparting (character building) activities in an enthusiastic environment. This is what makes a prabhavi (effective) shaakha.

Each shaakha is branch of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. And the children’s program in shaakha is simply referred to as ‘Balagokulam’

A person who comes to shaakha activities is called either a swayamsevak (male voluteer) and sevika (female voluteer). Thus a swayamsevak / sevika is a self-motivated person (volunteer) serving the society through tyaga (sacrifice) and sewa (service) without expecting anything in return.

The Sangh organization should be self-standing and self-sustaining. Once a year on the Guru-poornima day, swayamsevak(s) and sevika(s) contribute their Guru-dakshina (monetary offering) in front of Guru (the saffron flag). The contributions collected are used for entire year’s activities and expenses.

At present, there are more than 200 Balagokulam centers in the USA and it’s growing steadily.

By giving your time and talent. There are numerous ways you could help in: conducting various activities in an ongoing Balagokulam, which include organizing Hindu Heritage camps, resource generation (example syllabus, web-site, multi-media etc), being active contributor to Balagokulam Magazine etc. Of course, the least one could do is to promote this noble cause and encourage children, parents and teachers to contribute.

The task of sustaining Hindu culture in our next generation is so huge that no single individual or organization could do it alone. Yet, every single individual or organization’s part is significant and important. We do recognize, respect, learn from and share with the children’s activities run by various organizations.

HSS Balagokulam focuses on building personal sanskaar also social sanskaar. Social consciousness & awareness, giving time for the society and building social leadership skills are stressed through various Balagokulam activities.

Our approach is all-round integrated personality development of individual based on ancient wisdom of Hindu thought and philosophy. Personality is influenced by one’s spiritual, social, cultural, physical, emotional behavior. Through a planned set of sharirik (physical) and boudhik (intellectual) activities, we enhance and socially orient these various aspects of individual’s personality. All the events and activities in Shaakha / Balagokulam are by and for group and not individual, thus come the lessons of team-work and leadership.

We have activities for the entire family. Family is the basic unit of society, and is composed of individuals. Through committed individual comes transformation in the family. Such transformed families would then bring social reformation.