An extraordinary journey of vision, courage, faith and perseverance
The story of Golden Avatar Gurukula started in 1998 with the humble vision of one undergraduate student in the small town of Nabadwip in West Bengal named Dalia Bhattacharya. She herself had struggled financially to receive an education and feeling fortunate to do so, made a conviction, "When I graduate, I'm going to do my best to help at least one other student to do so." After Dalia's graduation, one student became a few, which became twenty-four in 2009. Over the past decade, Dalia has overcome the challenges from within and outside of the community with the support of her brother Banti and her daughter Gaurangi to entrench the school as a pillar of the community. Golden Avatar Gurukula aims to provide support, education and love to those in the greatest of need. In West Bengal, India, we find some of the poorest and most neglected children in the world, facing challenges which include child destitution, prostitution, drugs and crime. In the overcrowded public schools of this state of India, student-teacher time is minimal and it is a standard practice for a student to receive the majority of their instruction through private tuition. This is a huge problem for those who can hardly afford to attend public schools, what to speak of paying for private tuition. This is where Golden Avatar Gurukula makes the biggest difference. Apart from providing all costs for a student's government schooling, including uniforms, books and stationery and school fees, the Gurukula also functions as a private tutorial school, not only covering the government school syllabus, but introducing extra curricular activities. Our goal is to prepare students not just for work and further study, but for life. We believe this can be achieved by providing a full education—not just in academic subjects but also vocational training, farming, arts, music, dance, sports and martial arts in a nurturing and family-like environment. Our connection to the international community is very strong, in addition to the foundation to the local community created by Dalia, Banti and Gaurangi. Golden Avatar Gurukula is not yet certified as an independent school in West Bengal due to our small size and minimal assets. This project continues to grow today, with a current total of around one hundred and twenty students being catered for, from Grade One to Upper Secondary and Tertiary. Still, this is not enough, as we have a waiting list of well over two hundred - far beyond our current capacity. The school has grown and continues to grow with the support of donors from all over the world who have provided funds and items such as books, stationery and other educational materials.
Meet the Team
Principal
Dalia
Dalia has been the heart of Golden Avatar Gurukula since its inception in 2009. Having struggled to get an education herself, she has selflessly been giving of herself to commit to the running of the Gurukula for the past 17 years. In addition to developing the curriculum and cooking for a hundred children (and sometimes their mothers) on a daily basis, Dalia teaches Geography and History and her students are often praised as the brightest in Nabadwip.
Vice Principal
Subal Sakha (affectionately known as Banti)
Banti is a role model of the behaviour we hope to develop in our young men graduating from the Gurukula, combining hard work with integrity and living the values of the Gurukula on a daily basis. Involved with the Gurukula since its inception, Banti manages the staff of the Gurukula and also teaches English and Bengali grammar.
Treasurer
Shyamohan Young
Shyam Young has over 20 years experience in Commercial Banking and Wealth Management in Australia and Singapore across middle and front office roles, bringing a unique set of skills to the Golden Avatar family. From a young age, he was interested in the rich traditions, stories and depth of the Hindu culture, which led him to travelling to Nabadwip on a pilgrimage in 2013, changing his life forever. Since then, he has become an increasingly important part of our connection between the Golden Avatar family, both inside and outside of India.
