Brindavan Gurukul : About Us

About Us

Brindavan Gurukul is a non-profit organization based upon the vision of world renowned Bansuri maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Brindavan Academy is dedicated to the teaching and promotion of performing arts of the world (music and dance particularly), yoga, and meditation techniques, in a serene atmosphere, along the ancient Indian "gurukul" principles.

BGI was established in 1996 by Pandit Hari Prasad and Dr. Shyamala Rajender, for promoting, presenting and teaching Indian classical music, Indian-Western integrated music, along with meditation techniques, yoga, and music theory. Focus will be on gifted or talented children and youth, especially underprivileged and needy children. Pandit Chaurasia's mission is world peace, love and harmony through music, meditation and relaxation.

Our Mission

To create a huge college of flutists, "a veritable Vrindaban in which students will arrive to learn and study with satchels full of flutes, live in [mud] huts, eat at a common langar" . . . . "a modern Vrindaban from which a thousand flutes will ring out each day."
To create and inculcate in children and youth a love for and appreciation of Indian music, especially bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) music as well as Indian-Western (jazz) fusion music.
To provide for children at an early age, a constructive, disciplined, satisfying and creative alternative to the culture of drugs, gangs, violence and sex to which they are constantly exposed and to prepare them for the unique challenges of the 21st Century.
For the guru to work closely with sishyas (students/disciples) to identify, recognize, encourage and create a desire to learn and excel in the music or musical instrument of their choice.
To expose children at a very early age to different types and kinds of music and misicians and combination of styles; to expand their horizons and acceptability of styles new or foreign to them by encouraging them to attend various concerts and musical performances by great artists from all around the world.
To establish youth summer live-in camps where the student will learn not only music from the guru but also cooperative, community living, where the students help with all household chores, look after each other, help each other, live with each other and also provide community service.
To provide summer scholarships to children in the United States to go to India and study Indian music under well known Indian musicians and expereince the gurukul system of instruction.
To bring Indian children from India under a short term scholarship program to study Western and Indian music and fusion music under famous musicians of both cultures and to be creative in blending the two systems of music.

BGI is generally based on the ancient Indian "gurukul" (teacher's family) system of education based on the principle that the sishyas (pupils) have to be in continuing instruction under the constant guidance and nurturing of the guru. While this system as it existed thousands of years ago may not be feasible in modern day society of hustle and bustle, its principles are still viable and are easily adaptable to present conditions. While BGI places special emphasis on training children and youth, it is also open to all interested individuals, young in age or young at heart.

Students are drawn from every walk of life, regardless of status. Deserving, dedicated and talented students are given full or partial tuition scholarship, free room, board and tuition for summer camps. While one section of BGI is devoted to teaching music (Indian and fusion), the Academy also emphasizes teaching the cultural, social and ethnic aspects of the students' heritage from which they can draw strength. The students and guru are encouraged to interact closely and develop a filial bond, in keeping with the gurukul style of teaching.

Music classes and other cultural activities are conducted on a regular basis. Master classes are conducted by Pundit Chaurasia, whereas regular instruction is provided by his senior disciples, Rupak Kulkarni, Rakesh Chaurasia, Sunil Aundh, Deepak Ram, Prasad Bhandarkar, and other artists, including George Brooks (jazz/sax), Kai Eckhardt (guitar), Shama Bhate (kathak), Yamini Reddy (kuchipudi), Vijay Ghate and Shantilal Shah (tabla), Veena Sahasrabuddhe and Suman Ghosh (vocals and musicology) and other celebrated musicians from India and Europe, and visiting faculty from local colleges and universities. Pundit Chaurasia offers intensive master classes and workshops in Indian classical music in the summer for two to six week periods. Class schedules and programs are announced periodically. Summer youth camps will also be organized and supervised by the regular faculty as well as visiting faculty from local university and college campuses and music student interns. Summer youth camps are planned to run from July through September and vary from one week to three months duration depending on the academic program in which the student is enrolled.

As part of this effort to disseminate knowledge about Indian and fusion music and to inculcate an interest in young children, BGI endeavors to bring students from local schools, especially inner city schools, to concerts and other musical events sponsored by BGI, so that they can listen to Indian classical music and East-West fusion music as performed by maestros in their respective fields and learn to appreciate and develop an interest in learning their music. BGI also seeks corporate and individual sponsors who could purchase tickets for these events and donate them to area schools.

A well-qualified resident faculty will be appointed to handle other curricula and academic programs. One aspect of BGI's efforts will be directed towards setting up and conducting well-designed yoga and meditation workshops and regular classes conducted by a well-trained and well-recognized Yoga expert from the Himalayan region of India .

Pundit Chaurasia has already established an operational gurukul in Mumbai , India , on land donated by the Maharashtra Government and funds generously donated by Sri Ratan Tata Trust. Another gurukul is currently under construction is Bhubhaneshwar, Orissa, on land donated by the Orissa Government. Panditji's dream is to establish a similar operational gurukul in the United States, the Brindavan Gurukul Academy, to promote his music as a medium of world peace and to leave a piece of Indian heritage and culture for our progeny in the U.S. The administrative framework for its operation is already in place.

Among the goals of the gurukul are:

· To preserve the ancient scriptures, culture and heritage through music and other arts.

· To bring out the latent human potential to the fullest capacity in all spheres of life by way of Music, Yoga, meditation and other developmental activities.

· To train the younger generation in physical, mental, intellectual and emotional exercises thereby to achieve an all round development of human personality.

· To train and equip the younger generation as world citizens, with a strong value based education blended with higher ideals of life such as commitment, hard work, selflessness, happiness and optimism.

· To promote universal brotherhood and sisterhood, peace and harmony without prejudices.

· To make the institution a role model for academic excellence and the promotion of world peace and harmony through music.

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