India is a land of traditions. Among countless traditions, one was the Gurukulam. Gurukulam is a Sanskrit word, which means the Guru (teacher) where valuable knowledge is imparted. A place where traditions are valued and implemented. This method of teaching and learning seems to have gotten lost over many years. The modern schooling techniques now replace it. To rekindle the ancient tradition of giving and seeking knowledge, Divyaa Doraiswamy established Gurukulam – The Shloka Learning Centre. Why shlokas? What compelled Divyaa to the root of traditions? Let’s discover these answers as Divyaa’s journey unfolds.
Traditional Happy Family
Born and brought up in Bangalore, Karnataka, Divyaa describes her childhood as the happiest time of her life. Living with her banker father (now retired), homemaker mother, and an elder sister, Divyaa enjoyed life. Both the girls grew up and got married as tradition goes. Her sister took up Architecture and is married to an Engineer based in the United States. The couple has an adorable 12-year old girl, and the family is happily settled in the West.
Divyaa Doraiswamy’s Shattered Life
Divyaa, however, could not enjoy marital bliss. She describes her late 20s as miserable years of life. It was the time when she went through a divorce and moved back to India. It wasn’t a great time professionally either. Divyaa worked as branch head of a software testing firm, but it didn’t give her any happiness. Divyaa couldn’t continue anymore, so she quit and sat home for a few days.
Tradition Helps To Overcome
Life was a mess when Divyaa couldn’t understand what was happening and why she turned to spirituality as a tendency. As Divyaa embraced tradition to find solace, she found relief. Elaborate research on shlokas and mantras gave her the courage to fight negativity and anxiety. As her research into heritage and spirituality increased, Divyaa’s mental trauma seemed to be reducing. The beneficial experience compelled a compassionate Divyaa to share it with others. Her desire to remind people of this bliss gave birth to Gurukulam on October 20, 2014.
Tradition Meets Technology
What makes Divyaa’s venture different from her competitors? What can she do in a place like Bangalore, which already has dance, music, art, and yoga schools? Some thinking time gave her the idea of a shloka school that keeps kids rooted to tradition. At Gurukulam, children learn the long-forgotten heritage of reading verses in Sanskrit. These Shlokas describe various Gods of the Hindu belief, which is less of a religion and more of a way of life. Divyaa’s way of teaching is curriculum-based and three-dimensional. She introduces the tradition of shlokas to children by working on their reading, math, and memory skills.
Traditional Education In Modern Era
At Gurukulam, children experience wholesome learning and development. The tradition in the school enhances concentration; reduces violence and anger; inculcates values, and teaches reading, math, and memory skills. Divyaa has even found a unique connection between Sanskrit and Mathematics. With tradition as its foundation, Gurukulam runs on the core values of trust, excellence, and consistent learning. Divyaa gives the credit of her success to unconditional family support. Her measure of success is the number of lives she has impacted.
The Only Obstacle
The only trouble she ever encountered in running the traditional education institution was advertising. Divyaa lacked a proper advertising strategy, but Facebook solved her problem forever. Her Gurukulam, which promotes Indian tradition through education, gained popularity. The school’s strength grew from 6 students to 100 of them over six years. Some are even on the waiting list, awaiting a chance to connect. Divyaa proudly says that even the pandemic could not affect the functioning of Gurukulam as it was virtually available since inception. On the contrary, the lockdown brought more students to Divyaa’s traditional Gurukulam.
The Lessons
Over the years of growing along with her traditional organization, Divyaa Doraiswamy learned many lessons. Hard work is the first among them. She was holding on to hope, empathy, courage, and appreciation, and some others. In the process, she has learned not to compare herself with anyone.
Present And Future Of Tradition
Today, Gurukulam is on Sochcast, where she shares her thoughts about God, education based on tradition, and shlokas. Apart from this, Divyaa also shares her thoughts on another platform called Spin A Yarn India on Mondays. Divyaa’s efforts to preserve heritage have not stopped there. In 2021 she launched ‘Festive Series’ where a kid talks about one festival every month. In the future, Divyaa hopes to turn Gurukulam into a franchisee. She has already written to the Indian Prime Minister in this regard. With his support, she wishes to give shloka education to children of government, the visually impaired, and those with other special needs.
After reaching where she is today, Divyaa Doraiswamy has a message for entrepreneurs like her – Turn Your Passion Into a Profession. Give it a shot. It could be worth the try.
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