A Gurukul (Guru refers to "teacher" or "master"; Kul refers to his domain, from the Sanskrit word kula, meaning extended family.) is a type of ancient Hindu school in India that is residential in nature with the shishyas or students and the guru or teacher living in proximity, many a time within the same house.^[1] The Gurukul is the place where the students resided together as equals, irrespective of their social standing. The students learn from the guru and also helps the guru in his day-to-day life, including the carrying out of mundane chores such as washing clothes, cooking, etc. A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... The guru-shishya tradition (also guru-shishya parampara or lineage) is a spiritual relationship found within traditional Hinduism which is centered around the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher, ) to a śiṣya (disciple, ) . The term shishya roughly equates to the western term disciple, and in some parts of... A Guru (Sanskrit: ), is a teacher in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, as well as in many new religious movements. ...

The guru-shishya parampara is a hallowed tradition in Hinduism, and has also carried over into Sikhism. At the end of a shishya's study, the guru asks for a "guru dakshina," since a guru does not take fees. A guru dakshina is the final offering from a student to the guru before leaving the ashram. The teacher may ask something or nothing at all. The guru-shishya tradition (also guru-shishya parampara or lineage, or teacher-disciple relationship) is a spiritual relationship found within traditional Hinduism which is centered around the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher, ) to a (disciple, ). The term shishya roughly equates to the western term disciple, and in some... Parampara (Sanskrit: परम्परा) denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is a religion that began in fifteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. ... An Ashram (Pronounced aashram) in ancient India was a Hindu hermitage where sages (See Rishi) lived in peace and tranquility amidst nature. ...

By the colonial era the Gurukul system was almost dead in India excepting in a few remote regions. An exception was Kerala where the warrior Nair clan and their own military Gurukuls called Kalaris.^{[citations needed]} , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Nair (IPA: [naːjar], Malayalam: നായര്‍, and sometimes spelt Nayar) is the name of an upper Hindu Caste from the southern Indian state of Kerala. ... Kalari Puttara The word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil. ...

In the recent past, some efforts have been started both genuine and others driven by monetary gains, whereby this gurukul tradition is in the phase of resurrection. Among example of modern day revival of gurukula tradition is Ananda Marga Gurukula established by Ananda Marga in 1990 at Anandanagar (India) with a network of branches in scores of countries around the world.^[2] It is not a religious school in Hindu tradition but rather a secular academic institution based on universal spiritual principles. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

There are many Vedic Gurukulas in modern India which follow ancient tradition. Government of India provides financial and other help to Vedic teachers who establish such Vedic gurukulas for imparting Vedic education without asking for any fees from the students ; the leading government institution offering such assistance is Sândipani in Ujjain, named after the guru of Krishna,which also helps Vedic gurukuls in preparing students for examinations held by recognized Sanskrit universities.^{[citations needed]}

Values The objective of the Gurkul education was more to impart values upon Shishyas rather than converting them into working machines. The education was holistic in the sense that the masters always tried to impart knowledge that would uplift a sense of responsibility in Shishyas. Shishyas were expected to be vigilant of their actions, thoughts and deeds. To summarize, that was the real aim of education to make man a human.

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