Learning about leadership
Young children glean valuable insights from the Mahabharata, writes NEERU THAKUR
The fifth Balagokulam event was once again a great success, with April’s theme being leadership from the Mahabharata. Balagokulam is a great program for children of all ages who wish to learn more about India’s culture, while enjoying spending time together. The whole purpose of Balagokulam is to develop well-rounded personalities by imparting ethical values to young children. In the April event children were taught about leadership, an essential life-skill that everyone requires in daily life. An important aspect of good leadership is the ability to work and relate with others, and that needs to be incorporated as early as possible. Stories of legendary heroes from the Mahabharata sparked the children’s interest in Hindu culture and heritage to the extent that they asked their parents many intriguing questions about the stories they heard at Balagokulam. This is obviously a testament of the lasting impression the organisation has on the tender minds of children.
At the event, the 2-5 years age group were occupied with two main activities, cutting and colouring in the flag of India, followed by a story-telling session. Balagokulam has the theme of the Mahabharata running through all its sessions this year. Leadership qualities were illustrated via stories of Sri Krishna and Abhimanyu, and the children were asked which of these heroes they were inspired by the most, and why. Despite the young age group, it proved to be a very engaging activity for them.
The 6-9 years age group were stimulated by story-telling from the Mahabharata, with a discussion of the different definitions and qualities of a leader. This was followed by learning the Devanagri script, the alphabet of which forms the basis of many Indian languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi and many more.
The 10 and above age group were involved with leadership-orientated games – mainly via sports, followed by an intellectual discussion about the theme and how they exemplify it in their lives.
The above structure of Balagokulam which has been consistent for the past 5 sessions, seems to attract a constant, but more importantly, enthusiastic group of children and parents who appreciate the importance of learning and applying the values of Hindu culture within the setting of our great Australian society. After all, these universal values are consistent with the ultimate objective of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam – the whole world is one family.’
Last but not the least, the parents enjoyed a yoga session conducted by Shri Kuldeep Bhagat, a qualified teacher from Patanjali with over a decade’s experience in the field. Yoga has been a big success among parents, to the extent that a free weekly session has been organised every Sunday morning for an hour at Clayton South Primary School. For more information, please contact Jay Nair at 0434315953 or Vikrant Thakur at 0409174714.
