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PAROMITA CHATTERJEE

A Gurukul for girls in Varanasi

Touted as one of the last remaining citadels of ancient Indian Civilization, Varanasi is a city of myriad hues. From its labyrinthine lanes , to its river ghats thronging with pilgrims and foreign tourists, the city is a melting pot of spirituality and culture. Ma Anandmayee’s kanyapeeth , a cloistered hermitage for girls, on the Mata Anandmayee ghat. The ashram gained prominence for being one of the few places which caters to the educational and spiritual training of young girls. Girls as young as 5 or 6 years old are taken in and they are kept under the guidance of the ashram until they attain adulthood. An average day at the kanyapeeth begins as early as four in the morning. After a busy day at the gurukul, two hours in the evening are allotted for the girls playtime and vedic asanas. When the girls leave behind the serenity of the ashram and plunges into the river of life, they carry a part of Gurukul with them, refuse to give up their moral or ethical upbringing at the hermitage. However some chose to stay behind in the ashram forever.

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Paromita Chatterjee/Documentary Photographer

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