Meet the Ex-Techie Who Left Germany To Build a Free School Where Kids Weave, Sing & Grow Food

On most mornings, the first sound at Vidyakshetra is not the shrill ring of a bell. It is the soft notes of a flute.

Somewhere under the neem trees, a student practises a raag (melodic framework). A few steps away, another child tightens yarn onto a loom. Two boys sweep the entrance before heading to the open kitchen where breakfast simmers. In a corner of the courtyard, a girl folds her hands and recites a shloka (verse) from memory.

There are no uniforms here. No heavy bags weighing down shoulders. No rush from period to period. Yet learning flows in every corner of the campus.

This is Vidyakshetra, a small school on the outskirts of Bengaluru that has reimagined what education can feel like. Children knead dough before diving into mathematics. They debate Sanskrit grammar after weaving on handlooms. They experiment in the science lab one day and stitch cloth bags the next.

There are no tests or rankings that pit one child against another. Still, every student who has taken board exams has scored above 85 percent, with most achieving between 90 and 96 percent. More importantly, they leave school speaking of the cloth they dyed with flowers, the plays they performed, and the questions they carried back home.

At this gurukul-inspired space, education is not a commodity. It is a shared journey, rooted in Indian knowledge systems and guided by the joy of learning.

The techie who left Germany to build a gurukul

The idea for this Vidyakshetra space began with one man’s search for meaning. In 2006, Muneet Dhiman was working with Mindtree in Germany when a period of reflection made him question the path he was on. “It prompted me to rethink my purpose in life, and I discovered that education is where I want to spend the rest of my life,” he recalls.

He returned to India with his wife, Preethi, and together they stepped into classrooms as teachers. Between 2010 and 2016, the family visited more than 26 institutions across the country, learning from gurukulams, Sri Aurobindo schools, Krishnamurti Foundation schools, Montessori classrooms, Waldorf methods, and even conventional CBSE and IB boards. He often says he is deeply indebted to the learnings these journeys gave him.

Years of research and experimentation finally took shape in 2016, when the school opened with just 13 students. Today, it has grown to 157, with nearly a thousand applications arriving each year. The curriculum is built on the Samagr Vikas Method (holistic development across body, mind, and spirit) with the Panchakosha framework (a traditional Indian knowledge system) at its core. It also includes the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) curriculum, which students follow for their board exams.

Why education here is never for sale

There are no examinations within the school. Children learn experientially at their own pace. Those who choose to sit NIOS board exams are well prepared. Students in Class 10 begin focused preparation six months before the tests, and results have consistently been strong—most score between 85 and 95 percent in their Class 10 and Class 12 exams.

From the outset, the founders made one non-negotiable choice: education here would never be sold, and no fees would be charged by the school. Parents are not asked for income proofs or caste certificates. Admissions are decided on alignment of values, family involvement, and the child’s comfort with the environment—not money. “Of course, we have limitations in the number of children we take, but we don’t have money as a criterion for selecting a child,” Muneet explains.

Families contribute in their own ways. Some offer guru dakshina (voluntary offering). Much of the gap is filled through daana (donations) raised from society. On special days, students, teachers, and parents walk through the streets together, connecting with people in the community and seeking contributions to support the school.

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Muneet says these walks help children and families reconnect with one another and with the wider community, addressing what he sees as a growing disconnection from family, relationships, society, and the environment.

Sceptics questioned whether such a model could survive. Nearly a decade later, the answer is visible in every classroom, loom, and laboratory filled with children eager to learn.

From pottery to physics: Lessons beyond marks

At Vidyakshetra, learning is shaped more by curiosity than by competition. Children are not rigidly grouped by age. Sometimes, younger and older students share the same class; at other times, lessons are tailored for specific stages. With no more than 16 students in a class, teachers can give individual attention to every child.

Parents often arrive with doubts about how this approach will prepare their children for the future. Pankaj, whose daughter has studied here for several years, once had the same concern. “My daughter recently prepared for her Class 12 exams and achieved a remarkable 94%,” he says. He adds that beyond marks, she gained a sense of meaning, a stronger hold on culture, and the confidence to navigate family and society.

The curriculum blends hand, heart, and head. Subjects like agriculture, pottery, handloom, and house construction (Kriya Shakti) channel children’s physical energy into creating and building. Classical music, Bharatanatyam, and theatre (Iccha Shakti) shape emotions and nurture resilience. Students also perform more than 300 experiments in science and study languages such as Sanskrit, English, and Kannada.

History and geography, along with mathematics, sociology, and economics (Gyana Shakti), sharpen intellectual abilities. Together, these subjects form a holistic education that values balance as much as achievement.

Student passions weaving a brighter tomorrow

Vaanya (18), a senior student, has discovered a calling in natural dyes and weaving. “Natural dyeing makes me connect back to the Earth because I know I am not polluting my rivers. It is a natural process which gives me the happiness of contributing back,” she says. Educational trips to handloom clusters in Odisha and Karnataka strengthened her resolve to keep this ancient art alive. “Probably I can learn it and keep it alive.”

Another student, Srinidhi, 19, recently finished her board exams and has secured admission in product design at MIT Pune. She dreams of designing sustainable alternatives to plastic. “If I get some holidays in between, I will go back to school. That’s how much I love the place!” she says.

From 13 students in 2016, Vidyakshetra has grown to a community of 157. Last year alone, nearly 950 applications poured in. “Our aim is that children should develop depth in an Indian worldview,” Dhiman says. “They should relate with the world not through the lens of materialism, self-centredness or casualness, but with a sense of depth and beauty in what they do and how they do it.”

To encourage others, the institution has also started the Acharya Vidyalaya programme. Already 39 people from nine states across India are training here, of whom 17 plan to start their own gurukulas, inspired by Vidyakshetra, in cities around the country. The vision is ambitious: at least five more centres in the next two to three years, and 108 by 2047.

Education that spills into everyday life

At Vidyakshetra, education does not end when the lesson is over. The environment itself teaches children what it means to live with responsibility and purpose. Much of that learning comes from how families hold the school together each day.

The spirit of contribution extends to parents as well. The kitchen is managed entirely by them, with a parent couple volunteering each day. Families also coordinate transport, taking turns to drop off and pick up the children. Many step in to teach sports, while others contribute to STEM and civilisation studies research projects. 

Every Saturday, a 90-minute video session brings parents together, and on the last Saturday of each month, the community gathers on campus for ‘Manthan’  — an open dialogue on education, parenting, and the evolving needs of children.

Lessons that echo long after the bell

Parents notice the difference. Mohan, father of a student, reflects on a worry he sees in the wider world. “Many a time, unknowingly perhaps, the natural abilities and talents of children are ignored in chasing the stream that is in demand,” he says. He believes children should not be moulded to fit a narrow career track, and that Indian knowledge systems help them make thoughtful choices that serve both society and self.

Srinidhi, who recently secured admission in product design, says the spirit of community life at school is what she will carry forward. “Being there is itself a pleasure. Getting together and cleaning the campus every day is something I enjoy!” she shares. Even as she prepares for her future, she plans to return whenever she gets time off. “If I get some holidays in between, I will go back. That’s how much I love the place!”

The approach has opened paths that often remain hidden from mainstream schooling. Children here are not pushed into a narrow set of careers. Instead, they are encouraged to discover their vritti (natural inclination) and follow it with confidence.

It is not unusual for alumni to keep returning, or to continue contributing even after they move on to higher studies. This way of learning builds not just individual talent, but a sense of interdependence that carries into their families and communities.

As one parent put it, Vidyakshetra is less about teaching for a living and more about guiding children towards a life of meaning.

Setting children free to soar

For many, education is seen as a way to secure marks, jobs, and salaries. Here, it is viewed as a way to uncover one’s natural path and serve both self and society. Students are reminded that talent is not lacking; it only needs the right space to emerge.

Nineteen-year-old Srinidhi, now heading to college, explains it simply. “Going to college does not mean leaving school. It is part of our curriculum to go outside, learn something new and come back,” she says. Her goal is to design alternatives to plastic, a direction she discovered here.

The ripple effects are clear. Children are not just preparing for exams but for lives of meaning—whether in sustainable design, handloom traditions, or scientific exploration. They are encouraged to test their hands, hearts, and heads in equal measure, and in doing so, discover work that feels like joy.

For Muneet and the teachers, the dream does not end with one school. Through the Acharya Vidyalaya programme, they hope to see dozens more gurukulas bloom across the country. Already, 39 people are training to carry this model forward, 17 of whom are preparing to establish their own centres. The vision is vast: 108 gurukulas across Bharat by 2047.

As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Here, that power is being redefined. The cage of tests and ranks is lifted. And when the bird is set free, it does not just fly — it soars.

All images courtesy Vidyakshetra

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