Gujarat Hindu Society
The Gujarat Hindu Society (GHS) aims to maintain and promote the Hindu Dharma and cultural heritage in order to enrich the lives of people in the Hindu and wider communities, now and in future generations.
The GHS offer a variety of activities including:
Classical Dance
Indian Classical Dance Classes at Gujarat Hindu Society, provide a foundation for excellent performances, as well as allowing our community to preserve our traditional dance forms.
Visit the Gujarat Hindu Society website
Bollywood Dance Classes
Bollywood dance classes are conducted every Monday evening at our Gujarat Hindu Centre. Children of all age groups are taught Bollywood dances, which are performed at various events and venues, on occasions such as India's Independence day, Republic day etc.
The children gain confidence and understanding of Indian culture through these dances. Dance sessions are great fun and are conducted by our teacher Henna Soni who is herself an ardent dance lover.
Please contact the Activities Officer for further information and enrollment into these dance sessions.
Visit the Gujarat Hindu Society website
Youth Club
Currently, the GHS youth club meets weekly to socialise, play games and learn about Hindu festivals.
The club attracts children from the age of 6 all the way to 15 years. Youth club leaders strongly encourage the children to play together and to take responsibility for each other. Alongside the main youth leaders there are many volunteers who also help run the club. This allows them to build volunteering skills as well as gain volunteering hours for other youth awards such as Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
The youth club is seen as important on several levels:
- Providing a safe environment for young people to meet.
- Encouraging a sense of ownership for young Hindus in the centre. Allowing them to build a bond with fellow youths.
- Guiding children and young people with religious and cultural information. Providing them with avenues to explore their religious routes.
The youth club centres around sporting activities such as badminton, table tennis, board games and traditional Indian games such as Kho Kho and Carrom. The children also take part in craft sessions, external visits and team games. The children have a lot of fun and GHS encourages parents to bring their children along too, in order to join in.
Gujarati School
The GHS has a language school that has been running since 1965 in order to allow the younger generation to learn Gujarati.
Currently GHS run classes with a total of 40 students every Friday evening. The objective is for children to learn and leave with a fully recognised GCSE in Gujarati which can aid their CV, education and to allow children to communicate with individuals of all generations. The teachers themselves have sat the exam and have been provided with adequate training to teach Gujarati.
The Gujarati School is comparable to the English school term times (except religious festivals and half term). The curriculum includes Gujarati language and religious education on major festivals.
If you would like to enrol your child in Gujarati School, please contact the GHS 01772 253901.
Balkunj
The Balkunj Group practises singing bhajans once a month and takes part in the monthly Bhajan Bhojan programme. This is a great way for them to showcase their devotion and singing talents.
Recently, the Balkunj Group transitioned to online activities such as scripts, videos and podcasts which were streamed live through facebook and youtube for members of the Society to view and feel connected, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The children continue to thrive and perform with confidence amongst adults in Bhajan Samelan and other events.
Over the years, the society continued to provide a platform for children to develop confidence to perform in public with their love for bhajans starting from the age of three.
If you would like your child to participate in the Balkunj Group, please contact the GHS on 01772 253901.