The concept of Gyanshala was pioneered under the auspices of Acharya Tulsi and was developed fully by Acharya Mahapragya ji and Acharya Mahashraman ji. In their words: “Gyanshala is like a weapon that
defends against evil, as it shields morality and establishes the kingdom of virtuous ideals”.
Gyanshala program is conducted under the guidance of Samani Jis’. It is a 12-year program that matches the regular school both in terms of duration and the academic calendar. It is divided in four stages. Each
stage is of three years’ duration.
The first stage is called Arham and is for children that are 4 – 6 years
old.
The second stage is called Gyan for children that are 7 -9 years old.
The third stage is called Darshan
and is for children that are 10 – 13 years old.
The fourth and final stage is called Charitra and is for
children who are 14 years and older. It has been purposely designed in this manner to expose the
children to Jain Philosophy in a way that matches with their mental development.
