Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Brihanmath, Sirigere

Education plays a very prominent role in the modern society. A man without education will never be recognised and he will be worse than a beast. These ideas are best revealed in the Sanskrit maxims namely "Nahi gnanena sadrusham pavithramiha vidyathe"; 'Vidyaviheenah pashuhu'. Therefore education is of prime importance to every one in the society. It is most unfortunate that the facilities for imparting proper education to the rural community are much less when compared to those of urban areas. The unique problems in the rural parts might have also contributed to this drawback.

To a great extent it is true that the development of our country depends entirely upon the development of the countless villages. They can not hope to progress without education and as such the education is quite essential in the fitness of things for the progress of villages. The aspect of providing the required facilities for education in these rural parts, has not been given its due cognizance. As a result, the rate of progress of the country has been slackened to a considerable extent.

Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Brihanmath, Sirigere in Chitradurga District of Karnataka state is one of the leading religious institutions in South India rendering yeoman service for the upliftment of the mankind in general.

Sri Marulasiddha, the contemporary of Basaveshwara, who was a great saint reformer of 12 th Century A.D. in Karnataka. He fought against religious exploitation and social inequalities perpetrated on the innocent and down-trodden in the name of God and Religion. He upheld the lofty principles of social equalities and humanism thereby bringing a new ray of hope to the downtrodden who were condemned for centuries to ignorance and bondage. It is he who founded the "Saddharma Peetha" (The throne of righteousness) on which he installed his disciple Telugubalu Siddheswara on the full moon day of the month of Magha in Ujjaini with the blessings "Tarala Balu" i.e., "Long Live, My lad". Thereafter whoever heads this pontifical throne is known as Taralabalu Jagadguru – a religious and spiritual preceptor dedicated to the welfare of the whole humanity. This auspicious full moon day of the month of Magha is celebrated as Taralabalu Hunnime Mahotsava for nine days every year with pomp and glory by the disciples of the Math to exhibit their respect and reverence to the Swamji.

Sirigere was a remote and backward small village deprived of all the facilities during the pre-Independence days. The then Swamiji of this Peetha Sri Gurushantharaja Deshikendra Swamiji who did his best by supporting the starting of a school in Sirigere and even today the stone plaque tells us that the school building was a gift by the Swamiji in the year 1937. Similarly he was responsible in starting Taralabalu Jagadguru Dispensary in Sirigere and having a pakka road from NH4 to Sirigere for the transportation facility of the people.

SRI TARALABALU JAGADGURU HIGH SCHOOL – (The first one started by Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Brihanmath in the year 1946)

After having studied all these facts Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Sri Shivakumara Shivacharya Mahaswamiji started an ideal High School by name Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru High School at Sirigere, in the year 1946, prior to the days of Independence. The High School has produced large number of eminent personalities who are serving in the country and abroad in different walks of life. This High School gradually developed as a Multipurpose High School, a Higher Secondary School and now it is a fullfledged Pre-University College.

The dream visualised by His Holiness to disseminate the ideals of education like eradication of ignorance and casteism, and understanding of dignity of labour, equality, co-operation and universal brotherhood, came true during the year 1962 when Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Education Society ® came into existance as an augury.

VARIOUS OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
The Education Society started functioning in the field of education in rural parts.
The Society is now running 218 Institutions spread over 13 districts of the state.

Description	Qty
High Schools Babu Narendra High School, Bisalehalli Bhadra High School, Bhadravathi Doddaladamarada High School, Chunchanakuppe Kadakola Group Liberal High School, Kadakola Mudegowdra Mallamma Murigappa Girls High School, Davangere R K Kokate High School, Unakal-Hubli Sait Hanchaji Navalaji Jain Girls High School, Gudigeri Samskrita, Veda, Jyothishya Patashala, Birur Sarvodaya High School, Yennekoppa Smt A V Shivalingamma HIgh School, Aggunda Smt Kallamma High School, Bahaddurghatta Smt Siddamma Rural High School, Pallaghatte Sri Akkamahadevi Girls High School, Birur Sri Akkamahadevi Nursery School, Anubhavamantapa, Davangere Sri Allamaprabhu High School, Balligavi Sri Amrutheswara High School, Neralakere Sri Anaberu Kenchappa High School, Bada Sri Bhuvaneswari Girls High School, Chickmagalur Sri Channappa Fakkirappa Gunjal High School, Kabanur Sri Dyamalamba High School, Hireguntanur Sri Gadigol Basappa Dyamappa High School, Sidenur Sri Gurudeva High School, Kammathahalli Sri Gurumadhukeswara High School, Kalikeri Sri Gurupadeswara High School, Sanehalli Sri Gurushantheswara High School, Godabanahal Sri Gurusiddeswara High School, Bidarakere Sri H Siddaveerappa High School, Kandagal Sri Kalmurudeswara High School, Pillenahalli Sri Kalpatharu High School, Hebbali Sri Karisiddeswara High School, Ramagiri Sri Kashimahalingaswamy High School, B Durga Sri Kondajji Basappa High School, Yelebethur Sri L Siddappa Memorial High School, Muthugadur Sri Madhukeswara High School, Hodigere Sri Maganur Basappa High School, Belavanur Sri Magodu Halappa High School, Holesirigere Sri Mahatmaji High School, Pala Sri Maheswara High School, Kudlur Sri Malleswara High School, Maruvalli Sri Mallikarjunaswamy High School, Agaradahalli Sri Mallikarjunaswamy High School, Channamgere Sri Marulasiddeswara High School, Anagodu Sri Marulasiddeswara High School, Bendekere Sri Mudegowdra Dakshyanamma Shadakshariyappa Nursery School, Davangere Sri Neelambika Girls High School, Sirigere Sri Ningappa Basappa Kabbur High School, Devihosur Sri Nuliyachandaiah High School, Shivapura Sri Patel Gurubasappa High School, Belludi Sri Patel Nandyappa Horatti Gowdra Kallappa High School, Attigere Sri Prabhulingaswamy High School, Hiremagalur Sri Revanasiddeswara High School, Nidaghatta Sri Rudreswara High School, Goppenahalli Sri Sampige Siddeswara High School, Chitradurga Sri Sangameswara High School, Haramaghatta Sri Sathanagere Basamma Basappa High School, Haralakatta Sri Shambhusiddeswara High School, Asagodu Sri Shankareswara High School, Janakal Sri Shanthamalla Deshikendra Swamy High School, Nagenahalli Sri Sharanabasaveswara High School, Chitrahalli Sri Shivananda High School, Shivanapada Sri Shivananjundeswara High School, Yalahanka Sri Shivananjundeswara Sanskrita Veda Patashala, Kanakatte Sri Siddeswara High School, Hemmanabethur Sri Siddeswara Rural Residential High School, Ranebennur Sri Siddharameswara High School, Chickjajur Sri Sujatha High School, Hunasaghatta Sri Swarnagowri High School, Madalu Sri Talyada Patel Chigaterappa Kenchamma Girls High School, Holalkere Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru High School, Anubhavamantapa, Davangere Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Nursery School, Bada Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Nursery School, Chitradurga Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Nursery School, Haranahalli Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Nursery School, Sirigere Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Samskrita Patashala, Sirigere Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Veda Patashala, Sirigere Sri Taralabalu Siddeswara High School, Toolahalli Sri Taralabalu Siddha High School, Telagubalu Sri Totada Ramaiah Gowramma Girls High School, Hosadurga Sri Veerabhadraswamy Rural High School, Kanakatte Sri Vinayaka High School, Benakanahalli Swatantrajyothi High School, Rangapura Taralabalu Nursery & Primary School, Channagiri Tunga High School, Hanasavadi Vedavathi Girls High School, Kadur	79
Pre-University Colleges Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru PU College Anubhavamantapa, Davangere Sri Hulihalli Chikkamallaiah Gangamma PU College, Halkurike Sri Kalleswara PU College, Singatagere Sri B Lingaiah Residential PU College, Sirigere Sri Sadguru Shivananda PU College, Sunakalbidri Sri G Channappa PU College, Anagodu Sri L Siddappa PU College, Basavapatna Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Women's PU College, Chickmagalur Sri Hiremegalageri Patil Siddanagouda PU College, Harapanahalli Sri Kotrenanjappa PU College, Holalkere Sri Hosamani Siddappa PU College, Ranebennur Hoysaleswara PU College, Arsikere Sri M Basavaiah Residential PU College, Sirigere Anubhavamantapa Pu College, Davangere	15
Vocational Courses	7
D.Ed. Colleges	3
Degree Colleges Hoysaleswara Degree College, Arsikere Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Women's College, Chickmagalur Sri Hiremegalageri Patil Siddanagouda Arts & Commerce College, Harapanahalli Sri M Basavaiah Residential Degree College, Sirigere	5
B.Ed. College Sri Makanur Malleshappa College of Education,Davangere	1
B.P.Ed. College	1
Polytechnic Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Polytechnic, Harapanahalli	1
Engineering College Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Institute of Technology, Ranebennur	1
Samskritha & Veda Patashalas	4
Nursery Schools	11
Primary Schools	12
CBSE Schools Taralabalu Central School, Davangere Taralabalu Public School (ISCE), Davangere Taralabalu School, Channagiri	2
Hostels	57
Destitute Homes	8
Anganawadi Training Centre Anganawadi Workers Training Centre, Sirigere	1
Religious centres	11

Holding the firm faith in women's education as an essential requisite for social betterment, colleges for women and high schools for girls have been started. The Education Society has also started one College of Education of its own to provide training for teachers working in High Schools. Further, fostering of Samskrita language is also one of the main objectives of this society. Therefore it is running a few of the well established samskrita and veda pathashalas in different places of the State. In addition, it gives guidance to the needy high schools outside its purview and various training programmes to the farmers as well as SHG groups.

The activities of the Education Society are not confined to providing facilities for imparting Education in general course of study. Establishment of an Engineering College at Ranebennur and a Polytechnic Institute at Harapanahalli are the highlights of the enterprise of this Society. These technical courses have been designed to provide very fair professional opportunities to the products of these Institutes.

In this educational society most of the institutions are residential ones. They are having their own hostels which cater to the needs of the rural pupils by admitting them without any discrimination of the caste and creed. Free boarding and lodging facilities are provided in the hostels. Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Education Society has proved to be only Society in the whole of Karnataka with its largest number of educational institutions serving for the cause of education in rural areas. In the educational society the total number of permanent staff members is about 2,000 and every year the number of students taught by these staff members is about 30,000.

The activities of the society are not restricted to the diffusion of education only. The society has further stretched into the realm of literature, especially Sharana Sahitya. The work that has been done by this society is realy worthy of emulation by others. There are a number of Computer Education Centres and the students right from 8 th standard to Final year degree get the knowledge of Computer Science. His Holiness Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji himself is a Computer scholar who has developed Softwares on the grammer of Panini called Ganakasthadhyayi, on Vachanas of 12 th century sharanascalled Ganaka Vachana Samputa, and on women Self Help Groups called Grihini.

ADMINISTRATION:
Another special feature of the Society is with regard to its administrative set up. The administration of the entire Society is being run in accordance with the democratic pattern. Every institution is governed by the Local Advisory Committee consisting of the elected members. There is one Governing Council at the Head quarter at Sirigere. The local Advisory Bodies function as representatives of the Governing Council at the top.

ASSETS:
One may not believe that the Education Society, having multifarious activities with its good number of institutions is financially not so sound. The financial needs are met by the donors and philanthropists. The assets of the Society lie primarily in the donors and secondly in its employees. Its employees consider that an appointment in this Society is not so much a salaried job as it is an opportunity to serve the Society with missionary zeal. They give more importance to their duties than to their rights.

POTENCY OF INSPIRATION:
The rapid landslide progress achieved by this Educaiton Society in its various fields is really marvellous. The inspiring dynamic power which works for its accomplishments and achievements is its Founder-President, the Chief Patrol Sri Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Sri Shivakumara Mahaswamiji. In other word, Sri Swamiji has built this ideal Education Society through his foresight, dutifulness, perseverence, patience and adventurous spirit. The public as well as the Government owe devotion, reverence and gratitude to His Holiness.

Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, the present head of the Education Society since 1979, is widely known for his modern outlook with scientific approach. He is striving hard to achieve academic excellence in the educational institutions under his control. He has been instrumental in starting not only an Engineering college and a Polytechnic but an international religious and cultural centre called Taralabalu Kendra in Bangalore, Taralabalu Rural Development Foundation at Sirigere and an ideal residential school at Davangere.

It is now the primary duty of one and all who believe in the welfare of the state, to further the growth of this Education Society which is being fondled and fed by Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru Dr. Shivamurthy Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, who strives hard every minute to develop it by overcoming innumerable rural problems.

LOCATION:
Sirigere is situated on the Poona-Bangalore National Highway (NH4). It is at distance of 227 KM from Bangalore and is located between Chitradurga (27 KM), the District Head Quarters, and Davangere (50 KM). It can be easily recognized while traveling on the National Highway No.4 by the presence of an attractive arch on the western side. Sirigere is just 6 KM from the Arch.

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