Namaste, 🙏
I'm Apoorva Vedavathi,
I was raised in a Gurukula – the kind of place where mornings began with chants instead of alarms. Life there was simple and disciplined: Sanskrit, yoga, chores, and the slow art of paying attention. 🌿
My father, Acharya K.K. Subramani, founded the Cauvery Kanya Gurukulam to offer free, traditional education to girls from rural backgrounds. Growing up with them, watching their confidence grow through discipline and knowledge, transformed me as much as my own training did. 🪔
YogaDhaama grew out of that same soil – a quiet corner by the Cauvery where people come to breathe, reflect, and return to themselves. What we do here is simple: we hold space. We teach. We share what shaped us. 🌿
And every student or seeker who walks through this space also supports the Gurukulam – helping provide food, books, education, and a safe home for the next generation of young women walking the same path I once walked. 🪔
Our Story & Purpose
Yogadhaama Wellness was founded as the financial wing of the Cauvery Kanya Gurukulam (CKG) — a non-profit residential Gurukula dedicated to empowering young girls through free, value-based education grounded in Sanatana Dharma. 🪔
We exist to bridge two worlds — the ancient depth of Indic wisdom and the modern seeker’s need for purpose, clarity, and balance.
Every program, retreat, and teacher training at Yogadhaama sustains this lineage of learning and giving — where your growth becomes another’s opportunity. 🪷
🌱 What Lives at the Heart of Yogadhaama
A quiet blend of wisdom, discipline, and devotion:
The philosophical depth of Vedanta, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita.
The discipline and precision of Mysore’s Ashtanga and Hatha traditions.
The spirit of Seva and community living that defines the Gurukula way.
Our curriculum weaves together Yoga, Vedanta, Sanskrit, Chanting, and Seva, helping students live in harmony — balancing modern careers with eternal values.
✨ Why We Exist
In a world where education often produces degrees without depth and success without substance, Yogadhaama stands for something quieter and deeper – the restoration of wholeness.
We nurture not just skilled teachers, but thoughtful, dharmic human beings who carry wisdom into their families, communities, and work.
🪔 A Women-Led Social Enterprise With a Purpose
Yogadhaama is led and sustained by women committed to education, service, and tradition.
Through every course, stay, and practice, you directly support the Gurukulam – helping nourish, shelter, and educate a young girl walking the Gurukula path.
Your participation is not a transaction. It is Seva in its truest form. 🌸
Our Five Guiding Principles
We envision a generation of wise students – grounded, disciplined, and devoted to society – individuals who live the teachings of yoga in every action they take.
These principles reflect the soul of Yogadhaama, the lineage of the Gurukulam, and the way we ourselves were raised and trained.
🧡 1. Service – Giving Is Our Way of Living
At Yogadhaama, every activity is an offering — whether it is teaching, cooking, cleaning, or learning. This is how we embody Karma Yoga, where action is performed without ego, and Bhakti Yoga, where devotion becomes the heart of service.
Students engage in small acts of seva daily – from helping in the kitchen to supporting the Gurukulam.
Every retreat, training, or program directly supports the education and well-being of young girls at CKG.
Service is not a task here – it is a state of mind.
🔥 2. Discipline – A Life Rooted in Daily Practice
Sadhana is the spine of the Gurukula way. It shapes not only the body, but the mind, the emotions, and the character.
Daily practices include asana, pranayama, mantra chanting, meditation, and scriptural reflection.
The discipline our teachers grew up with in the Gurukulam — early mornings, consistent effort, mindful routines — is what we share with our students.
Sadhana teaches resilience, clarity, balance, and inner stability.
🌟 3. Truth — Integrity in Thought, Speech & Action
Truthfulness here is not just moral correctness – it is alignment with dharma.
We emphasise honesty, transparency, and responsibility in our teaching, administration, and community living.
Truth also means competence — doing what we do with skill, clarity, and sincerity.
Students learn to express truth with compassion — not as a weapon, but as wisdom.
📜 4. Wisdom – The Integration of Head, Heart & Hands
Shiksha at Yogadhaama follows the classical Indian model of education – holistic, experiential, and deeply rooted in tradition.
Our training brings together:
Sanskrit — the language of clarity and precision.
Vedanta & Upanishads — philosophical depth for modern life.
Yoga Asana & Pranayama — discipline of the body and breath.
Mantra & Chanting — refinement of emotion and devotion.
Seva & Community Living — wisdom in action.
🌱 5. Sustainability – Living in Harmony With Nature
Our practices honour both the land and the life it supports.
40–60% of our fruits and vegetables are grown organically on campus, using natural farming techniques.
Our river-facing shaala is built using natural stone, bamboo mats, and dried grass, giving it an organic, grounding presence.
Students learn to respect water, land, food, and energy — as resources to be used mindfully, never wasted.
We minimise plastic, encourage eco-friendly habits, and design our daily life around simplicity and minimalism.
Our Lineage - The Light That Guides Us
Yogadhaama stands firmly rooted in the timeless Guru–Shishya Parampara, the living tradition through which wisdom flows directly from teacher to student, heart to heart, life to life. This unbroken transmission is not merely an educational model – it is the spiritual backbone of everything we teach, practice, and live.
Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1930–2015)
The Source of Our Tradition
Our roots go back to Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, one of the most revered teachers of Advaita Vedanta and the founder of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.
His teachings brought clarity, logic, and accessibility to the profound truths of the Upanishads.
Swamiji laid the philosophical foundation that still shapes our approach.
His blessings inaugurated the very first batch of Cauvery Kanya Gurukulam.
His vision — “integrate Sanatana Dharma into modern life without diluting its essence” — continues to guide Yogadhaama today.
Swami Visharadananda Saraswati Ji
The Quiet Flame of Tapas & Inner Research
Carrying that light forward, Swami Visharadananda Saraswati Ji — a monk and scholar who has spent over six decades in deep meditation, yogic exploration, and Vedantic inquiry — resides quietly at our ashram near the Cauvery.
His presence adds a rare spiritual depth to Yogadhaama:
He does not instruct or interact formally — yet his silence teaches.
His tapasya radiates through the campus, elevating seekers effortlessly.
Students often describe the experience as “feeling held by something beyond words.”
Acharya Dr. K.K. Subramani
The Architect of the Gurukulam Vision
At the heart of our work is Acharya Dr. K.K. Subramani – Founder Acharya of the Cauvery Kanya Gurukulam, disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, and a respected agricultural scientist.
He embodies the rare union of scriptural depth and worldly wisdom:
A teacher of Vedas, Upanishads, Vedanta, Sanskrit, and the Bhagavad Gita
A leader who built the Gurukulam brick by brick over 13+ years
An educator who believes in empowering girls through free, value-based, dharmic education
A scientist who integrates sustainability into daily life – from organic farming to eco-sensitive construction
Impact Created
Press and Recognition
Over the past decade, the Gurukulam’s work in reviving traditional education for girls has received significant recognition from government leaders, senior administrators, spiritual masters, eminent educators, and cultural icons. Their visits and endorsements reflect the credibility, impact, and integrity of the institution.
Government Recognition
Recognised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka as a culturally significant centre for traditional Indian knowledge and yogic education.
Shri Vajubhai Vala, Former Governor of Karnataka, visited the Gurukulam and appreciated its contribution to women’s education and cultural preservation.
Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka, visited in 2023 and interacted with the Gurukulam’s founder and students, acknowledging the institution’s impact in rural education.
Shri D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, visited the Gurukulam in 2015 and offered his appreciation for the vision behind the initiative.
H.M. Revanna, Former Transport Minister, Government of Karnataka, visited the Gurukulam in 2018.
Sri B. Ramu, IAS, Former Director, Department of Tourism, Karnataka, visited in 2017 and commended the Gurukula model.
Mrs. Shilpi Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway (Mysore Division), visited and interacted with students in 2023.
Late Shri R. Dhruvanarayana, Former Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), visited the Gurukulam on multiple occasions and extended support for its mission.
Shri Hasmukh Adhia, Former Union Finance Secretary & Revenue Secretary of India, now Chairman of Bank of Baroda and Advisor to the Government of Gujarat, has visited the Gurukulam multiple times over several years, expressing deep appreciation for its work.
Spiritual Masters & Academic Leaders
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of the Art of Living Foundation, visited the Gurukulam in 2020 and blessed the students and the institution.
Dr. H.R. Nagendra, Padma Shri awardee and Founder-Chancellor of S-VYASA University, visited after receiving his national honour and commended the Gurukulam for reviving scriptural education for girls.
Cultural Icons & Thought Leaders
Hamsalekha, a celebrated composer, writer, and cultural icon of Kannada cinema, visited and praised the institution’s role in preserving Indian traditions.
Sadananda Maiya, former Founder-Chairman of MTR Foods and owner of Maiya brand, visited to understand and appreciate the Gurukula model.
Ranganath, senior journalist and Founder of Public TV (Kannada), visited with his family and acknowledged the Gurukulam’s societal contribution.
Dr. Ahalya Devi, Former Joint Director, AYUSH Board, Government of Karnataka, visited and addressed the students, encouraging them to continue their pursuit of holistic education.