But it was not till 1898 that the governing body of the Samaj in the Punjab decided to carry into execution a scheme for restoring the Vedic system of education which Dayanand had conceived but had never been able to carry out.

Under this system the child is committed at an early age to the exclusive care of a spiritual teacher or _guru_, who stands to him _in loco parentis_ and even more, for Manu says that "of him who gives natural birth, and of him who gives knowledge of the Vedas, the giver of sacred knowledge is the more venerable father, since second or divine birth ensures life to the twice-born, both in this world and eternally." In the _gurukuls_ or seminaries founded by the Arya Samaj pupils or _chelas_ are admitted between the ages of six and ten.

From that moment they, are practically cut off from the outer world during the whole course of their studies, which cover a period of 16 years altogether--i.e., ten years in the lower school and six years in the upper, to which they pass up as _Brahmacharis._ During the whole of that period no student is allowed to visit his family, except in cases of grave emergency, and his parents can only see him with the permission of the head of the _gurukul_ and not more than once a month.

There are at present three _gurukuls_ in the Punjab, but the most important one, with over 250 students, is at Kangri, in the United Provinces, five miles from the sacred city of Hardwar, where the Ganges flows out of a gorge into the great plain.

A large and very popular _mela_ or fair is held annually at Kangri, and it is attended by the _Brahmacharis,_ who act as volunteers for the maintenance of order and collect funds for the support of their _gurukul_.