Welcome to Chinmaya Gurukul – Home of Chinmaya Mission Alpharetta! This is a family program for kids and their parents.
All Sevaks and adults without kids in BV should also register and pay membership dues.
Registration for EXISTING families was open May 1st-Sep12th. Classes began Aug 8th.
NEW family? Registration was June 3rd-Sep 12th, We will take new additions in Jan 2026 for the Jan-May 2026 session.
If you are interested in joining our Bala Vihar program in Jan 2026, please fill this form and we will be in touch with you for Jan registration.
If you find that the session you want is full, you have 2 options:
a) You can register (and pay) in another session that is available and is workable for you. Then submit a session change request here. We will contact you if space becomes available based on any cancelation before start of Aug.
OR
b) You can register (and pay) in the Waitlist for the session you want. We will contact you if space becomes available before start of classes Aug. If not, we will issue a full refund to you.
Do you have Qs about Bala Vihar, fees, availability? See below: Curriculum by grade, fees, session timings
NOTE: Our focus is Bala Vihar program (not language learning).
The language classes are optional and offered only to registered Bala Vihar students at beginning of year. Anyone registering mid-year cannot join language classes.
Chinmaya Gurukul is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization and is run entirely by volunteers.
All the fees are used for operational costs of upkeep of our Ashram, conducting Bala Vihar and Adult classes, celebrating festivals and for organizing Chinmaya Mission events throughout the year such as Yagnas/Camps/Walkathon etc.
Registration period runs through May 1-Sep 15th for Aug 2025-May 2026 session.
After that you can join the interest list and join in Jan 2026 for half the year.
Here are are key Dates and deadlines
| May 1 – May 15 | Current CMA families may register only for their existing session. |
| May 16- May 30 | Current CMA families may request session changes, subject to availability. |
| June 3 Onward | Registration opens to new families for any available sessions |
*Important: After May 15, your spot is not guaranteed. Other CMA families may switch sessions, and new families will begin registering. You could lose your preferred session if it fills up.
*No Exceptions: Due to high enrollment numbers, we are unable to make exceptions to these policies.
Fee Information: Effective as of Jan 2025
Our fees have increased this year to provide adequate support for Ashram maintenance and quality Chinmaya Mission programs for the community we serve.
| Adults Only: Family with no kids in Bala Vihar/ Shishu Vihar | $250 for the year: Aug-May This is CMA membership fee so that you can participate in our Chinmaya Mission yagnas, events and volunteering for them as well as at Bala Vihar. $125 – If joining in January for Jan-May. |
| Family with kids in Bala Vihar/Shishu Vihar class. This fee is due annually. This fee includes the cost of Bala Vihar books (and language class books if enrolled) for the kids. | If joining for the year Aug-May: $550 for family with 1 kid for the year $850 for family with 2 or more kids. $150 – Additional if enrolling in language class per child. If joining in January for Jan-May: $275 for family with 1 kid $425 for family with 2 or more kids. Language classes registration allowed only in Aug. |
| Registration Fee: | A $50 registration fee is charged for all NEW student registrations A $50 late fee applies to all EXISTING students confirming after June 3rd A $100 late fee applies to all EXISTING students confirming after Aug 10th. |
Note: A substantial portion of the fees is Tax deductible as a charitable contribution. We will send you a combined donation receipt for all your contributions each calendar year.
What is membership fee? Our Bala Vihar, is an integral part of Chinmaya Mission Alpharetta (CMA) and is seen as a family activity to learn, grow and volunteer. Your membership fee helps us to maintain and grow the organization.
CMA provides parents with an avenue to advance in our spiritual pursuits through Study Groups, Gita Classes, Bhajan/Chanting class, Jnana Yagnas (discourses), Service Projects etc.
Active participation in any of these activities – including the invaluable voluntary services performed in Bala Vihar – adds a new fragrance to our spiritual blossoming.
Cancellation Policy:
Following is the amount held back based on when the cancellation was informed to registration via email. NOTE: The Credit card processing fee will also be held back if canceling a confirmed spot.
In addition to CC fee, for Fall registration if cancelation is:
> 3 weeks before classes start – $0
0-2 weeks before start of classes – $50
< 1 month after start of classes – $100 + $50/child for BV; $25 for language class
> 1 month of start of classes but before January – $100 + 1/2 the annual fee
In or after January – no refunds
In addition to CC fee, for 1/2 year registration if cancelation is:
< 1 month after start of classes – $50 + $50/child for BV
After January – no refunds
New Family? Need an account?
Click here to create an account for your family. If you are a CMA family, please do not create a new account.
Already have an account?
If you already have an account with us, click here to confirm your membership for next year, update your registration details, register additional children, or make payments.
CHINMAYA VISION AND VALUES
The goal of Chinmaya Gurukul is to instill good values and promote the knowledge of Sanatana Dharma, thereby laying the foundation for becoming a successful individual and a positive contributor to society.
In order to achieve this, we want to ensure a positive learning atmosphere for all kids in the Bala Vihar program. By registering and continuing with Bala Vihar classes, you and your family agree to adhere to the proper Code of Conduct and the Discipline Policy at Chinmaya Gurukul.
CODE OF CONDUCT
- Abide by the rules and regulations of Chinmaya Gurukul
- Follow and respect all instructions provided by any Chinmaya Gurukul activity, program or Bala Vihar facilitators, teachers or volunteers.
- Use language appropriate for a spiritual community in person and on online platforms/social media groups.
- Respect Others.
- Obey the Bala Vihar teacher and their instructions in the classroom.
- Listen.
- Respect the rights, privacy and property of others including, but not limited to, digital licenses and digital platforms.
- Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
- Respect the property and digital platforms licensed by Chinmaya Gurukul or any other physical location where Chinmaya Gurukul activities, programs and camps may be held.
- Wear appropriate clothes for activities as suggested by Chinmaya Gurukul facilitators and teachers.
- Cell phone use for texting, playing games or for any purpose other than what is permitted by the teacher is not allowed in the classroom and assembly.
- All students are expected to have minimum 70% attendance. When unable to attend class, the parent/student should message/email the teacher informing of their absence and the reason for it. If the student is very irregular, the teacher will followup with the family regarding the same.
INAPPROPRIATE, PROHIBITED, DISRUPTIVE OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
- Any action or inaction by the student that disrupts the classroom or prevents the teaching in the classroom is considered disruptive behavior.
- Class disruption, disorderly conduct, insubordinate or disrespectful behavior, and willful disobedience is prohibited.
- Biting, hitting, pushing, scratching, bullying ( in person or digital platform), inappropriate or unwelcome physical contact with other students or pulling is considered aggressive behavior.
- Engaging in Inappropriate, Disruptive and Aggressive behavior, as said behavior is defined by the Bala Vihar teacher, facilitator or volunteer, is prohibited.
- Engaging in threatening or taunting acts of physical, sexual or verbal abuse, either in-person or using any of the digital platforms, is strictly prohibited.
- Possession or use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, mind-altering drugs or any illegal substance or paraphernalia during Chinmaya Gurukul sessions is prohibited.
- Possession or use of any type of real or facsimile weapons, including cyber-weapons, hazardous object, or explosive device is prohibited.
- Vulgar and profane language is prohibited.
DISCIPLINARY STEPS
In the event any action, inaction or behavior requires disciplining the child, the following steps are generally followed. The appropriate disciplinary step is based in context of the severity of the student violation of this policy.
- Verbal Warning: the teacher will make a first attempt to talk to your child, and explain the expected behavior and why the offensive behavior is not allowed.
- Remove and Set Apart: the teacher will remove the child from the rest of the class or have him or her sit in a different area of the classroom for a set amount of time or until the child is ready to participate cooperatively.
- Parent Conference: The parents will be required to meet with the teacher and are expected to talk to their child about proper behavior within the Bala Vihar class.
- Expulsion: Should none of the above resolve the offensive behavior issues with the child, the Bala Vihar administration reserves a right to terminate your child’s participation in the Bala Vihar program.
By continuing to attend the Bala Vihar program you and your family agree to abide by the Code of Conduct for Chinmaya Gurukul activities, programs, and Bala Vihar, and you understand that any violation of the same could result in you and your family being asked to withdraw from any activities, programs, or Bala Vihar without any refund. Chinmaya Gurukul reserves the right to modify this policy without any advance notice.
Current available spots in each of the grades by session for the Cumming Location (Updated 1 PM EDT daily )
Classes offered at Gurukul Ashram:
Sunday Session 1 9-10:30am Prek-12th gr.
Sunday Session 2 11:30-1pm Shishu Vihar, Prek-10th gr.
Sunday Session 3 2-3:30pm Shishu Vihar, Prek-7th gr.
Friday Session 7-8:30pm Shishu Vihar, Prek-7th gr.
| Grade | Friday Session | Sun. Session 1 | Sun. Session 2 | Sun. Session 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shishu | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Pre Kindergarten | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Kindergarten (KG) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| First | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Second | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Third | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Fourth | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fifth | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Sixth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Seventh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eight | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nineth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tenth | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Eleventh (Junior) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Twelfth (Senior) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | 5 | 10 | 35 |