A touching moment from the Guru Vandana programme at Suttur Math Residential School, where students honoured their beloved caretaker Shri H.D. Mahesh with a gold ring, an expression of pure love, respect, and gratitude. Beyond classrooms, caretakers here shape lives as mentors and second parents, nurturing values along with education. A beautiful reminder that true teaching leaves a lifelong imprint.
Suttur, December 12, 2025: In Indian tradition, teachers are revered next only to one’s mother and father. While parents give birth, teachers guide students in the art of living. If a mother is considered the first teacher, school teachers are often seen as the second mother—shaping character, values, and direction in life.
Residential education, especially school education with hostel facilities, plays a distinct and vital role in this journey. In day schools, once children return home after classes, parents or guardians take responsibility for homework, meals, cleanliness, and health. However, in residential schools, these responsibilities are shared and fulfilled by hostel wardens, room teachers, and caretakers—who effectively stand in for parents and become consistent mentors in students’ daily lives.
Among the numerous institutions run under Suttur Math, the Suttur Math Residential School stands out for its unique features and service to society. The institution was inaugurated in 2002 by the then President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and has since been a boon for children from economically backward families. Today, around 4,000 students from all districts of Karnataka, neighbouring states, and even distant states such as Meghalaya, Manipur, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh study at the school from Classes 1 to 10. With the extensive facilities and support provided by Paramapujya Jagadguru Shri Shivaratri Deshikendra Mahaswamy, students are achieving strong academic results while also growing into cultured and responsible citizens.
At the Suttur Math Residential School, student learning extends beyond classrooms. After attending lectures and classes, students return to hostels where they are guided and supported by caretakers. The campus houses more than 3,000 students in the Basaveshwara and Akkamahadevi hostels, and the institution has appointed one caretaker for each dormitory to ensure consistent and personal care. These caretakers are D.L.Ed/B.Ed graduates and shoulder a range of key responsibilities, including monitoring homework, overseeing meals, ensuring bathing and cleanliness routines, and most importantly, taking care of students’ health. Through these roles, caretakers truly become mentors, and students respect and admire them as much as their school teachers.
Reflecting this deep gratitude, senior students at the residential school have been organizing “Guru Vandana” programmes frequently. A notable such programme was held on December 6, 2025, organized by senior students who completed their SSLC in 2014–15 and who are now engaged in various professions. The event honoured the school’s principal, teachers, caretakers, and also the kitchen staff, acknowledging their essential role in students’ academic and personal growth.
A special moment during the programme drew widespread attention and appreciation. Students from one room presented a gold ring to their favourite caretaker, Shri H.D. Mahesh. The unexpected gift surprised everyone present and stood as a powerful example of students’ selfless love and gratitude.
This gesture also recalled a similar incident from February, when senior students gifted a bike worth lakhs of rupees to another caretaker, Shri Sagar, on the occasion of his wedding, highlighting the long-standing culture of appreciation among students of the institution.
Such grateful and value-driven actions, many observed, reflect the strong foundation built by the Suttur Math Residential School, which continues to shape students not only academically but also emotionally and culturally, instilling respect, gratitude, and a sense of responsibility toward those who guide them.
