Brief History and Background of Establishment of Bal Bhavan – Goa

Bal Bhavan is the brainchild of India’s first Prime Minister Late Pandit (Chacha) Jawaharlal Nehru. Chacha Nehru’s ideas behind launching this movement were to provide a purposeful and meaningful outlet to children’s creative and artistic skills inborn in them. The National Bal Bhavan movement in India was started in 1956 in New Delhi. The main thrust is to enrich children’s inborn skills, nurse and nurture their interest in science, art, drama, music, environment, and several topics in an informal manner. The Bal Bhavan movement has completed almost sixty-four years and spread across the states and union territories of India.

Bal Bhavan, an institution for children’s movement, was launched in Goa at Lyceum Complex, Altinho, Panaji, on the 26th of January, 1986, with the help and guidance of Late Smt. Mekhla Jha, the then Chairperson of National Bal Bhavan, by establishing an Autonomous Body fully patronized by the government of Goa on the parallel lines of National Bal Bhavan with the same aims and objectives. Later, on the 14th of February, 1996, Bal Bhavan – Panaji started functioning at its own prestigious new complex at Campal, Panaji.

This institution is striving hard to search for the latent talent in the creative performing abilities of the children to develop in them good hobbies, scientific temper with creativity and vision, and to enable them to develop their all-round personality and become worthy citizens of our beloved country. Bal Bhavan acts as an alternative medium for science, art, physical and intellectual education, supplementing the school system by providing children with an environment conducive to creative expression and creativity.

Bearing in mind the large population in Goa, which is scattered in rural areas and that they can’t avail themselves of the facilities of Bal Bhavan-Panaji, Bal Bhavan tried to reach out to rural children by taking the Bal Bhavan activities to their very doorsteps by opening Bal Bhavan Kendras in different parts of Goa in order to provide the children with equal opportunities. So far, Bal Bhavan has opened 53 Bal Bhavan Kendras and Sub Centres at different places in Goa.