Late Sri H M Gangadharaiah, a visionary educator in the arts and a humanitarian, fueled by the teachings of the most inspirational Indian leaders of the time - Sri Acharya Vinoba Bhave and Mahatma Gandhi, the principles of the saint Sri Basavanna and the great social reformer Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, decided to address this cause. He envisioned an educational establishment that will help disperse the seeds of knowledge and build an awakened, more intelligent society.
Blessed by the great Acharya himself: “May you be a staunch social worker and may this Gollahalli be a Shanthinikethan. Let your honesty be a beacon for your efforts”, Sri Gangadharaiah went on to establish the Sri Siddhartha Education Society (SSES) in 1959, with the primary vision to reach out and extend the wisdom of education to the needy. Quite naturally, he earned the moniker ‘Shikshana Bheeshma’, and named his brainchild after one of the greatest life philosophers of all time, the great ‘Siddhartha’ Gautama Buddha.
