At the end of one's education, a shishya offers the guru dakshina before leaving the gurukula.[1][2] The gurudakshina is a traditional gesture of acknowledgment, respect and thanks to the guru, which may be monetary, but may also be a special task the teacher wants the student to accomplish.[3][5] While living in a gurukula, the students would be away from their home from a period of months to years at a stretch and disconnected from their family completely.