A gotul is a tribal youth dormitory in form of a spacious hut surrounded by earthen or wooden walls.
It is a place for youths, an independent and autonomous "children's republic" as described by Verrier Elwin.
The gotul is central to social and religious life in Gond society.
With boys telling stories, asking riddles, reporting daily affairs, planning expeditions and allotment of duties, the gotul is a place embedded in and nurtured by the larger socio-religious landscape of the Gond society—a sacred place where no wrongs can be committed.
[2] Verrier Elwin stated: "The message of the gotul—that youth must be served, that freedom and happiness are more to be treasured than any material gain, that friendliness and sympathy, hospitality and unity are of the first importance, and above all that human love—and its physical expression—is beautiful, clean and precious, is typically Indian.