Hindus, Buddhists, and Jain communities celebrate Guru Purnima with great pomp. Devotees honor their spiritual gurus, mentors, and teachers on this auspicious day. They worship and thank for the obtained enlightenment. Guru Purnima falls on the full moon day between June and July in the Gregorian calendar, Ashada month according to the lunar calendar. In Nepal, people celebrate Guru Purnima as Teacher's Day. Guru Purnima, otherwise called Vyasa Purnima. It is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the sage Veda Vyasa. He is a legendary author of Mahabharata who pioneered the Guru-Shishya tradition.
Meaning of Guru PurnimaIn the word Guru, 'Gu' means ignorance or darkness, and 'Ru' means elimination. So, the word Guru means a person who eliminates ignorance from our lives and makes us knowledgeable. They spread positivity in our minds and life.
Importance of Guru PurnimaAccording to Hinduism, the legends say that the sage Veda Vyasa was born to parents Sage Parashar and Satyavati on this day. According to mythology, scholar Ved Vyasa divided the Vedas into four texts: the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda. Hence, Guru Purnima is observed to honor him.
Dakshinamurthy, the incarnation of Shiva, is the Adi Guru. Also, Guru (Jupiter) is considered Deva Guru, the preceptor of the celestial beings. They seek their blessings for better wisdom and knowledge.
It is also believed that Shiva transmitted the learning of yoga to his disciples' Saptarishis' on this Guru Purnima.
According to Buddhism, there is a belief that Buddha had his first sermon on this day. After achieving enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, he went to Saranth and delivered his sermon on Guru Purnima. His followers fervently celebrate this day and worship him.
According to Jainism, Mahavira, one of the most popular Tirthakaras in Jainism, got his first follower on Guru Purnima. He officially became a guru on this day. Since then, the Jain community celebrates the day in honor of Mahavira and all the other gurus who followed after him.
Guru Purnima is not only revered by the religious people, even farmers observe it. Farmers wait for the rain to rejuvenate their parched lands after a blazing summer. On Guru Purnima, the much-awaited monsoon season begins. Hence, the farming community celebrates with full of hope and zeal.
This day is closely associated with spirituality. People consider Guru Purnima a propitious day to start endeavours toward spiritual activities. Generally, some begin religious studies on this day, and some start observing many important practices too.
Guru Purnima is a day of enlightenment, as the Guru enlightens a mind by imparting knowledge. To highlight this feature, people decorate their houses by lighting lamps.
Guru Purnima celebrationsAcross India, schools, colleges, and other educational institutions celebrate Guru Purnima. They organize events for the teachers to bring out the best in students. On Guru Purnima, students or the disciples worship and pay respect to their Gurus, spiritual guides. They register immense thanks for the acquired knowledge and enlightenment.