In the Hindu culture, a guru has always been considered akin to a god. In this culture, everybody is taught to respect and obey his or her elders, in particular, the teachers because they impart knowledge and learning. Guru Purnima is the day that is celebrated to pay gratitude to gurus. Fundamentally it is believed that on the day of Guru Purnima, there is some alliance between the planets and the moon. To honor the traditional and spiritual teachers, Guru Purnima is celebrated every year on the full moon day which usually falls in the Month of Ashadha as per the Hindu calendar.
History
This festival is celebrated by Jains, Hindus, and Buddhists because on this day they express their gratitude to their gurus. It is believed that Lord Buddha gave his first sermon on this day which is why this day is called Buddha Purnima. The Jains celebrate this day to venerate Lord Mahavira who became the guru to Gautam Swami. This day is also marked the birthday of Ved Vyasa, the sage who authored the Mahabharata. This day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima, to offer respect to Ved Vyasa who wrote the Hindu epics Puranas and Mahabharata. He is also considered one of the seven immortals who are still alive as per Hindu mythology.
What is the importance of Guru Purnima?
Guru Purnima is celebrated to honor the teachers who try to remove the darkness from our minds. This festival is not restricted to just one community. Since ancient times, Gurus have had a special place in the lives of their followers. The guru is placed just after the mother and the father. He has been given a higher place than Gods in Hindu tradition. On this day, the Gurus and their hard work are celebrated. As per the Yogic tradition, Lord Shiva is believed to be the first-ever guru. On the day of Guru Purnima, Lord Shiva appeared as a Yogi to the sapta-rishis, in the Himalayas. He gave them an understanding of yogic learnings and this knowledge was further disseminated to the world.
How is this day celebrated?
On this day everybody wakes up early takes a bath, and offers important things related to their subject to the guru. They even sing prayers and offers to the god also. This day is also marked by worshipping and expressing gratitude to the gurus and teachers. People also fast and visit temples on this day so that they can offer respect and seek blessings from their gurus. They refrain from eating non-vegetarian dishes, salt, and cereals on this day so that they can offer respect to their teachers. Some people also recite the name of Lord Vishnu a thousand times. It is said that you should be in sync with self and channelize your energies on this auspicious day. In schools and colleges, students present their teachers with greeting cards and offer their tokens of respect. No matter how you celebrate this day, the idea is to show gratitude towards your mentor, teacher, or guru.
To Sum It Up
Gurus not only impart knowledge to their students but also steer them up in the right direction in life. every person has his unique way of celebrating his or her teacher. Though people may adopt different ways to celebrate the day, the underlying sentiment remains the same. Everybody wants to offer gratitude and thankfulness to their gurus. In India, Guru Purnima is celebrated as Teacher’s day. You can also read some blogs related to the same topic on the Abouther website to get some more insights about Guru Purnima. You can also read about other topics on the same website.
