New Delhi: The auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima is observed on the Purnima tithi (15th day) in the Shukla Paksh (waxing phase of moon) of Ashadha month.
On this day, disciples pay gratitude to their teachers for being their guiding light and nurturing them into great human beings.
Traditionally celebrated by the Buddhists, it is believed that Lord Buddha gave his first sermon on this day at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. The festival is observed on a full moon day (Purnima) in the Hindu month of Ashada.
The day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima, commemorating the birthday of sage Ved Vyasa who wrote Hindu epics Mahabharata and Puranas. He also structured the Vedas and classified them into Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Born to Satyavati and Brahmin sage Parashar on this day, he is considered one of the seven immortals who are still alive according to Hindu mythology.
According to the Yogic tradition, Lord Shiva is believed to be the first-ever guru. It is said that Guru Purnima was the day when he appeared as a Yogi to the sapta-rishis, or the seven sages, in the Himalayas. Hailed as Adiyogi, Lord Shiva gave them an understanding of yogic learnings, and they further disseminated this knowledge to the world.
Guru Purnima is not just celebrated in India but also in Nepal and Bhutan. This special day was revived by Mahatma Gandhi as he paid tribute to his spiritual Guru Shrimad Rajchandra.
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