Guru Purnima 2023: Date, History, Importance and Significance

Guru Purnima 2023: Guru Purnima is observed during Ashadha in the Hindu calendar, which falls either in June or July in the Gregorian calendar.

Guru Purnima 2023: This auspicious festival is celebrated in Nepal and also in Bhutan, other than India. (Source: Freepik)

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Guru Purnima 2023: Celebrated by the Hindus as well as the Jains, this Buddhist festival honours gurus or teachers. It is an occasion for students to show their devotion to their mentors, Guru Purnima holds significant importance in all three religions and communities. In 2023, this day will be observed on July 3.

Other than India, Guru Purnima is also celebrated in Nepal and Bhutan. In Nepal, moreover, it is also recognised as the official Teacher’s Day. A major symbol of guru-shikshya bonds, Ved Vyasa is an important figure for Guru Purnima. In his honour, to mark his birth anniversary, Guru Purnima is also called Vyasa Purnima.

Guru Purnima 2023: Originally, the event was a celebration of spiritual or academic teachers. (Source: Freepik)

History and Significance

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Originally, the occasion was a celebration of spiritual or academic teachers. The name of Guru Purnima was derived from two different sources. ‘Guru’ means a remover of darkness; while ‘purnima’ refers to the full moon night on which it falls. As such, in ancient times, teachers were literally considered to be people who dispelled darkness from their disciple’s lives.

Guru Purnima is observed during Ashadha in the Hindu calendar, which falls either in June or July in the Gregorian calendar. Historically, disciples held pujas for their teachers and even fast in their honour during this day.

The practice of Guru Purnima can be traced back to multiple legends. The Yogic tradition says that on this day, Lord Shiva shared his wisdom with people and became the first known guru. The other popular story is the above mentioned birth of Ved Vyasa, who shared the knowledge of the vedas with his four disciples. In Buddhism, it is said that Buddha performed his first sermon for his people on this day in Sarnath. Moreover, Jains believe that on Guru Purnima day, Mahavira (one of the most popular Tirthankaras) found his first follower.

The custom of Guru Purnima holds a teacher high enough to remove ignorance from the student’s life, transcending him to a higher dimension. Therefore, it is also a celebration of the knowledge and wisdom that a teacher has and imparts. It further encourages the sharing of knowledge as the only method of attaining transcendence.

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ALSO READ | Why do we need a spiritual guru?

Guru Purnima, or Vyasa Purnima, serves as the ideal time to pay respects to your teachers, regardless of what form they are in. Teachers in our lives can extend from our parents to our academic masters to even elder siblings.

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