Guru Purnima 2020: On Which Date And Month Does Guru Purnima Fall in India?

The day is celebrated as a festival in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

We all have a teacher who we favour not only for the subject he or she teaches but for the support they give outside of the classroom too. In India, a teacher is referred to as a Guru, and they can be spiritual or academic Gurus, who share their wisdom based on Karma Yoga. To celebrate their work, a special day known as Guru Purnima or Vyasa Purnima is held.

Guru Purnima is also known as Vyasa Purnima because it marks the birthday of Ved Vyasa, the legendary author of the Mahabharata, Vedas and Puranas. The day is celebrated as a festival in India, Nepal and Bhutan by the Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, and it is considered a spiritual tradition in Hindu culture.

The word Guru is derived from two Sanskrit words, gu and ru, with the former meaning darkness or ignorance and the latter meaning remover of darkness. So put together, the word Guru means a person who removes darkness or ignorance. Disciples conduct pujas for the good health and long life of their Gurus on this day, and in India, students celebrate the day by thanking their teachers and remembering past teachers and scholars.

Among the Buddhists, the day is traditionally celebrated in honour of Gautama Buddha, who gave his first sermon on this day at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. For Hindus, apart from marking the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, they believe that Guru Purnima is the day when Lord Shiva became the Adi Guru or the first guru to impart yogic knowledge to seven disciples, who are known as Saptarishis.

As per the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the full moon day in the month of Ashadha, and this year it falls on July 5. What takes place on this day differs from belief to belief, but the day is usually marked with spiritual activities that could include ritualistic events in honor of the Guru.