Happy Guru Purnima 2020: A day to express our gratitude to our teachers
Happy Guru Purnima 2020: Today, India is celebrating Guru Purnima, one of the most auspicious days, observed to pay respect and remember one's guru or teacher. It is celebrated on the full moon day in Ashadh, the third month of the Hindu calendar. This year, Guru Purnima coincides with Chandra Grahan or lunar eclipse.
A guru is someone who leads his disciples from ignorance to light and guides them on the right path. A guru imparts knowledge and awareness. Disciples or students respond to their gurus by working hard with complete diligence and devotion.
Guru Purnima also marks the beginning of Chaturmas or the four auspicious months dotted with festivals across the country.
Guru Purnima pujas
- Many devotees fast on this day and offer prayers to their spiritual gurus to seek blessings.
- People who believe in astrology, pray to Guru Graha or the planet Jupiter for courage, confidence and wisdom.
- Some offer prayers to Veda Vyasa, who wrote Mahabharata, for knowledge and wisdom.
- Devotees also offer prayers to Sage Kapila, often identified as one of the founders of the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy. The Vedic sage is also thought to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
See how people remembered their Gurus
Actor Sanjay Dutt tweeted a beautiful picture with his parents and wrote, "...their blessings and teachings will always remain with me."
Cricketer Yuvraj Singh thanked his gurus and said, "On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima I want to thank my gurus, teachers and mentors who have enabled me to become who I am..."
Wish your teacher on Guru Purnima
- "When one finds the true Guru, one conquers half the world. Happy Guru Purnima Day"
- "Your words have pushed me to higher levels of success. Thank you for everything on this special day"
- "You showed me to live the right way. Thank you for making me who I am. Happy Guru Purnima Day"
- "Your blessings enriched my life Thank You and wishing you a very Happy Guru Purnima".
Guru Purnima in India has always been very special for the guru-shishya parampara or the unique relationship between teachers and their students. It said that, under the guidance of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda found his aim in life and introduced Hinduism, Indian culture and ethos to the world. "I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true," Swami Vivekananda said in his famous speech at the World Parliament of Religion at Chicago in 1893.