The Importance of a Guru Purnima – Festival To Thank Teachers

Guru – literally means teacher. The word Guru is derived from two words, gu and ru. The Sanskrit root gu means darkness or ignorance, and ru denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore, a Guru is one who removes the darkness of our ignorance and brings us into the light of knowledge. Gurus are believed by many to be the most necessary part of life.

Celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Ashadha of the Shakha Samavat in the Hindu calendar, Guru Purnima is the first full moon night after the summer solstice and holds special importance to Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists.

Hindus and Guru Purnima

Hindus dedicate Guru Purnima to Maharshi Veda Vyasa, the sage who is believed to be responsible for compiling the sacred Sanskrit literature, the Vedas, and writing the 18 Puranas, Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam – all of which form the very foundation of the Hindu religion.

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