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Teach me another day

Guru Purnima is national wide festival which is dedicated towards the guru in this world. Guru word is used for the teacher who teaches anything to a learner. If we relate it to the ancient time, it is actually worshipping the Guru Vyasa who wrote the four Vedas. But in today time, it is all about worshiping your teacher and showing gratitude towards them for their impeccable hard work of teaching you.

It is said that, the Guru Vyasa wrote all the four Vedas that were recited by the Lord Brahma and every person in this world is in debt for the work, that saint Vyasa did. He also wrote several Purans. And from those times, a day was dedicated towards the gurus and this day is called as ‘Guru Purnima’. Purnima word is used because on this day, there is a full moon.

It has a deep significance in the past and in today’s world also. As this day is dedicated towards the gurus, people irrespective of caste etc offer their prayers to their gurus thanking them for the knowledge they have provided to the learner.

This year Guru Prunima will be celebrated on 12 July. Over the years, the way Guru Purnima is celebrated has changed a lot and it is quite common because of the fact that, now the whole world is different and the concept of ardent ‘chella’ (learner) has changed a lot. In earlier times people used to host a special prayer for their gurus and in those prayers they used to recite the greatness and the nobleness of their gurus. That practice is still followed but not in the same manner. Guru can be any one who is teaching someone something.

Even parents are the gurus as they are the best preacher to the child. But it is said that a guru is the one who acts as the link between the god and the human soul. And having guru in your life is a must have thing. Guru is the one who guides the person on the way of peace and knowledge and finally to the god. On the other hand due to the globalisation scenarios and the way people celebrate this day have changed a lot.

Children’s may not be seen touching the feet of their teachers or trainer but still the respect for Gurus or their teachers still lies in the heart of children. In various schools and colleges special events are organised to celebrate this day. In typical schools like ashram, the scene is totally different. There, children recite prayer sand offers their services to the teachers there.
In some places it has been seen that, learners go out with their teachers to celebrate this day. The only thing which matters is that you have respect for your teacher or guru, how you celebrate this day, is up to you only. Some people end up in having fast for the whole day and break it only after meeting with their guru. In India, this day is a special one and is a experience that a human being will never want to miss, at least for few days may be.

Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in honour of the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. Hindus celebrate it in honour of the great sage Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions and a symbol of the Guru-shishya tradition. Vyasa was not only believed to have been born on this day, but also to have started writing the Brahma sutras on ashadha sudha padyami, which ends on this day. Their recitations are a dedication to him, and are organised on this day, which is also known as Vyasa Purnima.

The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism, where it is an expression of gratitude toward the teacher by his/her disciple. Hindu ascetics and wandering monks (sanyasis), observe this day by offering puja to the Guru, during the Chaturmas, a four-month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion and stay at one chosen place; some also give discourses to the local public. Students of Indian classical music, which also follows the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this holy festival around the world.
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