Guru Purnima (Poornima), a religious Hindu holiday, honors all gurus, academic and spiritual. In India, Nepal, and Bhutan, it is observed as a holiday by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists alike. Usually, the goal of this celebration is to pay tribute to one's own spiritual teachers or mentors.
It is observed on Purnima, the day of the full moon, which falls in the Ashadha month (June–July) of the Hindu calendar. Mahatma Gandhi reintroduced the ceremony as an homage to his spiritual mentor Shrimad Rajchandra. Because Veda Vyasa, the sage who penned the Mahabharata and collected the Vedas, celebrates his birthday on this day, it is also known as Vyasa Purnima.
The Sanskrit roots "gu" and "ru" are used to create the English word "guru". Both ru and gu denote, respectively, ignorance or darkness. So a guru is someone who dispels ignorance or darkness.
On the occasion of Guru Purnima, religious rituals are carried out in homage to the guru or teacher, such as Guru puja. Many people believe that gurus are the most significant aspect of life. Disciples worship or honor their gurus on this day. This event is important from a religious standpoint as well as for Indian academics and scholars. On this day, academics in India pay tribute to the teachers and scholars who came before them as well as their professors.
Buddhists traditionally commemorate this day as the day the Buddha gave his first sermon in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. According to yogic tradition, this day honors Shiva's official emergence as the first guru and the start of his yoga instruction to the Saptarishis. The sage Vyasa, who is revered as one of Hinduism's greatest gurus and a symbol of the guru-shishya relationship, is honored by Hindus on this day.
On Ashadha sudha padyami, Vyasa is said to have been born and is also credited with beginning the Brahma Sutras. On this day, also known as Vyasa Purnima, they hold recitations in his honor. The celebration, which is practiced by all Hindu spiritual systems, is a sign of the students' gratitude to the teacher.
During Chaturmas, a four-month period during the rainy season when they choose seclusion and reside at one particular area, Hindu ascetics and roaming sanyasis mark this day by performing puja to their guru; some also deliver lectures to the local populace. This sacred holiday is observed worldwide by followers of the guru shishya parampara who study Indian classical music and dance.