According to the Hindu dharma the festival of Guru Purnima is celebrated to mark the birthday of Ved Vyasa. He is the very famous sage who wrote the four Vedas. He is also known to have written the Mahabharata and the 18 puranas too. On the day if Guru Purnima disciples offer Pujans and they pray to their respective Gurus to evade the darkness from their life. It is just like offering puja to a God. Buddhists also celebrate this festival to show their gratitude towards Lord Buddha. They say that it is the day when Lord Buddha had delivered his sermon at Saranath after he migrated with his five disciples from Bodhgaya. Farmers believe that this day is important to worship because it is like worshipping God to give them rain so that they get a good harvest that year.
There are many Guru Purnima rituals that you may want to know about. Here are some of them that will help you understand the concept better.
- Among the Hindus this day is dedicated to the Gurus who act as the leader and guiding star.
- In memory of Guru Vyas the Guru Gita is recited in many places.
- In many ashrams in India “Padapuja” is done which means cleaning the sandals of the sage or the Guru by the disciples. Many classical songs and recitations are done during this time.
- On this day there are many people who take up spiritual lessons from their Guru. This is also known as “Diksha” in Hinduism.
- The disciples of the Guru keep a fast on this day to show their love towards their Guru. This thing is also followed by the Buddhists who observe the teachings of the Lord Buddha on this day. Many people also take up Diksha in Buddhism too.