Guru Purnima 2026

Guru Purnima is observed on the Purnima (full moon) of Ashadha month and is dedicated to the veneration of gurus — spiritual teachers and mentors. The day honours Maharishi Vyasa, who classified the Vedas, composed the Mahabharata, and authored the Brahma Sutras, earning the festival its alternate name Vyasa Purnima. It also marks the day when Shiva, as Adi Guru (the first teacher), began transmitting yoga to the Saptarishis.

Students and disciples honour their teachers with pada puja (worship of the guru's feet), offering flowers, fruits, and dakshina. Ashrams and spiritual organisations hold special satsangs, discourses, and Vyasa Puja ceremonies. The Guru Gita and selections from the Upanishads praising the guru-disciple relationship are recited. In the Buddhist tradition, this is the day the Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath.

For panchang purposes, the Purnima tithi prevailing during the Aparahna kala (afternoon) determines the correct day. Since Guru Purnima also marks the beginning of Chaturmas — the four-month period of the monsoon during which sadhus traditionally cease travelling and settle in one place for intensive spiritual practice — the date carries significance for monastic communities.

The festival reminds practitioners that knowledge transmission is the cornerstone of Sanatana Dharma. The guru is not merely an instructor but a living bridge between the seeker and the divine. In the Advaya Taraka Upanishad, the guru is described as the one who dispels the darkness (gu) of ignorance with the light (ru) of knowledge.