Guru Purnima
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Guru Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Asar (July-August). It is a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyas. Vyas edited the four Vedas, wrote the eighteen Purans, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyas even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus.
On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyas in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform a puja of their respective spiritual preceptor or Gurudevs.
At the same time, this day has great significance to the farmers as well for it heralds the setting in of the much-needed rains, as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in the fields. It is supposed to be a good time to begin spiritual lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual sadhana from this day.
The period (Chaturmas four months) begins from this day. In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras composed by Vyas, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions.
Across Nepal, some academic institutions declare holidays on this day while at others they hold cultural programs. Students bring in sweets and sometimes fruits for their teachers.
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