Offering Prayers to your teachers/Mentors or Guru's

"Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Guru Devo Maheswara
Gurur Sakshat Para Brahma Thasmai Sri Gurave Namaha"

In my home city of Hyderabad, the city temples are now bustling with activity. The excitement and preparations are for Guru Purnima, more popularly known as Vyasa Purnima, which falls on July 21. This day celebrates the birth anniversary of sage Vyasa, who is considered to be the kalayuga’s guru. It is the time when all shishyas (students) offer prayers to their gurus (teachers). The Indian culture has always given the guru (teacher) a place of high honour. So, on Guru Purnima, people all over pray to guru Vyasa. Most of them, also offer prayers to their personal gurus.

There is no particular pooja that is followed but throughout the day bhajans and aartis are sung. In Shirdi, the celebration spreads across three days, starting from July 20 to July 22. A rath yatra is also taken out here with Sai Baba’s followers singing and walking along, beating drums. Some of the temples in the city also follow this but on a smaller scale.

Some people believe that from the day of Guru Purnima till the completion of two months, the sages should not move out of the particular city’s boundaries, where they are presently based. This is considered to be the period of meditation for all the dharm pracharaks. The sages read chapters from the Upanishads or the Bhagvad Gita. Prayers to 49 devatas starting with guru Vyasa are offered.

It is believed that giving respect to the gurus by performing pooja on this auspicious day is a step taken towards following the path traced by the Bhagvad Gita.