Ashadha Purnima 2026 - Day to honour teachers and gurus. Vyasa Purnima date and significance.
| Year | Guru Purnima Date | Day | Nakshatra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 21 Jul 2024 | Sun | Uttara Ashadha |
| 2025 | 10 Jul 2025 | Thu | Purva Ashadha |
| 2026 | 29 Jul 2026 | Wed | Uttara Ashadha |
| 2027 | 18 Jul 2027 | Sun | Purva Ashadha |
| 2028 | 07 Jul 2028 | Fri | Uttara Ashadha |
| 2029 | 27 Jul 2029 | Fri | Purva Ashadha |
| 2030 | 16 Jul 2030 | Tue | Uttara Ashadha |
Guru Purnima is observed on the full moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July), making it one of the most spiritually significant days in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain calendars. The word "guru" derives from Sanskrit - "gu" meaning darkness and "ru" meaning the remover - making the guru the one who removes ignorance. Guru Purnima is believed to be the birthday of Maharishi Vyasa, the legendary sage who compiled the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, and authored the Mahabharata - among the most prolific contributions to world literature by any single figure.
In Buddhist tradition, Guru Purnima marks the day Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath (near Varanasi) to his five disciples in 528 BCE - an event known as Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta or "turning of the wheel of dharma." Both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist communities observe this day as Asalha Puja. For Jains, it commemorates the day Mahavira chose Indrabhuti Gautam as his chief disciple (ganadhar). This rare convergence of significance across three major Indian spiritual traditions underscores the universal importance of the guru-disciple relationship in Indian culture.
Guru Purnima is widely observed in ashrams, yoga centres, educational institutions, and households across India. The Ramakrishna Mission, Sivananda Ashram, ISCKON centres, and hundreds of regional monastic orders conduct special celebrations, discourses, and seva activities. Students traditionally visit their teachers to offer respect, flowers, and padapooja (washing of the guru's feet). In recent years, Teachers' Day (September 5) and Guru Purnima have become complementary occasions for honouring educators at both the traditional-spiritual and secular-academic levels across India's educational system.