Guru Purnima, also known as Vyas Purnima, is one of the most celebrated festivals in Hinduism that honours the teachers and spiritual guides (gurus) instead of a deity, recognising their role in imparting knowledge and wisdom. This festival is celebrated to express gratitude to those who have shared knowledge, given a new perspective on life, and contributed to spiritual growth. This year, Guru Purnima will be celebrated on July 29th, 2026.
Guru Purnima 2026: Date, Time And Tithi
According to Drik Panchang, Guru Purnima 2026 will be celebrated on Wednesday, 29th July 2026. The festival falls on the Purnima (Full Moon) of the Ashadha month as per the Hindu lunar calendar.
Guru Purnima Timings:
Purnima Tithi Begins: 06:18 PM on July 28th, 2026
Purnima Tithi Ends: 08:05 PM on July 29th, 2026
Guru Purnima 2026: Meaning And Significance
Guru Purnima, also known as Vyas Purnima, is a sacred festival dedicated to expressing gratitude towards gurus. A guru is someone who not only teaches you but also gives you some perspective and fills your mind with knowledge and wisdom. Your guru can be your teacher, mentor or parent, someone who genuinely moved you from not-knowing to knowing.
The word "Guru" comes from Sanskrit, where ‘Gu’ means ‘darkness’ or ‘ignorance’ and ‘Ru’ means ‘remover of darkness’. Guru Purnima is celebrated not only in Hinduism but also holds great significance in Jainism and Buddhism.
In Hinduism, Guru Purnima honours Maharishi Ved Vyasa; in Buddhism, it marks Lord Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath; and in Jainism, it honours Lord Mahavira's first disciple, Gautam Swami. Overall, the festival symbolises gratitude, learning, and spiritual growth.
A guru is someone who not only teaches you but also gives you some perspective (Image: Pexels)
ALSO READ: Guru Purnima 2025: 7 Prominent Gurus Of Sanatan Dharma; Ved Vyasa, Valmiki, Vishwamitra, More
Guru Purnima 2026: Katha
There are different stories associated with the celebration of Guru Purnima.
The Story of Adiyogi and Saptrishis: Over 15000 years ago, a yogi came to the Himalayas with extraordinary abilities and meditated there for years. During this time, many people came to see him. One day, when he opened his eyes, he saw seven rishis who wished to experience what he had realised. However, the yogi remained silent and closed his eyes again.
After 84 years, the yogi again opened his eyes and saw the seven rishis again. Seeing their unwavering thirst for knowledge, he decided to impart his wisdom to the seven rishis on a Full Moon day. These seven men became the Saptrishis, and Lord Shiva came to be revered as the Adi Guru (the first guru). The seven rishis later travelled across the world and spread their wisdom and the seven aspects of Yoga.
The Birth of Maharishi Ved Vyasa: The birth anniversary of Maharishi Ved Vyas is celebrated as Guru Purnima. According to Hindu beliefs, Lord Vishnu desired the knowledge of the Vedas in script form, but this vast knowledge was available only orally. Vyasa, who is believed to be the form of Lord Vishnu, collected the Vedas and divided their hymns into four parts. They became Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda. He then taught his four disciples, who spread this knowledge further.
Apart from this, Maharishi Ved Vyas is also credited with authoring the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Because of his immense literary and spiritual contributions, Ved Vyasa is revered as the Adi Guru of Vedic wisdom, and Guru Purnima is observed as a day to express gratitude for his enduring legacy.
Buddhist and Jain Traditions: In Buddhism and Jainism, we can find similar stories that we can associate with Guru Purnima.
In Jain traditions, the festival celebrates Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, who accepted Gautam Swami as his first and chief disciple, establishing a lineage of spiritual learning and guidance.
For Buddhists, Guru Purnima commemorates the day Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, near Varanasi, after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.
Maharishi Ved Vyas is also credited with authoring the Mahabharata and the Puranas (Image: Facebook/Haindavam)
Guru Purnima 2026: Rituals
To celebrate Guru Purnima, devotees need to follow these steps to observe the fast:
- First, devotees need to wake up early, take a bath and wear clean clothes.
- Set up a sacred space for the vrat where you can place the idol or a picture of your guru.
- Light a diya (lamp) and incense sticks.
- Offer flowers, sweets and other auspicious items to the guru with complete devotion.
- Chant the Guru Mantra, 'Om Gurubhyo Namah' with sincere devotion.
- Perform aarti while singing hymns.
- In the evening, break the fast with prayers for blessings, guidance and wisdom.
- Distribute prasad to family members and devotees.
Guru Purnima is the day to express gratitude to your guru for sharing wisdom and knowledge. It reminds us to move beyond the boundaries of life, pursue spiritual growth and above all, honour and respect those who guide us on the path of learning.