Guru Purnima is the full moon of thank-you to our teachers. It falls on the full moon of Ashadha, in the heart of the monsoon. It is also called Vyasa Purnima, honouring Veda Vyasa, who by tradition arranged the Vedas and composed the Mahabharata. Children touch the feet of their teachers and parents, and students thank their music, dance and school teachers. The message for a child: everything we know, someone taught us, so we say thank you.
Dates as per Drik Panchang, New Delhi. Your local panchang may differ by a day.
In this article
Why do we celebrate Guru Purnima?
Our tradition honours Veda Vyasa on this full moon. He is remembered as the sage who arranged the Vedas into four, and who composed the Mahabharata. Many hold that this was his birthday.
Buddhists also mark this full moon (Asalha Puja), remembering the Buddha's first teaching at Sarnath. And it is the start of Chaturmasya, the four monsoon months when wandering monks stayed in one place to teach.
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara, Guru Sakshat Parabrahma, tasmai Shri Gurave Namah. "The teacher is Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the protector; Shiva, the transformer. The teacher is the highest truth itself. I bow to that teacher." A prayer said in many homes and schools on this day.
From my home
In my government school, we did Sharada Puja on Friday evenings, once or twice a month. We made prasadam and gave it to all the children, and to anyone who came from outside too. That is where I first learned to honour learning and teachers.
Manjunath
Who is a guru for a small child?
For a three-year-old, the first gurus are at home: Mumma, Papa, grandparents. Then the playschool teacher, the music teacher, the older cousin who taught her to ride a cycle.
Engineer's note
Every skill has a chain of teachers behind it. I learned engineering from teachers who learned from theirs. When your child says thank you to one teacher, she is thanking the whole chain. That is a big idea in one small act.
Gratitude can be practised. In a classroom study of 221 early adolescents, those who wrote down things they were grateful for over two weeks felt more satisfied with school than classmates who listed hassles.
Froh, Sefick & Emmons, Journal of School Psychology, 2008.What we do, and what it means
🙏Touching the teacher's feet
Tradition Students bow to their teachers and receive a blessing.
Do together: she touches her grandparents' feet, then her own teacher's.🎁A small gift
Tradition Students offer flowers, fruit or a small gift to their teachers (guru dakshina).
Do together: she draws a thank-you card for her teacher.🎶Music and dance students
Tradition Students of classical music and dance perform for their gurus.
Do together: she sings one song for her grandparents on a video call.Why do festivals like Guru Purnima matter to children? A review of 50 years of research linked family rituals with children who cope better and families who feel closer. The researchers point to the meaning rituals carry: "this is who we are".
Fiese et al., Journal of Family Psychology, 2002.Read it aloud tonight: The Teacher Who Gathered the Stories
A bedtime version of the story, about four minutes to read. Read it slowly, pause at the questions, and let her answer.
Long, long ago, there were so many stories, so many prayers and so much wisdom that nobody could hold it all. It was like a giant pile of beads with no string.
Have you ever had too many toys to carry?
Then came a wise sage called Vyasa. He sat by a river, under a tree, and he thought, "How can I help everyone learn all this?"
So, our tradition tells, Vyasa did a very careful job. He gathered all the old hymns and arranged them into four, so that students could learn them one by one. He told the great story of the Mahabharata, full of heroes and families and lessons.
And then he taught it all to his students, patiently, day after day. His students taught their students. And those students taught theirs. Like a lamp lighting another lamp, lighting another lamp, all the way down to us.
Who taught you how to brush your teeth? Who taught you a song?
That is why, on the full moon of Guru Purnima, we remember Vyasa, and we say thank you to every teacher. Not just teachers at school. Mumma and Papa are teachers. Dadi and Nani are teachers. The friend who showed you how to climb the slide is a teacher too.
Everything we know, someone taught us. So tonight, under the full moon, we fold our hands and say: thank you.
Veda Vyasa and Guru Purnima (tradition).
After the story
Help her make a thank-you card for one teacher, or touch her grandparents' feet on a video call and say "thank you for teaching me".
How to explain Guru Purnima to your child
"Today we say thank you to everyone who teaches us. Who taught you to say 'thank you'? Let's say thank you to them!"
"Guru Purnima is the full moon of teachers. A long time ago, a wise teacher called Vyasa put together our big stories so everyone could learn them. Today we thank all our teachers: Mumma, Papa, Dadi, your teacher at school. Everything we know, someone taught us."
The value she takes away
Everything we know, someone taught us, so we say thank you. Ask her: "Who taught you something this week?" Then help her say thank you to that person.
Play this with your child
Who do we thank on Guru Purnima?
Our teachers, and Mumma and Papa are her first teachers!
Which wise teacher is remembered on this day?
Vyasa, who put together our big stories.
What kind of moon is it on Guru Purnima?
A full moon! Look for it together tonight.
Read next in this series
- Shlokas for kids, for every moment of the day Read
- 10 Indian values and the story behind each Read
- The 10 avatars of Vishnu, explained for kids Read
Questions parents ask
Why do we celebrate Guru Purnima?
To thank our teachers, on the full moon of Ashadha. It is also called Vyasa Purnima, honouring Veda Vyasa, who by tradition arranged the Vedas and composed the Mahabharata.
Who is honoured on Guru Purnima?
Veda Vyasa by tradition, and every teacher: parents, school teachers, music and dance gurus. Buddhists remember the Buddha's first teaching at Sarnath on the same full moon.
When is Guru Purnima in 2027?
Sunday, 18 July 2027 (Drik Panchang, New Delhi).
How can children celebrate Guru Purnima?
By touching the feet of parents and grandparents, making a thank-you card for a teacher, and saying the Guru Brahma prayer.
What does "guru" mean?
A teacher. Our tradition explains the word as "one who removes darkness" (gu = darkness, ru = remover).
If we want thoughtful adults tomorrow, we must be equally thoughtful about childhood today.
Manjunath · father, ex-VinFast lead design engineer, founder of VedaPlay
Follow the build, and the stories we test at home, on Instagram: @manjunath.build
Sources
- Froh JJ, Sefick WJ, Emmons RA (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents. Journal of School Psychology 46(2):213-233.
- Drik Panchang, festival calendars 2026 and 2027 (New Delhi).
- Fiese BH et al. (2002). A review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals. Journal of Family Psychology 16(4):381-390.
