Guru Poornima

On the full moon of the month of Ashadha, we pause to thank our teachers. This day is also remembered as Vyasa Purnima, after Sage Vyasa, who is traditionally credited with organising the Vedas and composing the Mahabharata.

There’s a lovely traditional explanation of the word guru: “gu” means darkness and “ru” means the one who removes it. A guru is someone who switches on the light.

In the Indian tradition, a teacher is far more than someone who covers a syllabus. A teacher shapes how we think, how we speak and who we become. That’s why this day has been honoured for centuries, by Hindus, and also by Buddhists and Jains in their own ways.

At Sharada Prabha, our name itself means “the light of knowledge”. Guru Poornima is a good day for children to say thank you to the people who carry that light for them.