Guru Purnima

When it falls

Ashadha Purnima (the full moon)

• 2026 · Wednesday, 29 July 2026
• 2027 · Sunday, 18 July 2027

Significance

Guru Purnima is the day set aside to honour the guru — the teacher who, in the word’s own meaning, leads from darkness (gu) to light (ru). It is held to be the birthday of Veda Vyasa, who compiled the Vedas and composed the Mahabharata, and so it is also called Vyasa Purnima.

It is a quieter festival of the inner kind — a day to remember, thank, and reconnect with whoever has taught you something true, whether a spiritual teacher, a scholar, or simply someone whose example shaped you.

How it’s observed

Disciples visit and honour their teachers with offerings and pada puja (honouring the teacher’s feet); ashrams and schools hold readings and discourses. Falling at the start of the monsoon, it traditionally opened the chaturmas — the four-month rains retreat when wandering ascetics settled in one place to teach.

The timing, explained

Guru Purnima falls on the Purnima (full moon) of Ashadha, the first monsoon month. The full moon — the sky at its most complete and luminous — is a fitting night to honour the one who completes your understanding.

Keep reading

• What is Purnima?
• See it on the calendar
• All festivals