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The guru's padukas, an open scripture and a lamp under a full moon for Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima

Vyasa (Guru)

This year
Wed, 29 Jul 2026
in 53 days
Major festival Major
Guru Purnima 2026 is observed on Wednesday, 29 July 2026 (Wednesday), the full moon of the Hindu month of Ashadha, dedicated to honouring teachers and spiritual guides and to the sage Vyasa.

When it falls

The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.

2024 Jul 21
Sun
2025 Jul 10
Thu
2026 Jul 29
Wed
2027 Jul 18
Sun
2028 Jul 6
Thu
2029 Jul 25
Wed

Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.

Why Guru Purnima Matters

Guru Purnima falls on the full moon (purnima) of the Hindu month of Ashadha, usually in June or July. The word guru is traditionally read as one who leads a person from darkness to light — in practice, anyone who passes on real knowledge, whether a spiritual teacher, a scholar, or the schoolteacher who first taught you to read. The day is set aside to acknowledge that debt openly.

The festival is also called Vyasa Purnima, after the sage Veda Vyasa, who is traditionally credited with arranging the Vedas into four collections and composing the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Because he organised this large body of learning into a form later generations could study, the tradition remembers him as a foremost teacher, and his birth is marked on this day.

For monks and many ascetics, Guru Purnima opens Chaturmas — roughly four months of the rainy season spent in one place rather than wandering. The full moon was a practical marker: with travel difficult during the monsoon, teachers settled in one place and students gathered around them, making this the start of a season of sustained study.

Rituals & observance

Observances on Guru Purnima are simple and centre on the relationship between teacher and student. There is no single prescribed rite — what people do depends on their tradition and their teacher.

  • Visit your guru or teacher, offer respect (often by touching their feet), and present flowers, fruit, or sweets as a token of gratitude.
  • In ashrams and homes, devotees perform Guru Puja — honouring the teacher's seat or sandals (paduka) and the lineage of teachers before them.
  • Many use the day to renew their study, taking a vow to read scripture, learn a new practice, or restart something a teacher once set in motion.
  • Some observe a fast through the day and break it after the evening puja or at moonrise.
  • Spiritual organisations hold gatherings (satsang) and discourses, and followers may receive a mantra or initiation (diksha) on this day.
  • Charity and feeding others — particularly offering food to teachers, students, or those in need — is considered fitting for the occasion.

Regional variations

Buddhist tradition
Buddhists observe this full moon as the day the Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after attaining enlightenment, which makes it a teaching day in their calendar as well.
Nepal
In Nepal the day is widely kept in schools as a celebration of teachers, with students honouring their educators alongside the spiritual observance.
How this date is determined

Observed on the full-moon day (Purnima) of Ashadha (Shukla paksha), reckoned by sunrise (udaya tithi).

Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.

Frequently asked

When is Guru Purnima this year?
Guru Purnima is on Wednesday, 29 July 2026 (Wednesday). It is the full-moon day of the month of Ashadha, so it falls in June or July depending on the year.
Why does the date of Guru Purnima change each year?
The festival follows the Hindu lunar calendar, set by the full moon (purnima) of Ashadha rather than a fixed Western date. Because the lunar months drift against the solar calendar, the corresponding date moves by a few days each year, staying within late June to mid-July.
Who is honoured on Guru Purnima?
The day honours the guru — one's teacher or spiritual guide — and the sage Veda Vyasa, who is traditionally credited with compiling the Vedas and composing the Mahabharata. This is why the festival is also called Vyasa Purnima.
What is the link between Guru Purnima and Chaturmas?
Guru Purnima marks the start of Chaturmas, the four-month monsoon period when many monks and ascetics stop travelling and stay in one place. Historically this was when students gathered to study under a settled teacher, which is part of why the day is tied to learning.
Do you have to be religious to observe Guru Purnima?
No. The festival has clear spiritual roots, but many people use it simply to thank the teachers, mentors, and elders who shaped their education or work — schools and institutions often mark it in this broader sense.

Plan around it

Panchang Choghadiya muhurat Festival calendar Your Kundli