Guru Purnima 2024: Date, Importance & Puja Rituals

A Guru or a spiritual master is one who teaches & empowers a seeker on the path to the Divine. A Guru offers the guidance that makes it possible for the disciple to reach the ultimate destination which is the realm of the Divine. To express gratitude for the Guru who makes self-realization & attainment of the Divine possible, countless disciples all over the globe celebrate the festival of Guru Purnima with utmost devotion in their hearts.

Since planet Jupiter in Vedic Astrology is considered as the manifestation of ‘Brihaspati’ who is the Guru of the Gods of Heaven, the occasion of Guru Purnima also holds an astrological significance. It is advised to utilize this cosmically charged day to propitiate ‘Dev Guru Brihaspati’ by getting a Guru Purnima Puja being performed in your name.

Guru Purnima occurs on the Purnima Tithi or the Full Moon of the ‘Shukla Paksha’ (Waxing or Bright Phase of the Moon) in the month of Ashada as per the Hindu Lunar Calendar.

If you still have questions about Guru Purnima and need more guidance on the Muhurat or Puja Vidhi, consult the best astrologers

Guru Purnima 2024: Date & Timings

In 2024, the festival of Guru Purnima will be celebrated on Sunday 21st July.

As per the Panchang, the Purnima Tithi or the Full Moon period will commence on 20th July 2024 at 05:59 PM and will end at 03:46 PM on 21st July 2024.

The various sacred rituals for Guru Purnima 2024 including the astrologically beneficial Guru Purnima Puja can be performed anytime after sunrise on 3rd July till the above mentioned time when the Purnima Tithi ends in the evening.

Importance of Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima is an occasion when the entire cosmos emanates phenomenally powerful positive energies that help a seeker on the spiritual path to accelerate his/her progress. However, this festival is not limited to only those who are walking on the spiritual path with complete dedication but also to those who are entangled in material obligations or desires and want to clock in significant progress on the spiritual front as well without dedicating their entire life to the ultimate goal.

Guru Purnima is celebrated with an unparalleled spirit of gratitude towards the Guru or master because it is the teachings & guidance of the Guru that eventually & always results in the disciple attaining the consciousness of the Divine.

There are numerous mantras or verses in the Holy Scriptures of the Hindu faith that very categorically say that a Guru is essentially the Supreme Being manifested as a human to help people attain their ultimate spiritual goal.

Since the teachings, guidance and unconditional efforts of the Guru make it possible for the disciple to get out of the repetitive cycle of birth & death and achieve self-realization alongside a never-ending divine bliss, disciples or seekers on the spiritual path celebrate this festival with a fervor of devotion & gratitude the Guru.

Vyas Purnima

Sage Ved Vyas who wrote the Mahabharat, eighteen Puranas, the Shreemad Bhagvat and many other sacred scriptures was born on this day. Therefore, Guru Purnima is also known as “Vyas Purnima”. Sage Vyas is worshipped on this day and seekers on the spiritual path who read & learn from the scriptures written by him offer their immense gratitude for providing the world with such profound & divine knowledge.

Worshiping Gurus from the Past

There have been numerous self realized beings in the past who showed multiple paths to reach the Divine. All those spiritual figures are woshipped by the seekers who consider them as their Gurus. Remember, a Guru in essence is not just the bodily form but a divine cosmic element that is always vibrant and helps those who walk on the spiritual path in subtle yet phenomenally powerful & life-transforming ways.

Therefore, Guru Purnima is an occasion to worship your Guru irrespective of whether the Guru is present physically or not.

Lord Shiva- The Adi Guru

Lord Shiva is the Adi or First Guru. He delivered His first spiritual discourse to the 7 celebrated sages that we know as the ‘Sapt Rishis’ today. It was this same occasion when the first Guru or the Adi Guru conducted His very first spiritual class.

For this reason, devotees/disciples worship Lord Shiva and thank Him for laying the foundation of a sacred tradition in which a master or Guru would take a devoted disciple under his supervision and lead the disciple to the ultimate goal of ‘Moksha’ or salvation with eternal divine bliss.

Also Read: Devshayani Ekadashi 2024: Story, Date, Timing & Puja Rituals

A Multi-Faith Celebration

Guru Purnima is not limited to the Hindu faith but it is also celebrated in faiths like Jainism and Buddhism as well. There are of course some cultural variations but the essence of the festival remains the same i.e. expressing our gratitude to those who make it possible for us to realize our ultimate goal.

A Worldwide Phenomenon

Guru Purnima is not just celebrated in places that have a Hindu majority population but seekers all over the world across multiple cultures celebrate Guru Purnima with great festive spirit. This is because of the spiritual awareness spread by many realized beings in the 19th & 20th century like Swami Vivekananda and Paramhansa Yogananda.

Today, disciples and seekers gather in different Ashrams or spiritual centres all over the globe for taking part in spiritual discourses and celebrating Guru Purnima.

Puja (Worship) Rituals on Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima is celebrated by devotees & disciples with great devotion & gratitude for their Guru. There are many Puja rituals that are followed with minor sect-based variations.

Following are the most widely prevalent puja rituals that a person could perform to celebrate the immensely auspicious festival of Guru Purnima:

• Bathe early in the morning on the day of Guru Purnima, preferably before Sunrise.
• Place a clean cloth in the puja place or altar in your home and place the idols or pictures of your Guru alongside the pictures or idols of Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna or Lord Vishnu.
• Light a lamp (diya) and fragrant incense.
• Offer flowers with a devout heart to your Guru as well as Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna/Vishnu and also to other idols or pictures of the deities that are there.
• Keep some fruits that would be consumed as ‘Prasad’ after the Puja.
• Sit quietly and offer your heartfelt ‘Pranam’ with folded hands and thank your Guru and the Divine for the inspiration in your heart to pursue the ultimate path to liberation and their subtle presence in your life that helps you move forward on the spiritual path.
• Recite the Guru Mantra and meditate with the image of your Guru in your mind.
• Perform the aarti of your Guru, Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna/Vishnu.
• Sit quietly for sometime and absorb in the divine atmosphere.
• Distribute the Prasad among your family members and then have it yourself with immense gratitude to your Guru and the Divine in your heart. 
• Spend the rest of the day connecting with your Guru as well as various forms of the Divine by listening or watching spiritual discourses as well as singing devotional songs or hymns.

Conclusion

Make the best use of Guru Purnima 2024 by soaking into the incredible & immensely powerful divine energies that prevail during this cosmically charged-up festival. Furthermore, contact Future Point to bring the blessings of planet Jupiter into your life by getting Guru Purnima Puja being performed on your behalf!

Wishing you a very happy & spiritually beneficial Guru Purnima 2024!