Minority rites: Hindus, Buddhists to mark Guru Purnima

Disciples to spend in worship the ‘day for eradicating ignorance’ on July 15.

ISLAMABAD:

Hindus and Buddhists across Pakistan, and around the world, will celebrate the Guru Purnima festival on July 15.

The festival that falls on the day of the full moon in the month of Ashadh, of one of the Hindu calendars, is considered holy by Hindus because the great sage Vyasa is believed to have been born on that day. Recitations of the Brahma Sutra, or Vyasa Purnima, are a common tradition of the festival as work on these scripts is said to have been started and completed by Vyasa on this day. The festival is also celebrated by Buddhists in honour of Lord Buddha who, they say, delivered his first sermon on this day.

According to an estimate of the Pakistan Hindu Council, over seven million Hindus reside in Pakistan, with a majority settled in Sindh.

The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism to express gratitude to their guru. Hindu ascetics and wandering monks observe this day by offering puja (worship), during a four-month period of the rainy season or by going into seclusion. Some also choose to give sermons to the local people.

Festivities are usually followed by a feast for disciples where the prasad and the water from the symbolic wash of the guru’s feet are distributed. This day is of deep significance to farmers who pray for rain and is also believed to be a good time to begin spiritual lessons. The word “guru” means “remover of darkness” in Sanskrit and Guru Purnima is believed to be the day for eradicating ignorance and spreading knowledge.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2011.