Hindus Celebrate Teachers For Guru Purnima

Hindus in the DC area and around the world honored their spiritual teachers Monday as part of the Guru Purnima celebration.

In the Hindu tradition, gurus teach by example and pass their wisdom on to their disciples. Their disciples then succeed their leaders and become gurus themselves.

At the Hindu Temple off of Riggs Road in Adelphi, Hindus worshipped Sai Baba of Shirdi, a deity who lived as a common man during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Nandini Mouli came to the Hindu Temple to celebrate Guru Purnima and honor Sai Baba.

"When he walked on the ground, he didn't want to boast about his superhuman nature," she said. "All he wanted to do was make connections and establish love between people."

"I love him for the fact that he was almost a pauper and he had an influence that you cannot imagine from a normal beggar," Mouli added.

Worshippers at the Hindu Temple sang, clapped and played tambourines. They also listened to a guest priest who came to the temple especially for the holiday.

Guru Purnima is an opportunity for disciples to reflect on their relationship with their gurus. Disciples celebrate their gurus by worshiping their feet, adorning their image with flowers, fruits or incense and discussing their teachings with other disciples.

Guru Purnima takes place on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Ashad. This day honors Vyasa, an ancient sage who composed a heroic narrative called the Mahabharata.

In India, disciples begin their celebration as early as 4 a.m. and participate in worship and discussion throughout the day.