Shirdi Sai Baba Stories,Leelas and Teachings.: Guru Purnima Festival In Shirdi

Dear Readers
Tomorrow is Guru Purnima a very important and very special festival.Guru Purnima (“ Purnima means full- moon”) is the festival where disciples and devotees honour and felicitate their guru and seek his or her special blessing. Guru Purnima is celebrated with great pomp and show,lakhs of devotees visitholy land of Shirdi especially on this day to pay their respect to Jagat Pita and our SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ.Various religious activities are arranged by the Sansthan.

History about the festival in nuteshell is that, it was originated in the Buddha’s time when the monks used to Take diksa (instructions on their spiritual practice). This practice was then borrowed by the Jain tradition and later by the Hindus.And Hindu’s Puran says that tradtition of respecting or worshiping ‘Guru’ on this day started at the time of ‘Vyas’(who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus) ,Shirdi Sai Baba also asserted the significance of this day indirectly.Here is a small excerpt...

In 1908, Tatyasaheb Noolkar visited Shirdi and stayed in Chavadi. One day Baba told Madhavrao to tell Tatayasaheb to worship a post (pillar). The post Baba showed was near the Dhuni and Baba used to lean on it. He was glad to have chance to worship at least the post in Masjid.Then Madhavrao Deshpande went into the Masjid.Baba told him to worship the same post along with Noolkar. But Madhavrao refused and insead requested to allow him to worship Baba himself. At last Baba gave the permission.

Dadasaheb Kelkar was unaware of this Puja. Tatya Kote Patil was called from the farm.People gathered PUJA material.Dhoti was brought and people put on Dhoti to Baba, and worshiped him. Baba had no use of clothes but he gave permission in order to start the routine of Vyas puja. Thus this Puja was started at Baba’s time and now has taken form of Festival lasting for three days.

Here is the video of Guru Purnima festival celebration in Shirdi (last year video),and I am sure devotee would feel being present in Shirdi and witnessing everything infront of his/her own eye .

Here is the detail of festival to be held in Shirdi along with timings as per to Shirdi Sansthan information.

Shri Gurupournima to Start:

From 17.07.2008(Thursday) to 19.07.2008(Saturday) .

Programme timmings:

Ashadha Sh. 14 ,Thursday (Begins)-17.07.2008,Palanquin (First Day),9.15 p.m.

Ashadha Sh. 15 ,Friday (Main),18.07.2008,Ratha (Main Day),9.15 p.m

Ashadha Kru. 1,Saturday (Ends),19.07.2008

Here is the link of photogallery of GURUPURNIMA celebrated last year in Shirdi

Dear readers for those who do not wish to go too much in detail but still want to know a little more about Gurupurnima and its significance I have a small write up.

Significance Of The Guru-Purnima Day:

Ashada Purnima heralds the Chaturmasa, or the setting in of the eagerly awaited rains. The water, drawn up and stored as clouds in the hot summer, now manifests in plentiful showers that usher in the advent of fresh life everywhere. Even so do you all begin seriously to put into actual working all the theory and philosophy that you have stored up in you through patient study. You will be highly benefited.The period 'Chaturmas' ("four months") begins from this day. In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras composed by Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions. Commence practical spiritual Sadhana right from this day. Generate fresh waves of spirituality. Let all that you have read, heard, seen and learnt become, through Sadhana, transformed into a continuous outpouring of universal love, ceaseless loving service and continuous prayer and worship of the Lord seated in all beings.

Live on milk and fruits on this day and practise rigorous Japa and Dhyana. Study the Brahma Sutras and do some lakhs of Japa (Anushthana or Purascharana) of your Guru Mantra or Ishta Mantra, during the Chaturmasa.

As the day of Guru-Puja or worship of one’s preceptor this is a day of pure joy to the sincere aspirant. Thrilled by the expectation of offering his reverent homage to the beloved Guru, aspirant awaits this occasion with eagerness and devotion. It is the Guru alone that breaks the binding cords of attachment and releases the aspirant from the trammels of earthly existence. The Sruti says: “To that high-souled aspirant, whose devotion to the Lord is great and whose devotion to his Guru is as great as that to the Lord, these secrets explained, become illuminated.” Guru is Brahman or Isvara Himself. He guides and inspires you from the innermost core of your being. He is everywhere.

If you enjoyed this post and wish to be informed whenever a new post is published, then make sure you subscribe to my regular Email Updates. Subscribe Now!