Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday offered prayers at Gorakhnath Temple on the occasion of Guru Purnima.
He paid homage to his Gurudev, Dadaguru, the late Mahant Digvijaynath, and all the gurus of the Nath sect.
“By the grace of the Guru, the disciple progresses from ignorance to self-realisation, from darkness to light. With heartfelt reverence, we honour the great Gurus who shape the disciple's personality with values, service, and truth, connecting them to the highest ideals of life on the sacred occasion of Guru Purnima!” Adityanath said in a post on X.
Special rituals began early in the morning at Gorakhnath Temple to mark the day. Devotees also gathered in large numbers at Prayagraj’s Sangam Ghat to offer prayers and take a holy dip.
Guru Purnima, also known as Vyasa Purnima, is observed across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain communities in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other regions. The day commemorates the birth of Maharishi Ved Vyasa, the revered sage who compiled the Vedas and authored the Mahabharata. He is honoured as the Adi Guru, or the original teacher.
For Buddhists, the day marks Lord Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath, which laid the foundation of the Sangha. In Jain tradition, it commemorates the initiation of Gautam Swami by Lord Mahavira.
The festival is observed through prayers, rituals, and expressions of gratitude toward gurus, teachers, and mentors. Devotees perform pujas, offer flowers and sweets, and participate in satsangs and devotional singing, celebrating the guru-shishya tradition that lies at the heart of Indian spiritual culture.