India is celebrating ‘Guru Purnima’ today. The day is celebrated by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, who pay respect to their teachers. 

For Hindus, the day marks the birth anniversary of Ved Vyas, the ancient sage who is believed to have written the ‘Mahabharata’ and compiled the Vedas and Purans, which are sacred texts for Hindus. For Buddhists, it marks the first sermon of Lord Buddha, at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to honour the “gurus (teachers) who make our lives meaningful”. 

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, too expressed their gratitude towards teachers.

A host of Bollywood celebrities, from Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Randeep Hooda to Shilpa Shetty, Dia Mirza, and Nimrat Kaur, too paid their respect. While actor Amitabh Bachchan shared an image of him with his father, actor Randeep Hooda paid his gratitude to the ace actor Naseeruddin Shah, for casting a “lasting impact” on him as an actor.

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“कबीरा ते नर अँध है, गुरु को कहते और। हरि रूठे गुरु ठौर है, गुरु रूठे नहीं ठौर॥” ~ गुरुपूर्णिमा के शुभ अवसर पर , चरण स्पर्श ,शत शत नमन , अपने गुरु देव गुरु परम .. परम पूज्य बाबू जी 🙏 poet Kabir says , that individual is blinded if he doth ignore or show no belief in the guru ; for if the Lord be upset, then doth the Guru give solace , but when the Guru be upset then there be no comforting solace, no other path .. कबीरदास जी ने सत्य ही कहा है कि यदि परमात्मा रूठ जाए तो गुरु का आश्रय रहता है परंतु गुरु के उपरांत कोई ठौर नहीं रहता। गुरु के बिना ज्ञान नही – ज्ञान के बिना संस्कृति नही꫰ without the guru , there be no knowledge ; without knowledge there be no sacrament ; संस्कृति के बिना संस्कार नही – संस्कार के बिना आचरण नही꫰ without sacrament there be no culture ; without culture there be no conduct ; आचरण के बिना आदर नही -आदर के बिना मनुष्यता नही꫰ without conduct there be no respect ; without respect there be no humanness ; greetings on guru purnima .. my deference on the feet of my guru .. गुरु पूर्णिमा के शुभ अवसर पर सबको हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं !!! आज गुरु पूर्णिमा पर मेरे गुरु जी के चरणों में भी कोटि-कोटि नमन।🌹🌹🙏🏽

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I believe, more than being religious, I’m spiritually inclined. My Guru, My Sai, shows me the way and direction… When you have Faith, or follow a guru, you must do so implicitly and have belief in his vision… whether it’s a living Guru or God/Universe. Faith is the bedrock of success or satisfaction. This Guru Purnima, look inward and keep unwavering faith, that it’s all happening for the best… and only the BEST will unfold ❤️🧿🌈 As Sai says, Shraddha aur Saboori (Faith and Patience) Happy Gurupurnima to all.❤️🙏😇 With Gratitude, SSK🙏🏻 . . . #GuruPurnima #omsairam #positivity #faith

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In a video message, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar thanked three people who played a massive role in making him a successful cricketer. He thanked his brother, Ajit Tendulkar for motivating him to play cricket, his coach Ramakant Achrekar who taught him cricket, as a child and his father, Ramesh Tendulkar for his constant guidance.