guru pūrṇimā
What: Celebrating guru pūrṇimā
When: July 9 and 10
The temple will be open all day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, for guru pūrṇimā.
guru pūrṇimā is a day dedicated to honoring our spiritual teachers, mentors and guides. It is a time for expressing gratitude for the wisdom and guidance we receive from our gurus, who illuminate our path towards spiritual growth. It Is also a day to reflect on their teachings and strive to put them into practice. In essence, guru pūrṇimā is a day to acknowledge the profound impact of gurus and teachers on our lives, to express gratitude for their guidance, and to reaffirm our commitment to the path of learning and spiritual growth.
It is a day to express reverence and gratitude to all our gurus, both living and those who have passed on. The moon, which is a symbol of calmness, serenity and illumination, aligns with the spiritual practice of self-realization, which is strongly encouraged on this day.
We revere śirḍi sāī bābā as our sadguru. (sadguru, which translates to “true teacher”, is a term used to describe a spiritual master or guide who has achieved enlightenment and is capable of leading others on the path to spiritual realization.) bābā’s teachings emphasize love, forgiveness, helping others, and devotion to God. On this day, we honor bābā’s teachings and his role as a guru by reading the entire śrī sāī satcaritra.
This festival is observed on the full moon day (pūrṇimā) of āṣāḍa māsa. This typically falls in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th week of July each year.
We celebrate this event in grand style over two days. Below is a list of the various events and their timings:
| July 9 | |
|---|---|
| 10:30 a.m. | kalaśa sthāpana |
| 11:30 a.m. | śiva abhṣekam |
| 12:30 p.m. | madhyāna āratī |
| 5:30 p.m. | manṭapa ārādhana |
| 6:30 p.m. | dhūp āratī |
| 7:00 p.m. | group (samūhika) satyanārāyaṇa vratam |
| 8:30 p.m. | śeja āratī |
| July 10 | |
|---|---|
| 6:30 a.m. | kākaḍ āratī |
| 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | śrī sāī satcaritra pārāyaṇam |
| 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | śrī datta sāī mūla mantra homam, rudra homa and navagraha homam |
| 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | sāī bābā and dattātreya kalaśa abhiṣekam and śiva abhiṣekam |
| 12:30 p.m. | madhyāna āratī followed by āśīrvacanam |
| 4:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. | group sāī vratam |
| 6:15 p.m. | guru maryāda |
| 6:30 p.m. | dhūp āratī |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. | bhajans |
| 8:15 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. | ratha yātra |
| 8:45 p.m. | śeja āratī followed by māhāprasādam |
You may participate in the various events by sponsoring any or all of the above (click here).
If you are sponsoring any events / sevā for this festival, please complete this registration form.
