“GURUR BRAHMA,GURUR VISHNU,GURUR DEVO MAHESHWARAH GURUR SAAKSHAAT PARA-BRAHMA, ASMAI SHRI GURUVE NAMAH.” This is a pure mantra, which means Guru is Brahma, the God of Creation. He is Vishnu, the God of Sustenance. He is Shiva, the God of Annihilation. Our salutation to the Gurus, who are verily the Supreme Gods. Guru is a supreme word composed of two other words having their own meanings- ‘Gu’ means darkness and ‘Ru’ means the removal of darkness. This makes Gurus the energy that purifies our lives from dirt and darkness of ignorance. Gurus, the teachers, are regarded as our second parents. It is said that our Gurus are responsible for whatever we become in our lives and hence, they deserve our respect. Guru Purnima is celebrated in the month of Ashad during the full moon day. It is also called Vyasa Purnima. It was first celebrated in the memory of sage Ved Vyasa, who, according to the Hindu society, is believed to have classified the Vedas, wrote the eighteen Puranas and the Mahabharata. Guru Purnima is celebrated to highlight the significance of teachers in our lives. It is said that everyone needs a Guru in their lives even if they know everything and are smart enough to tackle all the difficulties themselves. It is true that we have the authority to live our lives and have to trust ourselves to make our dreams come true. However, we need someone to be our unbiased guide. We face ups and downs in our lives. During the times of confusion,what we require is a burning candle of knowledge that could light up our way. Such candles can be lit only by our teachers, our Gurus. In the past, Guru Purnima was celebrated to thank the Gurus who had taught people life lessons. The fact that they are the source of knowledge, inspiration and enlightenment is still concordant. The only thing that has changed now is that we also celebrate and thank the “traditional” teachers on Teacher's Day. For a whole year, students may not even listen to their teachers but on this day, everyone does something special for their teachers. However, this should not be the case. Teachers should be respected every single day. Many consider teachers to be the ones who teach us our course book contents and nothing more. However, we should realize that teachers are not just confined to our academic studies; they are our mentors who teach us how to overcome each and every test that we face in our lives.They are like the rain for a desert, light in the darkness, hope in the miserable land and God for the faithful soul. Our success brings tears in their eyes because they know that the day a student succeeds is the day of their success. On Teacher’s Day, we get a chance to thank our teachers for what they have done for us and tell them what they mean to us. This festival binds two souls, the soul of Guru and of student, and turn them into a single energy holding the “Power of knowledge”. Happy Teacher’s Day to all teachers, mentors and educators. Thank you for all that you do.