Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Devo Maheshwarah
Guru Saakshaata Parabrahma
Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah
(Salutation to the one who himself is the creator, the sustainer, the destroyer and ultimate consciousness)
As believed by Taittiriya Upanishad’s steadfast verse — मातृ देवो भव्; पितृ देवो भव्; आचार्य देवो भव्; अतिथिदेवो भव्; (pronounced as Maatru Devo Bhava; Pitru Devo Bhava; Aachaarya Devo Bhava; Atithi Devo Bhava) — that literally means — we need to respect Mother, Father, Guru and Guest, for the reason that they are all forms of God. It is a universal truth that a teacher is a friend, philosopher, and guide who holds our hand, opens our mind, and touches our heart. The contribution of a teacher cannot be ignored at all.
A special day for the appreciation of teachers in many countries is celebrated as Teachers’ Day. Such celebrations most of the time include honoring the teachers for their special contributions in a particular field, or the society in general. The date on which Teacher’s day is celebrated is not universal – and India has been celebrating Teacher’s Day on September 5, since 1962. The day commemorates the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakhrishnan, a philosopher and a teacher par excellence, and his contribution towards the Indian education system.
Dr Radhakhrishnan believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”. On this important day, everyone thankfully remembers the great educationist, apart from honoring all the teachers that have made our life much more knowledgeable and fulfilled, as serving as our beacons of light.
History reveals that some of Radhakrishnan’s students and friends approached him with a request that they wanted to celebrate his birthday that falls on September 5. For that proposal, in reply, Dr. Radhakrishnan said that instead of celebrating his birthday separately, it would be his proud privilege if September 5th is observed as Teacher’s day. Since 1962, Dr. Radhakrishnan’s birthday is observed as Teacher’s Day in India.
In everyone’s life teachers act as the foundation that makes a responsible citizen out of a raw human being. It is impossible to think about our lives without teachers. They are the cornerstone of our future. If someone thinks that they can repay the valuable and the immense contribution rendered by teachers in any form, it is very unseemly. Surely, what a teacher does to the student cannot be exulted on a single day. But, an exclusive day indeed for the very occasion that paves a way to show our acknowledgment and recognition of the hard work put in by our teachers towards our development is rather commendable.
– Dr. Suman Kumar Kasturi
