Teachers Day 2024 is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. Read on to understand an entirely new definition of Teachers Day.
Have you ever heard your elders say these words? “Mata, Pita, Guru, Daivam” What does it signify? Sanatana Dharma is clear about its categorization of people who play critical roles in every individual’s life. The statement suggests the Mother is the most significant person defining an individual’s life, followed by the Father, the Teacher, and Bhagavan (God). So, our Indian culture has always placed the Teacher above Bhagavan. Doing so proves that the Indian culture is the most tolerant of all cultures in the world.
The beauty of Indian culture is that it embraces the Westernized way of life and adapts to the situation accordingly. Now, the Western world celebrates occasions by designating specific days, like New Year’s day, Valentine’s Day, etc. Similarly, Indians celebrate Teachers Day on September 05 every year. Let us now understand the significance of Teachers Day.
What is Teachers Day 2024?
In India, Teachers Day 2024 falls on Monday, September 05. We observe the day in remembrance of Bharat Ratna, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, our first Vice-President and the second President of independent India. Besides the gubernatorial achievements, Dr. Radhakrishnan was a renowned academician and a pronounced advocate of education. Dr. Radhakrishnan was born on September 05, 1888. In India, we have been celebrating Teachers Day since 1962.
Why Do We Celebrate Teachers Day?
We will not go into much detail presently about why we chose the specific day as Teachers Day. But, every Indian should understand the spirit behind celebrating the day. So, the question arises as to who a teacher is.
The dictionary offers a simple definition of a teacher. Anyone who teaches anything is a teacher. But, Sanatana Dharma has an unambiguous explanation of who a teacher is. The Indian word for teacher is Guru. Guru, a Sanskrit word, combines two words, 'Gu' and 'Ru.' The syllable Gu represents darkness in Sanskrit, and Ru is one who dispels. So, Guru becomes a person who dispels darkness. Now, we can equate darkness with ignorance. So, Guru or teacher dispels ignorance from our lives. Therefore, any person who enlightens you in any way is a teacher. So, we do not restrict the definition of a teacher to someone who teaches you in school or the university.
So, we celebrate Teachers Day in remembrance of all those people who have enlightened us in one way or the other. Symbolically, Indians have chosen to commemorate the day on September 05, whereas globally, Teachers Day is celebrated on October 05.
The Role of a Teacher in Our Life
While we have defined the teacher broadly, we still consider our school and college teachers as the first people in life who shape our careers and characters. Of course, our parents and elders at home are also our teachers, but they play multiple roles in our life. So, everybody who teaches us in life deserves respect and adoration.
While our parents focus more on bringing us up in the best possible manner by instilling good human values, the school teacher plays a dual role. They offer education and also contribute to building our character simultaneously. We are thoroughly indebted to them because we spend a considerable time of our childhood in school. The teacher is solely responsible for laying the perfect base for us to develop our character and shine in life. Hence, they deserve every bit of respect we can shower on them.
What Should We do on Teachers' Day?
Children should understand the importance a teacher has in their lives. So, parents should encourage their kids to wish all their teachers on this day and seek their blessings. It would be excellent if every child welcomed the teacher with a rose. It is a simple way of expressing their gratitude to the person who plays the most stellar role in developing their careers.
Parents should set a glorious example for their children by contacting their teachers over the phone or on social media networks and thanking them for everything they have done to shape their careers and bring them to their present position. Remember that it does not take more than a few minutes to call the teacher over the phone and express their gratitude. But, they should realize that it can make a tremendous difference to the teacher. Furthermore, it gives extreme satisfaction to the teacher whenever people remember and recognize the teacher's contribution to their lives.
How is Teachers Day connected to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan?
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan is better known as the second President of free India. However, very few people understand that he was an extremely popular teacher in the early days of his career. There is a story behind why we observe Teachers Day on September 05 every year.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the President of India in 1962 when his staff members decided to celebrate his birthday lavishly. He was a modest person renowned for shunning publicity. So, he advised his staff to dedicate the day to the remembrance of teachers who play a selfless role in shaping every person’s career. Since 1962, every Indian has celebrated September 05 as Teachers Day.
Final Thoughts
Just as we celebrate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Children’s Day, teachers have their special day in their life on September 05 every year as India celebrates Teachers Day. Though commemorating such events is a Westernized concept, Indian culture emphasizes the teacher’s role in developing one’s career. So, every Indian is responsible for honoring the teacher’s achievements on September 5 every year and paying their respects to every person who has taught them in their lives.
Celebrate Teachers Day 2024 with enthusiasm and respect towards the people who make vital contributions to developing your career. If you wish to know more about Indian culture or get personalized horoscope 2024 predictions as per astrology, Astroyogi experts can assist.
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