An Evening celebrating the concept and manifestation of Guru in Indian Life and Music.

Admission - Free and open to all

One of the unique concepts of Indian life is that of the "guru".  Loosely translated, this means "teacher", but it means more than that, as the guru is also associated with a spiritual instruction as well as practical instruction.  The guru–shishya tradition denotes a succession of teachers and disciples where the transmission of knowledge passes from the guru to his disciples in a continuous lineage.  In the past, disciples would often live with their guru.  While that has become less common in the modern world, the close relationship between gurus and disciples is still the most important way to pass down knowledge in the Indian tradition.

Guru Purnima is a festival which was originally celebrated in India and Nepal in memory of the ancient great sage Vyasa who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagvata.   It not only celebrates the memory of Maharshi Veda Vyasa but is also a time dedicated to teachers – both spiritual ones and academic ones. It is observed on the full moon day, Purnima, in the Hindu month of Ashad – which falls around July or August on the Gregorian calendar. 

In 2018, this date falls on July 27th, and the Chhandayan family is celebrating with an evening of celebration and impromptu performances. it with a gathering to honor all gurus, but especially the head of Chhandayan,  Samir Chatterjee.  Come and join us for an evening of celebration and impromptu performances to honor him and all gurus.