Every year we dedicate this Day i.e. 5th September in the remembrance and honour of our great Teachers who worked hard to see us through the success in our life. September 5th is Teacher's Day in India. It is the birthday Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan , who was a staunch believer of education and was one of the most well known diplomat, scholar, President of India and above all a TEACHER. When Dr. Radhakrishnan became the president of India in 1962, some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate 5th September, his "birthday". In reply, Dr, Radhakrishnan said, "Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers' Day".
We donot observe it as a Holiday, rather we celebrate it. Teachers and students report to school as usual but the usual activities are replaced by a mood of celebration, thanking and remembrance. At some schools on this day, the responsibility of teaching is taken up by the senior students as an appreciation for their teachers. (As a home work, kids can check with their parents how they celebrated Teachers Day as kids.) On this day students realize what it means to be a teacher and what it means to control the future of the students in their classes and also teachers are reminded what it felt like when they were the students.(Teacher Resources)
Traditionally, people in India have given tremendous respect and honor for teachers. In fact an old Indian saying (usually taught to children), ranks teacher in the third place, even before God: "Maata, Pitha, Guru, Daivam", meaning Mother, Father, Teacher and God. In contemporary India , "guru" is widely used within the general meaning of "teacher". In Western usage, the original meaning of guru has been extended to cover anyone who acquires followers, though not necessarily in an established school of philosophy or religion. In a further metaphorical extension, guru is used to refer to a person who has authority because of his or her perceived knowledge or skills in a domain of expertise.
There is another saying in the form of a couplet (Doha), which goes, "Guru Govind doou khare kake lagon paai? Balihari guru aap ki Govind deeo batai." meaning- I am in a fix whom to salute first: the teacher or the God. I shall choose the teacher as he is the one who is instrumental in my knowing God.
As the central piece in Hindu scriptures go - 'Guru Bramha, Guru Vishnu, Guru devo Maheshwaraha - Gurusakshath parabramha tasmai shree gurve namaha - Teacher is the holy Trinity. Teacher is the manifestation of the lord himself.
Traditionally, at Gurukul era the student would give the teacher something called GURU-DAKSHINA. That term means , a gift to the teacher. Often, the students would ask the teacher what Guru-Dakshina they want in return for giving all the education to the student. Once the teacher told the student what Guru-dakshina they would want… it was the student’s honor to bring that, no matter how hard a demand it might be. We often come across the famous story of Eklavya and Dronacharya where Student Eklavya with due humility, cheerfully and without protest, he cut his right thumb and placed at the feet of Dronacharya.
But it has gone a sea change in our time, in our era the GURU-DAKSHINA or GIFT is decided well before the teaching is started and offered by parents rather than a students.
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