Buddha Purnima was celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and fanfare across the country today. The prayers were offered in Buddhist temples and monasteries with customary chanting of mantras.
Buddha Purnima also known as Buddha Jayanti or Vesak is a Buddhist festival held to commemorate the birth , enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha and is celebrated by the Buddhist community across the country as well as in the countries where there is sizable Buddhist population like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia etc. The date of the festival typically falls in the month of April or May. If it is a leap year, the festival falls in the month of June.
On the day of the festival, Buddha idols are worshiped as well as prayers are held. Devotees visit Buddhist shrines, recite Buddhist scriptures and take part in religious discussions and group meditations. A sweet dish called ‘Kheer’ which is made using rice and milk is prepared on the day of the festival.
Since many centuries, Vesak is a traditional celebration in the Mahayana Buddhist. In 563 BCE, Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini as per the Theravada Tripitaka scriptures. Vesak is an important day for Buddhists and is one of the widely celebrated festivals.