The festival of Buddha Purnima, which commemorates the birth of Gautama Buddha and is based on the Asian lunisolar calendar, is also known as Buddha Jayanti, Vaisakhi Buddha Purnima, or Vesak. India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and many other South East Asian nations, such as Thailand, Tibet, China, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, and Indonesia, all celebrate it with tremendous fervor.
Buddhist mythology states that Gautama Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, between 563 and 483 BCE. Using a combination of radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence techniques, Durham University archaeologists working in Nepal have found evidence of a structure at the location of the Buddha’s birth that dates to the sixth century B.C. Based on Asian lunisolar calendars, we can determine the precise day of Buddha’s birth.
The lunisolar calendars are used to determine the exact date of Gautam Buddha’s birth. The Western Gregorian calendar changes every year, but the date for Buddha’s birthday celebrations typically occurs in April or May. It might be observed in June in leap years.
The Buddha’s birth is commemorated in South and Southeast Asia as a part of Vesak, a festival that also honors the Buddha’s enlightenment (on the day of the full moon) and demise. The Buddha’s awakening and passing are commemorated as separate occasions in Vietnam, the Philippines, and other countries in East Asia. The Buddhist calendar’s Baisakh month and the Bikram Sambat are the two main occasions for celebrating Buddha’s birthday, which is determined by the Asian lunisolar calendars.
Gautam Buddha
He was born in Lumbini, today’s day it is now Nepal, to the king and queen of Lumbini who belonged to the aristocratic clan of Shakya, but he abandoned his family to live as a traveling monk, according to Buddhist tradition.
He lived a life of begging, penance, and meditation before becoming enlightened at Bodh Gaya, which is now in India. The Buddha then lectured and founded monastic orders while traveling the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain.
He argued in favor of a moderate way that avoids excessive asceticism while still allowing for sensual pleasure and leads to Nirvana, or the release from ignorance, longing, reincarnation, and misery. Sense restraint, goodwill toward others, mindfulness, and jhana/dhyana are just a few of the contemplative practices that make up The Noble Eightfold Path, a system of mind training that includes ethical instruction.
His followers, referred to as Buddhists, propagated a religion under the name of Buddhism. The word “buddha” was employed by various religious organizations in ancient India and had many different meanings. However, it became most closely linked to the Buddhist tradition and came to signify an enlightened being—someone who has awoken from ignorance-induced sleep and obtained freedom from suffering.
According to the various lineages of Buddhism, Buddhas existed in the past, present, and future. There are numerous schools of Buddhism, some of which say that there is only one buddha for each historical age, while others hold that as all beings possess buddha nature, they will all eventually become Buddha.
All schools of Buddhism commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and entry into nirvana of the Buddha Gautama as well as other milestones in his life. The three occasions are observed simultaneously in certain nations; this day is known as Wesak in Southeast Asia. Various rites and traditions are used during the festivities in various areas, which are held on different days.
Celebrations of Buddha Purnima
The Lord Buddha’s statue is visited by devotees who light candles and incense sticks, pray, and present sweets and fruits as offerings. All across the world, followers attend sermons on the life and teachings of the Buddha. In accordance with Buddhist tradition, on this day a woman by the name of Sujata served Buddha a bowl of milk porridge.
As a result, people typically wear white, avoid eating meat and distribute kheer. As a mark of empathy and compassion for all living things, one of Lord Buddha’s most significant teachings, many followers also release caged birds on this day. A big fair is held in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, a significant Buddhist pilgrimage site where Buddha is claimed to have given his first sermon, every year.
In Bangladesh, the day known as Buddho Purnima is a national festival celebrating Buddha’s birth. Buddhist priests and monks embellish Buddhist temples with candles and colorful decorations in the days leading up to Purnima.
The President and Prime Minister give addresses on the festival day discussing Buddhism’s significance throughout history and the need for religious unity in the nation. Large fairs are conducted in and around the viharas and temples starting at noon, offering toys, clothing, and mostly vegetarian Bengali food. Also offered are performances of the Buddha’s life.
On the fifteenth day of the Saga Dawa, Bhutan celebrates Buddha Parinirvana as Saga Dawa, a national holiday (the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar). The first day of the Saga Dawa, or Vesak Month, marks the beginning of the holy period, which culminates on the 15th day of the full moon, when three important events in Buddha’s life—his birth, his enlightenment, and his death—are commemorated (Mahaparinirvana).
Holy, noble, and morally upright activities are carried out during the Saga Dawa Vesak Month in residences, temples, monasteries, and public spaces. Throughout the whole month of Saga Dawa, devotees and followers strictly adhere to vegetarian diets and refrain from consuming any non-vegetarian foods. Devotees attend monasteries on the Buddha Parinirvana Day to make prayers and light butter lamps.
The birthday of Buddha is a public holiday in Hong Kong. In honor of the Buddha’s enlightenment, lanterns are lit, and many people go to the temple to pay their respects. Among the city’s festivities for Buddha’s birthday is the bathing of Buddha statues. B. R. Ambedkar, who at the time served as the minister of law and justice, was the one who started the public holiday in India for Buddha Purnima.
According to the Indian calendar, it is mostly observed in Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bodh Gaya, the districts of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, different locations in North Bengal, including Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Kurseong, as well as other states in India. Buddha’s Birthday is commemorated as Waisak in Indonesia and is a national holiday.
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