Buddha Poornima also known as Buddha Jayanti is the most sacred festivals of Buddhist. Buddha Poornima is celebrated in remembrance Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon night in Vaisakha (according to the Hindu calendar that usually falls in April or May).Lord Buddha was the founder of the Buddhist religion and is said to be the ninth avatar of Vishnu. It was on Buddha Poornima that the three important events of Buddha’s life took place i.e. his birth, his enlightenment and his death (nirvana).
The Divine Life of Gautam Buddha
The Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BC. He was an actual historical figure, a prince of the Shakalyas, the people of a small state bordering modern India and Nepal. He lived in a time of prosperity and social up heal. At the age of sixteen, Siddhratha married a beautiful woman and the had a son. The turning point in his life came when Siddhartha was twenty-nine and he ventured outside the palace grounds.
He was caught by the sufferings of the world (old age, sickness and death), left his wife, son and riches to become a wandering ascetic in the search for enlightenment. He wandered to many places and ultimately at the age of thirty-five he arrived at Bodh Gaya, where he sat beneath a tree. He swore that he would not rise until he had found enlightenment. After forty-nine days of solitary meditation he attained nirvana, the state of permanence. He thus became the Buddha “One who is fully Awake.”
Celebrations and Rituals
The main celebrations of Buddha jayanti takes place in Bodh gaya.On this large number of Buddhist devotees from all over the world assemble to pay their respectful homage to Lord Buddha. Besides decorating the temple and area around with colorful Buddhist flags, the
morning prayer, colorful procession of the Monks, worship with large offerings, distribution of sweets and snacks takes place.
In other places Prayers, sermons and non-stop recitations of Buddhist scriptures resonate in monasteries, religious halls and homes. On this day the Buddhists bathe and wear only white clothes. People offer incense, flowers, candles and fruits to the statue of Lord Buddha. They spend their entire day listening to discourses on the life and teachings of the Buddha.
