Buddha Purnima today

Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, is being celebrated across the country on Sunday.

Buddha Purnima marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha. On this day in 563 BC, Buddha was born as Siddhartha Gautama in Kopilabostu at the foothill of the Himalayas.

The day is a public holiday.

On the occasion, the national and regional dailies will publish special articles while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television (BTV) and private TV channels will broadcast special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.

The celebrations usually start with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries across the country and chanting of the sacred verses from the sacred Tripitaka at dawn.

The Buddhist devotees are expected to offer various gift items, including fruits, flowers and candles, to statues of Lord Buddha throughout the day.

Discussion meetings, meditation, blood donation, offerings of pindadana among the monks and feeding to the destitute and releasing of lighted balloons in the sky of evening are the highlights of the programmes.

As part of the day’s programme, Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha will bring out a colourful ‘peace procession’ with participation of a large number of devotees from Sabujbagh Dharmarajika Buddhist Monastery which will parade different city roads and thoroughfares in the morning.

Bangladesh Buddhist Federation (BBF) will organize a daylong programme including a discussion at International Buddhist Monastery at Merul Badda.

Besides, Buddha Purnima will also be celebrated in Buddhist populated regions of Chittagong, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Cox’s Bazar and Sylhet.