Buddha Purnima/Jayanti

Birth Anniversary of Lord Buddha

Statue of Lord BuddhaThe three most significant events in the life of Gautama Buddha occurred on the same day.

His birth, enlightenment and death (nirvana), all happened in the month of Vaishak, on a full moon night in April/May.

This makes the day - called Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti - all the more sacred for Buddhists. He is considered the ninth avatar of Vishnu. 

Practice : On this day, Buddhists offer prayers in their temples. Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar are the main centres of celebration
Legend : Prince Siddharth or Buddha was born in the month of Vaisakh in 563 BC., to King Shuddhodhana and Queen Mayadevi, rulers of Lumbini, Nepal. Before his birth his mother dreamt of a divine light entering her womb. The Buddha achieved enlightenment as well as nirvana on the same date when he was born.

Maha Bodhi TempleAccording to legend, Siddhartha's wife Yashodhara, his charioteer Channa, his disciple Ananda and his horse Kantaka were also born on Buddha Purnima day.

Siddhartha led a cocooned life initially, since his father dreaded that predictions of Siddhartha becoming a hermit would turn out true.

But, one day, Siddhartha had a glimpse of disease, death, loneliness and poverty. That was enough to take him down the path his father had dreaded. He became restless and tried to seek the truth behind this eternal cycle of life and death.

When he was 29, he left his palace, his wife and child and became an ascetic. He searched for the truth and the reason for the misery of mankind.

He attained enlightenment under a Banyan tree in Bodh Gaya, a small town in Bihar. For the next 32 years Buddha professed his dharma - Buddhism.

Rituals : Buddhist rituals for celebrating the three-in-one occasion are naturally elaborate. The day falls in the Vaishaka month of the Indian calendar. For the Tibetans, it is the full moon day in the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar.

Bodhi TreePrayers, sermons and non-stop recitations of Buddhist scriptures resonate in monasteries, religious halls and homes. In monasteries in Sikkim, monks hold day-long readings of the scriptures before the Buddha's statue.

The lay people listen to these recitals, and also give gifts to the monks and the statue. The statue of Buddha, in fact, receives special attention everywhere, with people offering it incense, flowers, candles and fruits.

The Banyan tree - called the Bodhi tree for its part in Buddha's enlightenment - also receives a fair share of garlands and coloured flags adorn it.

People also sprinkle milk and scented waters on its roots and light rows of lamps around it.