Buddha Jayanti being observed today
KATHMANDU: Buddha Jayanti, the day when Buddha was born, is being celebrated across the country today by organising various programmes.
Also known as Buddha Purnima, the day falls on Baishakh Shukla Purnima as per the lunar calendar, which is a full moon day.
The day has a special significance to Nepali people, especially to the Buddhist and Hindu communities, who mark the day as a festival. Those celebrating visit Buddhist monastries and shrines to worship Lord Buddha, who is believed to be the epitome of peace, based on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.
Gautam Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautam, was born a prince to King Suddhodana of the Shakya dynasty of Tilaurakot — which is located in Kapilvastu, Nepal — and Queen Maya Devi.
The queen is known to have given birth to Buddha in Lumbini on her way to her maternal home in Devdaha, which falls in Rupandehi district of Nepal.
Government of Province 5, where Lumbini is situated, is organising a variety of programmes today to mark the 2,563rd Buddha Jayanti, also the beginning of Visit Lumbini Year 2076 BS.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli reached Lumbini yesterday evening to participate in the events planned for the day, while President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to reach there today to attend various programmes.
The Prime Minister also visited the Tilaurakot palace premises and lit lamps in Lumbini.
Moreover, President Bhandari as the chief guest is scheduled to officially inaugurate the Visit Lumbini Year 2076 BS to be announced by Province 5 government, according to Lumbini Development Trust.
Likewise, PM Oli would be performing a special worship at Mayadevi Temple, start the peace rally, plant saplings, unfurl the flag of Nepal, and serve food to the monks, State-5 Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Lila Giri was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti.
Buddha, a teacher and a philosopher, is believed to have received his enlightenment in Bodha Gaya in the Indian state of Bihar, following which he started sharing his knowledge with his disciples.
Birth of Buddha is also celebrated across south-east Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar among other nations. The day might differ in different countries depending on their calendars and is also commonly known as Vesak.
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