Buddha Purnima, also known as Buddha Jayanti, marks the birth of Prince Siddharta Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha and founded Buddhism. The term ‘Purnima’ translates to ‘full moon’ in Sanskrit, and the festival is celebrated on a full moon day during the month of ‘Vaisakhi’ in Hindu/Buddhist lunar calendars. ‘Jayanti’ means ‘birthday’. Buddha Purnima also known as Buddha Jayanti or Vesak is a Buddhist festival. The festival marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha and is celebrated by the Buddhist community across the country as well as in countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia etc. The festival holds special importance and is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm.
This year, Buddha Purnima will be celebrated on Friday. Gautama Budhha is the person behind the origin of Buddhism, which teaches about the art of balancing between greed and austerity and detaching from worldly pleasures to walk on the path of enlightenment. He is known to travel across North India to teach about the ultimate path to enlightenment. Buddha Purnima is celebrated widely among people living in countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Tibet, China, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, etc.
The day is celebrated with joy and fervour in Gaya and Kushinagar (UP), Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and across India. People celebrate the festival by organising ceremonies, and gatherings, or by meditating to bring the true values of Gautam Buddha into their lives.
