Buddha Purnima celebrated

Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, was celebrated on Tuesday in Dhaka and elsewhere across the country.

To mark the day in a befitting manner, country’s Buddhist community held various programmes, including colourful processions and discussions.

The day was a public holiday. On the occasion, newspapers published different articles while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television (BTV) and private TV channels are airing special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.

As per the belief of the Buddhists, the emergence of Lord Buddha took place on this day 2,557 years ago. Lord Buddha was born on the full moon day in 563 BC, attained supreme enlightenment and passed away on the same day.
In separate messages on the eve of the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted members of the Buddhist community as well as the countrymen. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia also greeted the countrymen.

The celebrations started with lighting of lamps and hoisting of the national and religious flags atop the Mohabihar and chanting of sacred verses from the Tripitaka.

Different organisations, including Buddha Sangskritik Parishad, Buddhist Federation and Bangladesh Buddha Krishti Prachar Sangha organised elaborate programmes.

They brought out colourful processions from Shahbagh, Sabujbagh and Merul Badda and the main thoroughfares of the city in the morning.

Buddhist Federation arranged a daylong programme at the International Buddhist Temple at Merul Badda in Dhaka while Bangladesh Buddha Kristi Prachar Sangha organised a discussion on the life of Buddha at Dharmarajik Buddha Mohabihar at Sabujbagh on the occasion.

In Chittagong, members of the Buddhist community celebrated their most sacred and largest festival Buddha Purnima in the city and elsewhere in the district with traditional enthusiasm and solemn devotion.

The festival was celebrated in all monasteries and different Buddhist organisations with elaborate programmes. The day’s programme began with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries at dawn and chanting of the sacred verses from the Tripitaka.

The Buddhist devotees also offered fruits, flowers, candles etc to statues of Lord Buddha throughout the day.

Prayer meets, sermons on the life of Gautam Buddha, religious discourse, continuous recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions, worships of the statue of Buddha were the highlights of the day’s programmes.

In the city, the main religious congregations were held at Nandankanan Buddhist temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Purnachar International Buddhists Monasteries at Devpahar, Sarbajanina Bouddha Vihar at Momin road and Biswamoitry Buddha Vihar at Agrabad.

The Purnima was also celebrated in Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox’s Bazar in a befitting manner.