Sikkim Celebrates Buddha’s Birthday Today

Processions of monks and celebrations in major parks are part of one of Sikkim,India's biggest Buddhist festivals, which will be taking place next week

Gangtok,May 15: Saga Dawa or Buddha Purnima is an annual public holiday observed traditionally by practicing Buddhists  from all across Sikkim, India are due to celebrate the birth of the Buddha next week (May 17th), with sacred processions and colourful fairs planned to mark the occasion.. Sometimes informally called “Buddha’s birthday,” it actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha.

The exact date of Saga Dawa varies according to the various lunar calendars used in different countries and traditions. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on the full moon Uposatha day (typically the 5th or 6th lunar month).

Vesak Day in China, Hong Kong and Macau is on the eighth of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Thus the date varies from year to year, but as general consensus in many countries, falls on the full-month day in May.

The decision to agree to celebrate the Vesak or Buddha Purnima or Saga Dawa as the Buddha’s birthday was formalized at the first Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this time in the Buddhist world are a centuries-old tradition. The Resolution that was adopted at the World Conference reads as follows:

“That this Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording its appreciation of the gracious act of His Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making the full-moon day of Vesak a Public Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the Heads of Governments of all countries in which large or small number of Buddhists are to be found, to take steps to make the full-moon day in the month of May a Public Holiday in honour of the Buddha, who is universally acclaimed as one of the greatest benefactors of Humanity.”
Tourists arriving on flights to India are encouraged to catch the Buddha Purnima celebrations at the Buddha Jayanti Park in the capital city of Delhi.

Furthermore, in the town of Sarnath, where the Buddha is believed to have preached his first sermon, the locals traditionally put on a colourful fair to celebrate the life and enlightenment of the sacred deity.

Meanwhile, in Gangtok the streets will be filled with shaven-headed monks, wearing maroon robes and processing slowly, while meditating on sacred scriptures.

Other recommended destinations include Sanchi, Kusinagar and Bodhgaya, where the Buddha reached enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

SAGA DAWA or Buddha's Birthday Around The World


Vesak Day is often referred to with other names in each country. Official names of Vesak Day are Vesākha, Vesak, Wesak, Waisak, Visakah Puja, Vaishaka, Buddha Purnima, Visakha Bucha, Saga Dawa, 佛誕 (fó dàn), Phật Đản, and วิสาขบูชา

In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the holiday is known by its Sanskrit name, वैशाख Vaiśākha, and derived variants of it. Vesākha is known as Vesak or Wesak (衛塞節) in the Sinhalese language.
It is also known as:

* बुद्ध पुर्णिमा/বুদ্ধ পূর্ণিমা Buddha Purnima or बुद्ध जयंती/বুদ্ধ জয়ন্তী Buddha Jayanti in India, Bangladesh and Nepal
* 花祭 (Hanamatsuri) in Japan,

* 석가 탄신일 Seokka Tanshin-il (Hanja: 釋迦誕身日) in Korean (Korea),
* 佛誕 (Mandarin: Fódàn, Cantonese: Fātdàahn) in Chinese-speaking communities in China, Singapore, Taiwan.
* Phật Đản in Vietnamese (Vietnam),
* ས་ག་ཟླ་བ། Saga Dawa (sa ga zla ba) in Tibetan (Tibet),
* (Kasone la-pyae Boda nei), lit. “Full Moon Day of Kason,” the second month of the traditional Burmese calendar (Burma)
* វិសាខបូជា Visak Bochéa in Khmer (Cambodia),
* ວິຊຂບູຊ Vixakha Bouxa in Laotian (Laos)
* วันวิสาขบูชา Visakah Puja, Vesakha Puja, or Visakha Bucha in Thai (Thailand),
* Waisak in Indonesia,
* වෙසක් පසළොස්වක පෝය Vesak / Wesak in Sri Lanka and Malaysia

130 FT TALL CHENREZIG STATUE @ SANGA CHOELING MONASTERY,SIKKIM

GYALSHING, November 26: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today called upon all the people to uphold peace and religious harmony in the State.
Mr. Chamling said this while laying the foundation stone of 130 ft tall statue of Chenrezig, the Lord Buddhist Lord of Compassion to be built near Sanghachoeling monastery in Pelling, West Sikkim.
The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by the MLAs of West District during the ceremony said, this statue to be built with a fund of Rs. 113 crores would be one of the tallest structures in the world.
“We want Sikkim to grow as one of the pilgrimage tourist destinations and I am hopeful that the statue would attract more numbers of international devotees,” the CM said in his brief address.
He said, the vision of the SDF government is to promote and preserve religious and communal harmony in Sikkim and that he added would be possible once the people realize their roles and responsibilities towards the State.
Mr. Chamling also announced that the world’s tallest statue of Buddha Shakyamuni would be built in the years to come after the establishing of ITI and several training centres in the District. More religious institutions such as Church, monasteries, temples, Mangkhims, etc will also be built, he said while announcing that a meditation centre would be constructed in West Sikkim to promote Buddhist literature and culture.
At the same time, the CM on seeing the road conditions of West Sikkim assured for its immediate renovation.
Later in the evening, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the newly built tunnel of NHPC at Reshi, West Sikkim

Commemorating Shakyamuni’s divine descent in Sikkim

Monks of Enchey Monastery and Guru Lhagang, Deorali light butter lamps, commemorating Buddha Shakyamuni’s descent from heaven, after teaching Abhidhamma to his mother.

Seven days after Maugalyama, Buddha’s disciple-representative on earth requested Lord Buddha to come back to earth, Buddha descended on a flight of golden stairs at a place called Sankashya, accompanied by Brahma on the right who descended on a crystal staircase and Indra on the left on a flight of silver stairs holding a jewelled umbrella.

Referred to as Lhabab Duechen or the auspicious day when Buddha descended to earth, this day is considered one if the four important days that commemorate four events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni. As per the Buddhist calendar, the day falls on second day (waning moon) of the ninth month.

(Pics by Prabin Khaling ).

Monks in Samdruptse,Sikkim offer prayer for universal peace

Samdruptse,Sep 24: Samdruptse means wish-fulfilling hill in bhutia dialect and is situated 7 kms from Namchi, South District Headquarters of Sikkim, and the 22nd state of India. The tallest statue of patron saint of Sikkim, Guru PadmaSambhava has been erected in this hill-Samdruptse

Hundreds of Buddhist monks and devotees have converged at the altar of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse in Sikkim to offer mass collective prayers for universal peace during the ongoing 12-day long spiritual event.

The Vajra Guru Dhungrup (recitation of 12 crore vajra guru mantra) began on Tuesday at Samdruptse, around four kilometres in Namchi district, where 135 feet tall statue of Lord Padmasambhava, believed to be the biggest of its kind in the world, is located.

Organised by the Guru Padma Sambhava Society of Namchi, the 12 day long spiritual event include invocation of 120 million Vajra Guru Mantra (hymns devoted to Lord Padmasambhava).This is the third year that the Guru Padma Sambhava Society has organised the event.

Pema Tshering, a Buddhist monk said that the prayer and chanting of religious hymns is to invoke blessing for the cause of universal peace and prosperity and welfare of all sentient beings.

"This religious festival is organised by the Guru Padma Sambhava Society. This mantra is to invocate for the welfare of all the sentient beings and during this Dusshera Puja, thousands of animals are slaughtered all over the world. So for the salvation of these animals and birds, we invocate these mantra and for the welfare and prosperity of all the sentient beings," said Pema Tshering, a Buddhist monk.

Apart from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Assam, monks and devotees from Bhutan and Nepal are also participating in the event.

"At present, we have 300 monks and 300 civilians and by the time the Puja finishes we expect a turnout of more than 1000 people and this Puja is being conducted for the last three years successfully with the help of the government of Sikkim," said Buddha Tshering Tamang, General Secretary, Guru Padma Sambhava Society, Namchi.

The newly erected statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse is not only a centre of pilgrimage but also a popular tourist destination.

Guru Padmasambhava is revered, as second Buddha in Sikkim, a state largely dominated by Buddhist population. -

Buddha statue at South Sikkim to wait another year

GANGTOK, 5 AUG: Works to set up the 90 ft tall Buddha statue at Rabong in South Sikkim would take a year more. Architects and sculptors continue to toil to complete the statue at Sangkhola near Singtam. The proposed 125ft statue of Sangay Chomden Dey (Lord Buddha in Sikkim) in a sitting position would be the tallest Buddha statue in the world.
Twenty workers (eight from Jaigoan in West Bengal and 12 from Kathmandu, Nepal) have been working for over 12 hours daily on the project for the past two years.
Mr Krishna Khati, a metal worker at the work site in Sangkhola said that the nickel-aluminum bronze alloy statute with steel frame inside would weigh over 57 tonnes. After completion, the structure would be dismantled into adjustable parts and transferred to Rabong, the site for the statue.
The Sakyamuni project started in 2006 to mark the 2550th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. The project covering an area of 22.5 acres would have an eco-garden and other tourist amenities along with the giant statue.
Interestingly, the relics of Lord Buddha would be offered to the statue to enhance its significance and add Rabong to the Buddhist religious circuit in India. Last November, relics of Lord Buddha were collected from across eight Southeast Asian countries for the project. Somdet Phra Nyanasaamvara, the 19th supreme patriarch of the Buddhist order in Thailand had offered the relics. Besides, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan and Vietnam have also offered relics.
Those are under tight security at the newly built Karma Thekchenling Monastery.

Discourse on Buddhist scripture in Gangtok

Gangtok: Arithang Gyaltsen Tsogpu and Machig Re-Meg Tsog-Cho are jointly organizing a 15-day discourse session on the popular Buddhist scripture KUNZANG LAMAY ZHAL-LUNG. The discourse will be held at Arithang Gumpa from the 10 of September, 2007 onward between 4.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. daily for a period of fifteen days.The discourse will be given by Lama Lakpa Bomzon who is an accomplished Nyung-ney Guru, and one of the charismatic disciple of HH Drugpa Rimpoche. Lama Lakpa Bomzon, more popularly known as Dharma-Guru Lakpa Mheme, has imparted discourses on Kunzang Lamay, Zhal-lung at Kalimpong, Mirik, Gangtok (Sichey Tamang Gumpa) and in Nepal in the past years. Lakpa Mheme’s medium of discourse is Nepali language for easy understanding.Arithang Gyaltsen Tsogpu and Machig-Re-Meg Tsog-cho extend invitation to one and all to attend the discourse sessions on the dates, time and place as mentioned above, and earn dharma merit

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Sotheby's auction focuses on Buddhist art

New York, August 19, 2007: 'The Arts of the Buddha' will be the special theme for Sotheby's sale in September that will present works of the major Far Eastern cultures in India, China and Cambodia.
The auction on September 21 will include physical representations of the divine through different media like paintings, drawings and sculptures.
The cornerstone of the sale is a magnificent 13th century Tibetan gilt bronze Maitreya that is among the most important Himalayan works of art ever to come to auction and is estimated at around $3.5 million.
The art works will be on exhibition beginning on September 14 and the sale is estimated to bring in between $8.3 million and $11.2 million.
Said Theresa McCullough, senior specialist in charge of the sale: "The sale celebrates the splendour of Buddhist art and includes three exceptional lots illustrating the transference of ideas and craftsmanship between Tibet and China during the early Ming Dynasty.
"It is unprecedented to have three such works in one sale. Also included in the sale is a private Swiss collection of Himalayan bronzes, a beautiful Yuan Dynasty wooden Avalokitesvara (a Buddhist deity) and two highly rare 15th century Tibetan Sakya Mandalas painted by Newar artists (of medieval Nepal)."
Speaking of the top lot, David Weldon, senior consultant for the sale, said: "This exceptional statue of Maitreya is the quintessential example of Nepalese artistic influence in Tibet during the 13th century and is evidence of the absolute mastery of the Newar artists.
The image of the 'Buddha of the future' is amongst the very finest Buddhist sculptures to have survived from the period and in such pristine condition."
The magnificent gilded and bejewelled copper alloy image of Maitreya portrays him as a princely bodhisattva in Tushita Heaven. Maitreya's status in the Buddhist canon is paramount for he embodies the enduring hope for the salvation of all sentient beings.
The bodhisattva personifies the principal Buddhist tenet of compassion, clearly portrayed in Maitreya's divine countenance. The rich gilding of the work is almost entirely intact with a soft sheen and subtle hue. The jewellery is superb, retaining original inset semi-precious stones of fabulous colour.