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
The Saga Dawa prayers and recitations of the holy chants had started since 14th June at Tharpa Manilhakhang by the monks of Enchey Monastery. While speaking to media, General Secretary for YAT, Mr. Karma Denzongpa informed that, before taking out of these holy text books it was read and recited by 32 monks of Enchey Monastery. Mr. Denzongpa also informed that every year YAT organizes the Saga Dawa prayers but for the first it has taken out the procession in a massive way for the devotees. Further more Mr. Denzongpa added that, this time Saga Dawa celebration was celebrated in a grand manner as every thing that was organized was conducted in a most religious manner and the process of celebration was holy and the devotees who ever participated were blessed with a thousand blessing by lighting one butter lamp at the monastery.
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