 Buddha Purnima is the thrice blessed festival. Buddha Purnima is known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddhist Festival and Wesak Festival. Buddha Purnima is the most sacred day in the Buddhist Calendar. This most important festival falls on the full moon night of the lunar month Vaisaka (either in April or May). A special time in Buddhism as it was on this day that Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and attained Nirvana. This strange, three-fold coincidence, bestows Buddha poornima its unique significance.
To celebrate Buddha Poornima as anniversary of Buddha's birth, lots of Buddhist pilgrims come from all over the world to Bodh Gaya in Nepal . The sacred day is marked with prayer meets, sermons on the life of Gautam Buddha, religious discourses, continuous performance of Buddhist scriptures, group contemplation, processions, and worship of the statue of Buddha & symposia.
The most important Buddhist festival "Buddha Poornima" even supposing is an occasion for satisfaction doesn't encourage hectic gaiety and abandon. The happiness that the Buddhists undergo when they are celebrating it is a tranquil, peaceful bliss. The Buddhist festival has its gay side as well. In most of the Buddhist countries the villages, roads, streets, temples and houses are brightly lighted up with color Lanterns, electric lights and colorful decorations.
The shrine of Mahabodhi wears a festive and celebratory look. In addition it is embellished with colourful flags and flowers. On the full moon night, Buddhists take bath and wear only white clothes, and gather in their viharas in order to worship and give alms to monks. At the vihara listening to discourses on the life and teachings of Buddha or invite monks to their abode.
On Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti all the monks as Buddhists take kheer, rice cooked in milk and sugar, which they share with the poor. They set up stalls in public places to offer others clean drinking water and also show kindheartedness to animals.
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