DHAKA: The Buddhist community celebrated their biggest religious festival ‘Buddha Purnima’ across the country as elsewhere in the world on Sunday, marking Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.
Different Buddhists organizations chalked out elaborate programs in celebrating the day. Pagodas have been decorated with colorful religious flags and symbols.
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.
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.
A colorful procession was bought out from Sabujbagh Dharmarajik Buddha Maha Bihar and it paraded through main thoroughfares of the city this morning.
A day-long program was organized at Sabujbagh Dharmarajik Buddha Maha Bihar in the city, with Swadharmasabha at 9 am. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu inaugurated the function with Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon as the chief guest. Former minister Dilip Barua was present on the occasion as the special guest.
The Buddhist devotees also offered fruits, flowers, candles etc to statues of Lord Buddha throughout the day.
On this day in 563 BC, Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha, was born in Kapilabastu at the foothill of the Himalayas. Siddhartha attained supreme enlightenment at the age of 35 and finally departed into ‘nirvana’ at the age of 80 in 483 BC.
BDST: 2145 HRS, MAY 03, 2015
BD/
