Buddha Purnima celebrated with great fervour in Delhi
By IANSThursday, May 27, 2010
NEW DELHI - Delhi celebrated Buddha Purnima Thursday, enriched by the presence of nearly 800 monks and lamas from all over the country besides Tibet and Nepal.
It is for the first time that Buddha Purnima has fallen on the same day as per the Hindu and Tibetan calendars, according to the South Asia Buddhist Association.
“This makes the day very auspicious. This is why monks and lamas from all over the country, and Nepal and Tibet are going to be here to offer prayers and perform ceremonial practices,” a member of the association said.
The association has organised special prayers at Karmapa International Buddhist Institute in Qutab Institutional Area, south Delhi.
The celebrations will be marked by the arrival of His Holiness, 17th Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje, spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
The prayers started 11.30 a.m. and will go on till evening.
“After the prayers, we will give floral tributes to Lord Buddha, which is a part of our tradition,” a member of the association said.
Buddha Purnima, which falls on a full moon night in the month of Vaisakha, either in April or May, commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It is celebrated with traditional spiritual fervour amid religious ceremonies.
