Bangladesh celebrates Buddha Purnima with spirit of love

Gautam Buddha, the founder of the religion, is said to have appeared on Earth on this day about 2,553 years ago

Bangladesh is celebrating Buddha Purnima, the largest religious festival of the Buddhist community, with fervour and the spirit of love preached by Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The day is a public holiday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages and greeted the members of the Buddhist community as well as their countrymen.

Gautam Buddha, the founder of the religion, is said to have been born on this day about 2,553 years ago.

Buddhists believe his birth, enlightenment and death occurred on the full moon of Baishakh, the first month in the Bangla calendar.

Dharmarajik Bouddha Mahavihar, a monastery in Sabujbag and Dhaka International Buddhist Monastery are expected to organise the two most prominent prayer sessions on the occasion.

The Buddhist temple in Merul Badda brought out a rally representing the hope to restore global peace on Thursday morning. People of the Buddhist community then began to gather at the monastery. They bathed, wore fresh clothes and sang the praises of Gautam Buddha.

Throughout the day, the monasteries are set to organise different programmes, including the chanting of sacred verses from the Tripitaka sacred texts, and offering various gift items, including fruits, flowers and candles, to statues of Lord Buddha.

Gautam Buddha always sought welfare for mankind, and he tried his best to make the world peaceful and prosperous, the president said in his message. He disseminated the message of equity and friendship during his entire life to establish peace and harmony in the world.

The ideals and philosophy of Buddha can play an important role in establishing peace in society, removing unrest and intolerance from the world and saving people from moral degradation, President Shahabuddin said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, hoped that everyone would nurture Buddha’s ideals and follow his teachings to make Bangladesh a peaceful country.

"We are working tirelessly to build a society that doesn’t promote discrimination by nurturing the spirit of the Liberation War and Bangladesh’s tradition, which was formed for thousands of years. The people of the Buddhist community in Bangladesh have also been participating in the socio-economic development of the country," Hasina added.

The president is set to host a reception for the Buddhist community members at the Credential Hall of Bangabhaban at 4 pm Thursday.