Buddha Jayanti/Buddha Purnima is celebrated across India. Read about the history of Buddha Poornima festival and celebrations in India.


Buddha Jayanti

It is said, that one of the greatest spiritual teachers of mankind the world has ever seen is, Gautam Buddha. It is his teachings and message that traveled far and wide. It is believed that the origin and practiced of Buddhist religion, dates back to the time when Lord Buddha was born around 543 BC. Siddhartha, the only son of Shuddhodana, the King of Kapilavastu, lived a very lavish and protected life till the age of 29. He was completely ignorant of the miseries and sorrows outside the gates of his palace. One day the prince desired to visit the city and the King ordered that the city should be decorated and bedecked, so that everywhere, his son would meet with only pleasing sights. He was shocked to see the harsh realities of life when he viewed an old, crippled man, a sick person and a dead body for the first time in his life. The fourth vision was of a saint who looked at peace with himself, which led Siddharth to search for the true meaning of life. This led him to renounce the luxury and worldly pleasures and he began his journey of peace. He wandered to many places and ultimately attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya, under a 'pipal' tree. Since then he came to be known as Gautam Buddha or the 'Enlightened One'.

Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It is widely celebrated on a full moon night in Vaisakha (according to the Hindu calendar that usually falls in April or May). Buddha was born in B.C. 560 and died at the age of eighty in B.C. 480. Buddhism went on to become a very popular religion in the subsequent centuries and was followed even abroad. It was on Buddha Poornima that he attained enlightenment and ultimately, after preaching the five principles of life and the path of eight-fold truth, he attained 'Nirvana' or left the mortal world on the same day. Thus, Buddha Jayanti celebrates the three most important events in Gautam Buddha's life. Pilgrims from all over the world visit Bodhgaya in India to participate in the Buddha Poornima celebrations that highlights prayer meets, sermons and religious discourses, recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions and worship of the statue of Lord Buddha.

Significance of Buddha Jayanti
Buddha Jayanti or 'Buddha Purnima' is celebrated largely in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Gautam Buddha is considered one of the greatest spiritual leaders the world has ever seen. Also known as the 'guiding light of Asia', his message for 'peace' captured the hearts and minds of millions of devotees

Buddhism in India
Buddhism in India began with the life of Gautam Buddha, originally known as Prince Siddharth. He was the prince of the small Shakya Kingdom, located in the foothills of the Himalayas and was brought up in luxury and extravagance. He later discovered the true meaning and purpose of his life and abandoned

Teachings of Buddha
Prince Siddharth, also known as Gautam Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism in the world. Although he was born a prince, he realized that the purpose of his existence was to impart words of wisdom to his people and to teach them the importance of karma and dharma. Gautam Buddha lived around 2500 years ago and