Buddha Jayanti 2003

Buddha Jayantī (also called Buddha Pūrṇimā or Vesak) falls on the full moon of Vaiśākha (April-May) and is the holiest day in Buddhism. It carries the rare distinction of marking three events in the life of Gautama Buddha on the same lunar day: his birth at Lumbini (c. 563 BCE), his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, and his mahāparinirvāṇa (passing into nirvāṇa) at Kushinagar.

In the Hindu tradition, Gautama Buddha is venerated as the ninth avatar of Lord Viṣṇu. The Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Agni Purāṇa include him in the daśāvatāra (ten incarnations), and temples across India (especially in Odisha, Bengal, and South India) perform special pūjā for Viṣṇu-Buddha on this day.

Across Buddhist communities worldwide, the day is observed by visiting monasteries, offering flowers, incense, and lamps at shrines, and listening to the Dhamma. Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Mahābodhi tree, and Sarnath, where he gave his first teaching (the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta), are thronged by pilgrims.

In India, Buddha Jayantī is a national public holiday. The government organises commemorations at the National Museum, the Mahabodhi Society leads prayers at Bodh Gaya, and the Tibetan community celebrates at Dharamsala.