Buddha Jayanti is celebrated as the day of Lord Siddhartha Gautam’s Birth, the day when he gets Enlightenment and the day when he left us. It’s a Nepalese festival celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists spreading all over the world on the full moon day that usually falls in the month of Baishakh (Nepalese Calendar Month) or May according to the lunar calendar.
Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Siddhartha Gautam later known by Gautam Buddha and Buddha Jayanti is a significant festival which is celebrate as joyful as Dashain Tihar celebrated by Hindus. Buddhists from all over the world visit different Buddhist sites, and temples in the memory of Buddha on this day. Especially Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.
Along with the Lumbini, pilgrims also visit the Swaymbhunath and Boudhanath temple of Kathmandu, which is also the Buddhist temple. These sites were also listed on the world heritage site.
Actually the meaning of Buddha is “Awakened One”, and he is also known as Shakyamuni.
It is believed that Siddhartha Gautam on the very first day of his birth, try stepping seven steps forward on the Mayadevi temple of Lumbini, which defines the shine of timeless message to all living beings. The same steps are now the center of attraction in Lumbini, Kapilvastu.
Gautam Buddha is the personality of the most revered figure of Nepal. On the day of Buddha Jayanti, he took the birth in the holy land of Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, achieved enlightenment on the same day and achieved nirvana on the same day i.e. day of Baishakh Sukla Purnima. Not only Nepal, Buddhist countries such as Vietnam, Tibet, Sri Lanka, etc. also celebrate the Buddha Jayanti with much entertainment and full of joyness.
The Four Noble Truths of Gautam Buddha
- Life means suffering
- The origin of suffering is an attachment
- The cessation of suffering is attainable
- The path to the cessation of suffering
Eight Successful paths, Buddha forces everyone to move along
- Right View
- Right Intention
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right concentration
Buddha Mantra
- Buddham Saranam Gachhami (Following the path of Gautam Buddha)
- Dharman Saranam Gachhami (Dharma is the path I will follow)
- Sangham Saranam Gachhami (I will be always under the teacher, who teaches us)
Buddha achieved enlightenment under the tree named Bodha Gaya of India, so the Indian state also celebrates the Buddha equally as in Nepal. If you are the follower of Gautam Buddha, then don’t miss out on the chance to explore the Buddhist temple on this day, as there used to be a Mela, Puja ceremony dedicating the Gautam Buddha. Buddha Jayanti falls on Baishakh Shukla Purnima as per Lunar Calendar.
