Buddha's Birthday: Celebrating the Light of Wisdom
Buddha's Birthday, also known as Vesak or Buddha Purnima, is a major Buddhist festival celebrated worldwide to honor the birth, enlightenment, and death (parinirvana) of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha. This auspicious day falls on the full moon of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu/Buddhist calendar, typically in April or May. The Story of Siddhartha Gautama Born into royalty in Lumbini, Nepal (modern-day), Prince Siddhartha led a sheltered life. However, upon encountering human suffering – old age, sickness, and death – he renounced his privileged life to seek spiritual enlightenment. After years of meditation and searching, he achieved enlightenment under a Bodhi tree, becoming the Buddha ("Awakened One"). Significance of Buddha's Birthday Buddha's Birthday is a time for Buddhists to reflect on his teachings of compassion, kindness, and the path to enlightenment. It's a day of: Devotion: Devotees visit temples, offer prayers, light candles and inc