BSS, Dhaka :Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, will be celebrated today across the country with due respect, religious fervour and enthusiasm.Members of the community will celebrate the festival marking the three most important events in the life of Lord Buddha – his advent, enlightenment and ‘nirvana’ (passing away) 2,558 years back.On this holy day, Buddha was born as Siddartha Gautam in Kopilabostu of Indian state of Bihar in around 563 B.C., got supreme enlightenment at the age of 35 (528 B.C.) and finally embraced ‘nirvana” at the age of 80 (483 B.C.).The Purnima will be celebrated in all monasteries and offices of the Buddhist religious organisations through daylong programmes.The programmes include hoisting of national and religious flags atop all monasteries and recitation from the sacred verses of the Tripitak and breaking of fast by the monks. Mass prayers, blood donation, ‘sangadana’ (presentation to the monks), discussions, ‘panchashilla’ (prayers) and pradip puja are the other highlights of the programmes of the day.Special prayers will be offered at all monasteries across the country seeking peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.The day is a public holiday. Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, and private television channels and radios will broadcast special programmes highlighting the significance of the Day while newspapers will publish special articles on the occasion.In the capital, the main religious congregation will be held at Kamalapur Dharmarajika Bouddha Bihar, International Buddhist Monastery in Merul Badda and Shakyamuni Bihar at Mirpur.The Bangladesh Buddhist Federation has drawn a daylong programme at International Buddha Bihar at Merul Badda in the city to mark the Day.In celebration of the Day, Bangladesh Buddha Kristi Prachar Sangha has chalked out an elaborate programme at Sabujbag Buddha Bihar. The programme included seminar, discussions, kirtan, Buddha puja, prayers and cultural function.Marking the Buddha Purnima, Bangladesh Buddha Sangskritik Parishad will bring out a peace procession from National Museum (Shahbagh) to Matshya Bhaban.In the port city, the members of the Buddhist community have chalked out an elaborate programme to celebrate their holiest religious festival in a befitting manner and traditional enthusiasm.The main religious congregations in the city will be held at Nandankanan Buddhist Temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Purnachar International Buddhist Monastery at Devpahar, Sarbojanin Buddha Vihar on Momin Road and Biswamoitree Bouddha Bihar at Agrabad.The Purnima will also be celebrated in the Buddhist populated regions of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Cox’s Bazar, Comilla, Noakhali, Barguna, Rangpur and Patuakhali in a befitting manner.
