Chattogram Bureau :
Buddhists in the city and district celebrated Ashari Purnima, one of their major religious festivals, with solemn devotion and traditional enthusiasm yesterday.
Ashari Purnima is celebrated to commemorate three significant incidences of Buddha’s life which took place on this single day.
On this day, restless and dissatisfied with his opulent prince Siddhartha, renounced his kingdom, even his wife and son when he was just 29-year-old in quest of eternal truth.
The festival is mostly important that Siddharta Goutom after attaining supreme enlightenment in six years rigorous meditation in Budhgoya of Bihar as Buddha preached his first sermon among his five disciples at Banaras of Sarnath in India.
The purnima is thirdly important as the Buddhist monks will go for three months long seclusion inside their monasteries for atonement of their defilement from the following day if any till another festival Prabarana Purnima. The festival celebrated in all monasteries through daylong program, reports Buddhists in the port city. .
The day’s program will herald with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop, all monasteries and chanting of the sacred verses from the Tripitaka.Breaking of fasting of the monks, discussion meetings, recitation of the religious discourses from the Holy Scriptures by the devotees, blood donation and meditation are other highlights of the festival.
In the city, the main congregations held at Nandankan Buddhist Temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Purnachar International Buddhist Monastery, Mughaltoli Shakkymuni Mohasasan complex and Momin road Sarbajonin Bouddha Vihar .
In Nandankanon Buddhist temple, Venerable Dr Gnyansree Mohathero also its high priest l conduct ed mass prayer while Venerable Tilokabangsha Thero Director of the Mughaltoli Shakkymuni Mohasasan complex lead the prayer cum meditation course.
Special prayers seeking particularly anti militancy and drug, peace and progress of the nation as well as global mankind also offered in all monasteries.To mark the day, a number of Buddhist periodicals will be brought out while local dailies will also publish special articles highlighting significance of the day.
