BSS, Chittagong :
Buddhists in the city and district here celebrated Ashari Purnima on Friday with solemn devotion and traditional enthusiasm.
Ashari Purnima was celebrated by the members of the Buddhist community to commemorate three significant incidences of Buddha’s life which took place on this 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 in quest of eternal truth.
On this day Siddharta Goutom after attaining supreme enlightenment as Buddha preached his first sermon among his five disciples at Banarash of India .
The monks will go for three months long seclusion inside their monasteries for atonement of their defilement from today till another festival Prabarana Purnima .
In commemorating those events, the Buddhists all over the world have been observing the rites and rituals on the same day for ages.
The festivals on the occasion of full moon are universally observed by the Buddhists.
The festival was celebrated in all monasteries through a day-long programmes. The day’s programme was heralded with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries and chanting of the sacred verses from the Tripitaka.
In the city, the main congregations was 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 conducted the mass prayer while Venerable Pragnyabangsha Mohathera, founder of the Mughaltoli Shakkymuni Mohasasan complex led the prayer cum meditation .
Special prayers seeking peace and progress of the nation as well as global mankind were also held in all monasteries.
