ZCZC
BSS-34
PURNIMA- BUDDHISTS
Ctg Buddhists celebrate Ashari Purnima
CHATTOGRAM , July 27, 2018 (BSS) – Buddhists in the city and district here
today celebrated one of their major religious festivals Ashari Purnima with
solemn devotion and traditional enthusiasm.
Ashari Purnima is celebrated by the members of the Buddhist community
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 years old in
quest of eternal truth.
The festival is mostly important that Siddharta Goutom after attaining
supreme enlightenment in six years rigorous meditation 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.
Commemorating those events, the Buddhists all over the world have been
observing the festival on the same day for ages.
The festival was celebrated in all monasteries through daylong 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,
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 were 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 conducted the mass prayer while Venerable Tilokabangsha Thero
Director of the Mughaltoli Shakkymuni Mohasasan complex led the prayer cum
meditation course.
Special prayers seeking particularly anti militancy and drug, peace and
progress of the nation as well as global mankind were also offered in all
monasteries.
To mark the day, a number of Buddhist periodicals were published while
local dailies also brought out special articles highlighting significance of
the day.
BSS/SKB/BZC/1900HRS