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Vesak Festival In Sri Lanka

A Vesak lantern vendor waits for customers on a street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 3, 2023. Vesak Day is one of the biggest days of the year and is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world. Buddhists commemorate the important events that took place in the life of Lord Buddha on this day. First comes the birth of Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini, Nepal, which took place under the arbor of Sat trees where queen Mahamaya gave birth to him. The second event was Siddharta Gautam's supreme attainment as the Buddha, the Enlightened One. The third event was Lord Buddha's Parinibbana over 2500 years ago at Kusinagar. Apart from Sri Lanka, many Asian countries, including India, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan, celebrate Vesak. Many religious activities are organized during this period in Sri Lanka, such as Sil campaigns, Bodhi Poojas, Dansalas (freely giving foods, coffee, and tea to people), Vesak devotional songs (Bakthi Gee), pandols (thoran), and lanterns. Many temples get filled with devotees and pilgrims from all over the country to mark this great event. In temples, Buddhists worship, offer flowers, light lamps, and burn incense. These traditional observances, in essence, have their value in satisfying the religious and emotional needs of the people. (Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto)

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