Buddha Purnima is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha, who is believed to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, as per Vedic literature. Buddha Purnima falls on ‘Purnima’ or full moon night and this year, it will be celebrated on May 16. The Buddha Purnima tithi is from 12.45 pm on May 15 to 9.43 am on May 16.
On Buddha Purnima, the Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya is embellished with decorations and special prayers are held under the Bodhi tree. Many Buddhists go to shrines and spend the day singing hymns and listening to discourses about Lord Buddha’s life, teachings, and values. Flowers and candles are offered to the idol of Buddha.
Gautam Buddha
Buddha’s birth and death dates are unknown. Most historians place his birth between 563 and 483 B.C. Most people believe Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, and died in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, at the age of 80.
Gautam Buddha was a philosopher who achieved enlightenment after 49 days of uninterrupted meditation under the Bodhi (banyan) tree in Bodhgaya, discovering the key to ending ‘suffering’. He claimed that ‘four noble truths’ held the solution.
The Four Noble Truths
They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.