Varanasi: The city celebrated Buddha Purnima with religious fervour on Friday. A series of programmes were organised in Sarnath, the place where Buddha preached his first sermons, and Ramnagar. A huge number of devotees thronged the ghats along the Ganga on Friday morning and took holy baths in the Ganga. The devotees had started thronging the ghats since early morning hours. Many religious rituals were also performed by the people on the occasion.
A two-day Buddha Mahotsav, organised by the UP Tourism, commenced on Friday to celebrate the festival. The mahotsava will conclude with a seminar on Saturday. At Sarnath, the celebrations of Buddha Purnima commenced with a Dhamm Chetana Yatra which was taken out in the morning.
The day is celebrated to mark the birth, enlightenment and salvation of Lord Buddha on the full moon day of the Hindu month Vaisakh. Several religious programmes are organised at Buddhust temples and sites on the day. A large number of devotees reached Mulagandha Kuty Vihara to offer prayers on the occasion. A day-long celebrations including special prayers, yatras and other events were held in the city. The school children and Buddhists carried out a Dhamm Chetana Yatra in Sarnath in the morning. Later, in the evening Dhammek Stupa was beautifully illuminated with earthen lamps.
The religious activities like administration of Ashtangsheel and offerings to Buddha, were organised by the Maha Bodhi Society of India at Mulagandha Kuty Vihara. In the evening, the Mulagandha Kuty Vihara and Bodhi Tree Complex were illuminated with lamps. It was followed by the recitation of Dhammachakka Pavattana Sutta.
Meanwhile, a photo exhibition featuring prominent Buddhist sites was organised by the cultural department at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Museum, Ramnagar. A lecture on ‘Buddhacharit: Ek Punarawalokan’ was also delivered by Arpita Chatterjee of Banaras Hindu University on the occasion.