‘Vesak’, the Day of the Full Moon is observed in the month of May by the United Nations on 7 May 2020. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and Death of Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, all of which is said to have taken place on the same day.
The birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha is celebrated as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti across the world.
According to the Hindu calendar, the day falls on a full moon day in the month of Vaisakh (April/May). In 2020, the Buddha Purnima is celebrated on 7 May.
In Theravada Buddhism, the day is observed as the day when Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama and attained Nirvana (salvation) under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, Bihar and his death anniversary.
The Vesak full moon day is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar. On this day, several Buddhists go to the pagodas to pour water at the foot of the sacred tree in remembrance of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.
Buddha Purnima is a major festival celebrated with great pomp and fervour in countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka (where it is called Vesak), Burma, Thailand, Tibet, China, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
