Buddha Purnima, 2022

In news– Every year Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the Baisakh month (April/May) to mark the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha. This year, Buddha Purnima will be celebrated on May 16, 2022.

India’s initiatives on Buddha Purnima –

Prime Minister of India has laid the foundation stone for the construction of a unique centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage within the Lumbini Monastic Zone during his official visit to Nepal’s Lumbini (May 16, 2022) on the occasion of Vaishakha Buddha Purnima.
On the same occasion Union Minister for Tourism, Culture has inaugurated a group of tourist amenities at Kanheri Caves in Maharashtra.

About Buddha Purnima-

Buddha Purnima is also known as Buddha Jayanti, Vesak, Vaishaka and Buddha’s Birthday.
This is believed to be the 2584th Birth Anniversary of Gautama Buddha.
The full moon in May is a more auspicious day for Buddhists because three major events(his Birth, Enlightenment and Death) in the life of the Buddha took place on this day.
In Theravada Buddhism, Buddha Purnima is observed as the day when Buddha, born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563-483 BCE) attained Nirvana (salvation) under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, as well as his death anniversary.
The UN General Assembly, by its resolution 54/115 of 1999 recognized internationally the ‘Day of Vesak’ to acknowledge the contribution of Buddhism to humanity.

A brief history of Gautam Buddha-

Gautam Buddha also called Siddhartha Gautama 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’.
It is believed that Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal in the clan of the Shakya between 563 and 483 B.C, and died in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, at the age of 80.
He left his worldly possessions and princedom at the age of 30 to lead a life searching for the truth, seeking penance in the hopes of liberating himself from suffering (duhkha).
He preached his first sermon on the Four Noble Truths in Sarnath, where the Buddhist sangha or community also came to life.
In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (“The four Arya satyas”) are the truths or realities for the “spiritually worthy ones”. They are:
- The truth of suffering (Dukkha)
- The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya)
- The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha)
- The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga)
His teachings were compiled by the Buddhist community in the Vinaya, his codes for monastic practice, and the Suttas, texts based on his discourses.

Some of the important Buddhist Caves in India-

Kanheri caves-

Kanheri Caves are located deep inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and are one of the major tourist attractions on the outskirts of Mumbai.
Chiselled out of a massive basalt rock outcrop, the cave complex demonstrates Buddhist style of art and architecture.
The caves contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions dating from 1st century CE up to 10th century CE.
Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller Xuanzang is said to have briefly stayed at Kanheri.

Karle caves-

Located in the town of Karli near Lonavala, the Karla/Karle Caves were built between the 2nd century BC and 5th century CE.
The Karla Caves are associated with the Mahasamghika Buddhist sect, and consist of a monastery with two grand pillars, although only one of the pillars are present now.

Ajanta Caves-

Located in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, Ajanta Caves(around 30) date back to the 2nd century BC.
Most of the caves here belong to Buddhism.
These caves are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of a 70-foot (20-metre) ravine in the Wagurna River valley.

Ellora Caves-

The Ellora Caves in Aurangabad District are a UNESCO recognized World Heritage sites.
The caves are home to among the largest monastery temple complexes in the world.
The caves here belong to Buddhism as well as Jain and Hindu artwork.

The Bedse Caves-

These caves lie in the district of Pune and date back to the 1st century BC.
There are two caves here, with a few smaller caves around.
The Chaitya cave consists of a large Stupa, while the other cave is a monastery and residential part of the structure.

Bhaja Caves-

The Bhaja Caves located in Maharashtra were carved out as early as in the 2nd century BC.
Located near the popular hill station of Lonavala, there are 22 caves in this group and parts of the cave temple are a protected National Monument.

Pitalkhora Caves-

The 14 Pitalkhora Caves lie along the Satmala hills of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra, with many of them dating to the 3rd century BC.

Pandavleni Caves-

With a history dating to the 2nd century BC, the Pandavleni Caves are an example of Hinayana Buddhist architecture.
They are also called the Trirashmi Cave, with the name derived from the inscription ‘Tiranhu’ seen in the caves.

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Source: Hindustan Times