Buddhists celebrate Prabarana Purnima nationwide with traditional enthusiasm
Prabarana Purnima, the second largest religious festival of the Buddhists, was celebrated in the capital as elsewhere in the country today with due solemnity and traditional enthusiasm.
The festival is also known as Ashwini Purnima that marks conclusion of the three-month-long seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self edification and atonement of their defilement.
Candle-lit colorfully decorated balloons were released to flow towards the autumnal sky in the evening at Buddhist monasteries which is the chief attraction of the festival.
Apart from monasteries, the festival was also celebrated respective offices of the religious organizations and educational institutions through daylong programmes.
The programme heralded with the hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries at dawn and chanting of the verses from the sacred Tripitaka.
Breaking of fasting of the monks, mass prayers, blood donation, Sangadana, discussions, panchashila, asthashila and pradip puja were also held to mark the festival.
In the capital, the main religious congregations took place at Dharmarajik Bouddha Bihar, Kamalapur, International Buddhist Monastery at Merul Badda, Kalachandpur Bouddha Bihar, Uttara Bouddha Bihar, Adibashi Sakkyamuni Bouddha Bihar at Mirpur and Ashulia Bodhigyan Maitri Bhabona Kendra.
A discussion was held on "The Importance of Prabarana in the Light of Human Values" organized by the Bangladesh Buddhist Culture Preaching Association at the Dharmarajik Buddhist Mahavihara in Basabo of the city this evening.
BNP Acting Secretary General and Prime Minister's Political Adviser Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi addressed the event as the chief guest as State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid inaugurated it.
President of the Bangladesh Buddhist Culture Preaching Association and Vice-President of the World Buddhist Fraternity Association (Thailand) Srisaddhammasasanadhvaja Buddhapriya Mahathero presided over the event while Bijan Kanti Sarkar, Chairman of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Welfare Front and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Ethnic Minority Affairs, spoke as the special guest.
In Chattogram, the religious congregations were held at different temples, including Nandankanan Buddhist Temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Bihar, Shakkymuni Mohasashan Bouddha Bihar at Agrabad, Purnachar International Buddhists Monastery at Debpahar and Sarbajanin Bouddha Bihar at Momin road.
Special prayers were also offered in all monasteries seeking peace and prosperity of the nation as well as global peace.
Special security measures were taken in and around all Buddhist temples in the city and districts for smooth celebration of the festival.
The Purnima follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks for the welfare of every beings and the whole humankind through a month-long yellow robes offering ceremony that begins on the day after the Purnima.
According to the legend, Buddha once clipped some strands of hair from his head and said that if he was qualified to attain supreme wisdom and enlightenment, the hairs would not fall down but go up instead, in the long run which they did.
Our Rangamati Correspondent reports: Prabarana Purnima celebrations began early in the morning at different monasteries across the district as a large number of devotees of all ages gathered at the historic Raj Ban Vihara and other Buddhist monasteries in the district, expressing their hope for a harmonious society free from evil, injustice and communalism.
The programme included prayers, Sangha Dana, Ashta Pariskara Dana, the offering of a thousand lamps and Chimitong Puja.
Buddhist devotee men and women also received the Panchasila and Astasila.
Raj Ban Vihara chief monk Shrimat Pragyalankar Mahathero said, "Prabarana means self-reflection, sacrifice and seeking forgiveness. We must remove evil thoughts and communal attitudes from within ourselves and kindle the light of wisdom. On this sacred day, our humble prayer at the feet of the Buddha is for the welfare of all living beings and the maintenance of peace throughout the world."
A local devotee who came to pray at Raj Ban Vihara said, "Prabarana Purnima brings a message of great joy to our lives. We came to the temple today and prayed for world peace. Our wish to the great Buddha is that people of all communities in our hills can live together in peace and harmony."
The day's celebrations concluded in the afternoon with a spectacular display of colourful lanterns released into the sky.
The month-long religious festival of Kathina Chibar Dana will begin at various Buddhist monasteries in the hill districts from the day after Prabarana Purnima.
The festival was celebrated across the country specially in the Buddhists populated areas including Chattogram Hill Tracts, Cox's Bazar, Chattogram and Khulna.
To mark the purnima, special programmes are being aired in Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and other private channels. Special supplements and articles were carried out in national and local dailes.
