Vesak Festival
Sri Lanka - Colombo - Negombo - Dambulla - Kandy
Vesak Festival is celebrated with great fervor and reverence by the Buddhists throughout the world. It is celebrated on a full moon day and this day has great significance to the practicing Buddhists wherever they are in the world. Vesak Festival marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing Away of Lord Buddha. In Sri Lanka, all the Buddhist houses are illuminated and decorated with Vesak lanterns and electric lamps. To commemorate the event, colorful pandals with thousands of electric jets throwing dazzling color designs are found.
Vesak Festival has pious Buddhists and followers of Buddhism taking part in their various temples before dawn for the traditional hoisting of Buddhist flag and singing of hymns in praise of The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. Devotees bring offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their revered teacher who has many centuries ago shown the world how to manage pain and suffering, which are inevitable in human life. These are mainly symbolic offerings. And the symbolism is so sublime, it reminds the followers that just as the homage flowers would wither away after a short while and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, life is also subject to decay and destruction. It is to be remembered that killing of any sort should be refrained from. On Vesak Day vegetarian food is taken.
Vesak Festival has pious Buddhists and followers of Buddhism taking part in their various temples before dawn for the traditional hoisting of Buddhist flag and singing of hymns in praise of The Buddha, The Dharma, and The Sangha. Devotees bring offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their revered teacher who has many centuries ago shown the world how to manage pain and suffering, which are inevitable in human life. These are mainly symbolic offerings. And the symbolism is so sublime, it reminds the followers that just as the homage flowers would wither away after a short while and the candles and joss-sticks would soon burn out, life is also subject to decay and destruction. It is to be remembered that killing of any sort should be refrained from. On Vesak Day vegetarian food is taken.
Sri Lanka celebrated Vesak Festival for two days. All liquor shops and slaughter houses are closed by government decree for these two days. As a symbolic act of liberation birds, insects and animals are released in huge numbers. Many devout Buddhists wear simple white dresses on Vesak Day and spend the whole day in temples with renewed determination to observe the observance of the Eight Precepts of Buddhism. Vesak celebration also means making special efforts to bring happiness to the people in more straightened circumstances.
