Indonesia Vesak Festival 2017

Thousands of Buddhists from Indonesia and around the world will gather at the splendid temple of Borobudur in Central Java to celebrate Vesak festivalfrom the 9^th to the 11^th of May this year. This three-day festival commemorates the Tri Suci Waisak that is the three most important events in Buddhas lifehis birth, his enlightenment(nirvana) and his death(pariniravana).

The ceremony will begin onMay 9, 2017the with prayers at the Menduttemple from where pilgrims will walk together to the Borobodur temple carrying the flame of eternal fire, the holy water and Buddhist symbols that have been carefully guarded in the Mendut temple. These will then be placed on the main altar which is set up on the west side of the Borobudur temple.

On May 11, which is a full-moon day, the main Vesak ritual will take place at the Vihara Githa. An important part of this ritual is the lighting of candles and chanting of the Ghata Visaka Puja by the congregation. Towards the end of the festival some 1,000 Puja lanterns will bereleased into the sky symbolising enlightenment for the entire universe.