Hindu · 20 May 2027
Buddha Purnima
बुद्ध पूर्णिमा
The birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha — all on Vaishakha Purnima.
Why it is celebrated
Buddhists hold that Siddhartha Gautama was born, attained enlightenment and passed into parinirvana on the full moon of Vaishakha.
The story behind it
Prince Siddhartha was born in Lumbini to King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya. Moved by the sight of old age, sickness and death, he left the palace to find the end of suffering. After years of searching he sat under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya and, on a full-moon night, became the Buddha — “the awakened one”. He taught the middle path for 45 years and passed away at Kushinagar, again on this full moon. Hindus also honour him as an avatar of Vishnu.
How to celebrate
- Visit a vihara or Bodh Gaya, Sarnath or Kushinagar
- Offer flowers, lamps and incense before the Buddha
- Keep the five precepts and eat simple vegetarian food
- Give kheer or food to the needy, as Sujata once fed the Buddha
More from this calendar
Chaitra Navratri begins · Gudi Padwa · UgadiRam NavamiHanuman JayantiAkshaya TritiyaJagannath Rath YatraGuru PurnimaHariyali TeejNag PanchamiRaksha BandhanKrishna JanmashtamiHartalika TeejGanesh ChaturthiAnant ChaturdashiPitru Paksha beginsMahalaya Amavasya (Sarva Pitru)Sharad Navratri beginsDurga AshtamiMaha NavamiDussehra (Vijayadashami)Sharad PurnimaKarwa ChauthAhoi AshtamiDhanterasNarak Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali)Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)Govardhan PujaBhai DoojChhath PujaDevuthani EkadashiKartik Purnima · Dev DeepawaliVivah PanchamiGita JayantiVasant PanchamiMaha ShivaratriHolika DahanHoliLohriMakar Sankranti · Pongal · UttarayanMesha Sankranti · Baisakhi · VishuEkadashiPradosh VratVinayaka ChaturthiSankashti ChaturthiMasik ShivaratriPurnimaAmavasyaSankranti
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