The Buddhists are set to celebrate their second largest religious festival Prabarana Purnima across the country on Sunday 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.
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.
To mark this event, the Buddhists will release candle-lit air balloons made of coloured paper (fanush) and set free to flow towards the autumnal sky in the evening which is the chief attraction of the festival.
Marking the festival and on the occasion of month long Kathin Chibar Dan (Yellow Robe Offering Ceremony), President M Abdul Hamid greeted the Buddhists.
President Abdul Hamid, in a message, conveyed greetings to the members of the Buddhist community and said Gautom Buddha, throughout his life, preached the eternal message of equality, friendship, compassion, peace and humanity in building a peaceful world.
“Buddha's non-violent words and love of life are still widely admired around the world. His ideal of sacrifice is full of humanity,” the head of the state added.
The President described Bangladesh as a country of communal harmony and urged the people of all communities to play their respective roles to expedite the pace of national development and progress.
Buddhist Religious Welfare Trust Vice Chairman Supta Bhushan Barua told BSS that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion has donated TK 20 million as special grant.
Besides, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has distributed 500 kilograms of rice government enlisted each monastery of the country.
The Purnima will be celebrated in all monasteries, respective offices of the religious organisations and educational institutions through daylong programmes.
The programmes will herald with the hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries at dawn and chanting of the sacred verses from the sacred Tripitaka.
Breaking of fasting of the monks, mass prayers, blood donation, Sangadana, discussions, panchashila, asthashila and pradip puja will be highlighted the programmes.
In the capital Dhaka, the main religious congregations will be held at Dharmarajik Bouddha Bihar, Kamalapur, International Buddhist Monastery at Merul Badda, Kalachandpur Bouddha Bihar, Uttara Bouddha Bihar, Adibashi Bouddha Temple at Mirpur and Ashulia Bodhigyan Maithree Bhabona Kendra.
In Chittagong, the religious congregations will be 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 will also be held in all monasteries seeking peace and prosperity of the nation as well as global peace.
Members of the law enforcement agencies have been deployed in and around all temples in the city and districts for smooth celebration of the festival.
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