The Sacred Significance of Vesak Full Moon Poya Day – By Malsha – eLanka Vesak Full Moon Poya Day stands as the holiest and most significant religious observance for Buddhists across the world. This revered day marks several pivotal events in the life of Gautama Buddha—his birth, Enlightenment, and Parinibbana (passing away). Recognizing its profound spiritual importance, the late Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar played a vital role in declaring Vesak as an international religious day, acknowledged by the United Nations. Despite global and local challenges, including international terrorism, Sri Lanka remains steadfast in its commitment to celebrate this spiritually enriching occasion with reverence and devotion. Temangula – The Three Sacred Events The term Temangula in Sinhala combines “Te” (three) and “Mangula” (auspicious events), referring to the triple occurrences on Vesak: The birth of Prince Siddhartha, His attainment of Enlightenment, and His passing into Parinibbana. These three momentous events ...

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Vesak Lanterns – By Anuki De Silva Vesak Full Moon Poya Day is an auspicious day for Buddhists, memorialising the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The day is usually commemorated like other Poya days in the lunar calendar by visiting the temple and even holding festivals with communities, for example the ‘Buddha Birthday Festival’ held annually in South Bank, however due to Government restrictions that are in place at the moment, this year has unfortunately seen a loss of these festivities. ...

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