Buddhists in Bangladesh are celebrating Prabarana Purnima, one of their major religious festivals, on Sunday with prayers, religious rituals and colourful festivities, seeking peace, harmony and universal friendship among all living beings.
The festival marks the end of the three-month-long Buddhist Lent, known as Vassa, observed by Buddhist monks.
On the occasion, Buddhists fly lighted balloons made of thin paper, also called Phanus Baji, in the evening.
When the Buddha renounced the world, he cut his hair and threw it into the air, saying: "If my aim and mission of renunciation are fruitful, this tress of hair will go upwards, and if my object and ambition become fruitless, it will fall on the ground."
Buddhists believe that the tress of hair went flying into the sky according to the will of Gautama Buddha. Launching the sky lanterns is a symbol and commemoration of Gautama's emphatic prediction.
Also known as Ashwini Purnima, the festival marks the end of the three-month seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self-edification and atonement of their defilement.
The festival follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks for the welfare of every being and whole humankind.
UNB Rangamati correspondent reports: The Buddhist community in Rangamati is celebrating Prabarana Purnima with religious fervour.
From the morning, thousands of devotees of all ages gathered at the historic Rajban Bihar and other Buddhist monasteries across the district to offer prayers and participate in religious rituals, expressing hope for a society free from evil, injustice and communal discord.
On the occasion, devotees took part in various religious activities on the Bihar premises, including Buddha statue offerings, Sangha Dana, Ashta Pariskara Dana, the offering of a thousand lamps and Chimitong Puja. Many Buddhist devotees also observed the Five Precepts and the Eight Precepts.
The festival drew thousands of devotees, many of whom expressed enthusiasm and joy at being able to participate in the celebrations.
The local administration and law enforcement agencies took coordinated security measures to ensure peaceful celebrations.
Additional police personnel were deployed at important Buddhist monasteries across the district to maintain law and order and allow devotees to perform religious rituals without disruption, a local law enforcement official said.
The day's celebrations will conclude in the afternoon with the spectacular release of colourful sky lanterns.
Following Prabarana Purnima, the month-long religious festival of Kathin Chibar Dan, involving the offering of robes to Buddhist monks, is set to begin at Buddhist monasteries across the Chittagong Hill Tracts from Monday, reports UNB.