Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), established in 1986, is promoting and gradually reviving ancient buddhist festivals in Lumbini. The events in Lumbini celebrated annually can be tracked through the Trust’s calendar.
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A guide to celebrating festivals and events in Lumbini is written for guiding Buddhist pilgrims, peace lovers, visitors and parties wishing to conduct events.
What are major festivals in Lumbini?
Eclectic amalgamation of various religions has blessed Nepal with different kinds of festivals, festivals of all major religions especially Hindus and Buddhists are celebrated in premises of Nepal. For purposes of aspiring travellers willing to join Buddhist festivities, only major Buddhist festivals and events in Lumbini are explained.
1. Nava Barsha/New Year: Official new year in Nepal is celebrated to mark the arrival of Baiskaha 1st of the Bikram Samabat calendar. It often falls in mid April of the Gregorian calendar. Festival is celebrated throughout the country – Mayadevi temple in Lumbini, a temple dedicated to Buddha’s birthplace, is decorated with lights and ornaments for a grand pooja to commemorate the start of New year.
2. Buddha Jayanti: Buddha Jayanti festival in Nepal is a major festival in Nepali calendar. Birth enlightenment and death anniversary of “Siddhartha Gautama” or “Buddha”, progenitor of Buddhism is marked with prayers, pujas, chant, decorums, meditation and several festive events within the Lumbini Premises. The two day Buddha n Lumbini is laced in international and local presence of thousands of pilgrims. Homage to Budhha and his mother is paid in Mayadevi temple with decorations of light and flowers. On the first day of Purnima (first full moon day of the month), devotees offer prayers and eat kheer (a sweet rice dish) during the day. A gathering is held on premise with nuns, monks, philosophers, national and international dignitaries during the day which is ended with a paritran (buddhist prayer) chants in the night. On the second day, a procession of various kinds take place in Lumbini and surrounding areas. Festivities end with lamp offerings at the mayadevi temple during night.
3. Sakya Monlam: A ten day long recitation for world peace and improvement of lives of sentient beings is conducted every fall, between November and December. A mass peace prayer of 100,000 recitation is conducted by a gathering of over 4000 nuns and is performed. Along with peace prayer of Noble deeds of venerated monk Samantabhadra, Manjushree Naamsangit and Arahat ritual is recited to celebrate the festival.
4. Lhosar: Lhosar marks the new year for various himalayan ethnic communities inhabiting Nepal. Nepal celebrates three Lhosars, Gyalpo, Sonam and Tamu Lhosar. People from respective communities prepare meals, gather with families and visit monasteries and Lumbini to offer prayers and receive blessings from Lamas, Monks and Nuns. Lumbini’s Monasteries are decorated and its gates are opened to visitors on occasion of Lhosar festival in Nepal.
5. Chaite Purnima: Chaitra Purnima, first full moon of Chaitra (last month of Nepal’s calendar) is a Hindu festival celebrated in Buddhist courtyard of Lumbini. Maya devi temple is decorated for Hindu visitors from Nepal and India. Devotees offer prayers to Lumbini Mai or Mayadevi (Buddha’s mother) with hymn chants, flowers, yellow powdered colours, camphor and hair of small children or hats. Devotees believe Chaite purnima celebration in Lumbini brings good health to their infants and young children.
6. Other Festivals: Various Buddhist festivals celebrated under traditions of five different sects of Buddhism and international buddhist regional festivals pertaining to monks’ home country are celebrated in Lumbini. Lumbini houses dedicated monasteries and courtyards for Sri Lankan, Thai, Cambodian, Burmese, Japanese, Chinese and other national monasteries – who commemorate Buddhist festivals and events in cooperation with LDT throughout the year.
Events in Lumbini
Events are conducted with equal joy and enthusiasm in parallel to Festivals in Lumbini. Lumbini hosts an array of events for international promotion, peace and unity within and outside its corridors.
1. Lumbini Peace Marathon: Athletes, fitness enthusiasts, locals, Buddhists around the world, international and national marathon runners gather annually in March for a Marathon dedicated towards world peace. 5, 21 and 42 Kilometres marathon events are conducted simultaneously in the marathon.
2. Lumbini Peace Festival: Lumbini Peace Festival, an annual endeavour of LDT, is a grand event for global peace. The event comprises a peace marathon, musical festival and a mass meditation in Mayadevi Gardens of Lumbini. The meditation festival is performed by a gathering of 500 practitioners (includes 100 monks).
What kind of Events can organisers conduct?
This brings to the end of A guide to celebrating festivals and events in Lumbini. Visitors are requested to check in with LDT’s official calendar and calendars of individual monasteries to book their travel dates for aforementioned festivals.
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