Peace on devotees' lips on Buddha Purnima

GUWAHATI: Tshering Ongchuk, a young man from Sikkim and currently based in Guwahati, braved pangs of homesickness as he observed Buddha Purnima on Wednesday.
Away from his hometown Gangtok, he fondly recalled how he would celebrate the day, one of the most important for Buddhists, back home.
"I woke up in the morning, offered prayers to Lord Buddha and spent time chanting and meditating.Today, I will follow a vegetarian diet. I am missing the celebrations back home. In Sikkim, we begin the day by visiting a monastery and inviting monks home for prayers. We return to the monastery to meditate, chant and participate in a procession," he reminisced.
The 2,576th birth anniversary of the Buddha was celebrated in both upper and lower Assam on Wednesday. The day, also known as Buddha Jayanti, marks not only his birth, but also his enlightenment. Believed to have been born into a royal kshatriya family in Lumbini, Nepal, on the occasion of the full moon in the month of Vaishakha, Gautam Buddha renounced worldly comfort and pleasure to lead the life of a 'bhikshu'. He is believed to have studied under various gurus before finally gaining enlightenment.
Theatre activist and television actress Antara G G Choudhury explained the significance of the day. "In Buddhism, the message of peace and harmony is dominant. Contemporary society needs both as life gets stressful each day," she said.
In Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, communities like Singpho, Khamti and Tai Phake follow Buddhism. Members of these communities visited Buddhist temples across the state to make offerings to monks and the poor.
College student Derin Boro recalled her experience at a monastery in Ledo a year ago. "I was in upper Assam last year and visited a Buddhist temple in Ledo on Buddha Purnima with some of my Buddhist friends. It was a lovely experience. I am not a Buddhist but I believe in its philosophy as it promotes harmony. I have lit an earthen lamp in honour of the Buddha today," she summed up.