Sarnath attracts over a lakh pilgrims on Buddha Purnima

Lucknow: More than one lakh devotees from India and abroad gathered in Sarnath on Friday to attend the Buddha Purnima ceremony. Marking Lord Buddha’s 2570th birth anniversary with prayers, spiritual discourses and cultural activities the pilgrims reinforced UP’s growing stature as a major global Buddhist tourism destination, an official spokesperson said.

The celebrations were jointly organised by the International Buddhist Research Institute, Lucknow, the Mahabodhi Society of India and the Indo-Sri Lanka Jambudweep Buddha Vihar. Devotees queued in large numbers at Mulagandha Kuti Vihar for darshan of Lord Buddha’s sacred relics, making it one of Sarnath’s largest annual spiritual congregations.

The event also featured essay, painting and drawing competitions themed ‘Tathagata Buddha for World Peace’, with participation from over 200 students from various schools. Winners were felicitated, while all participants received certificates.

Dhamma discourses, Vipassana meditation sessions and public dialogues formed a major part of the celebrations, with speakers emphasising the enduring relevance of Buddha’s teachings of peace, compassion and coexistence in contemporary times.

Tourism and culture minister, Jaiveer Singh said Buddha Purnima commemorates Buddha’s birth at Lumbini, enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar. He said that Buddha’s teachings continue to guide humanity towards harmony and non-violence.

Officials said the scale of the celebrations reflected UP’s expanding role in promoting Buddhist heritage tourism, particularly through globally significant pilgrimage centres such as Sarnath and Kushinagar, while also helping connect younger generations to Lord Buddha’s timeless spiritual legacy.
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