Buddhist monks take part in Thai New Year festival

Gaya: Thailand’s New Year festival, Songkran, was celebrated with traditional rituals under the sacred Bodhi tree at Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodh Gaya on Monday. A grand procession, featuring a flower-decorated Buddha statue, was taken out from the Royal Thai Monastery in Bodh Gaya to the Mahabodhi Mahavihara on the occasion.To mark the auspicious festival, a ceremonial offering of water to Lord Buddha—symbolising purification and blessings—was performed beneath the Bodhi tree. Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) member secretary Mahashweta Maharathi led the programme.Mahavihara chief monk Bhikkhu Chalinda, along with other resident monks, the abbot of the Royal Thai Monastery and monks from monasteries of various Buddhist countries in Bodh Gaya, attended the programme. A large number of Thai monks and nuns were also present.The celebrations highlighted the cultural and spiritual ties between India and Thailand, with Bodh Gaya continuing to serve as a focal point of global Buddhist traditions.