Buddha Jayanti: Celebrating the Buddha's Birthday in His Homeland

The Buddha was born in what is now southern Nepal, and the country takes particular pride in the anniversary. Buddha Jayanti, also called Buddha Purnima and known elsewhere in Asia as Vesak, falls on the full moon of the lunar month of Baisakh, in late April or May. Tradition holds that three events in his life took place on this same full moon in different years: his birth, his enlightenment and his death.

A calm festival

Compared with the noise of Holi or the crowds of Shivaratri, this is a gentle occasion. The emphasis is on prayer, generosity and reflection. Devotees visit shrines, make offerings of flowers, incense and butter lamps, listen to teachings, give to monks and to the poor, and many abstain from meat and alcohol for the day. It is a national public holiday.

Lumbini

The birthplace itself is the focal point. Pilgrims arrive from across Nepal and from Buddhist countries throughout Asia.

• Morning ceremonies take place in the Sacred Garden around the Maya Devi Temple, with monks from many traditions chanting in turn.

• A formal programme is usually attended by national leaders and foreign delegations.

• Processions of monks, nuns and schoolchildren carry flags and images of the Buddha.

• In the evening, thousands of lamps are lit around the temple, the sacred pond and the bodhi tree.

• Monasteries in the international zone hold their own observances and offer food to visitors.

Be aware that late spring on the plains is extremely hot, with daytime temperatures often above forty degrees. Rise early, rest at midday, drink constantly and wear a hat. Accommodation near the site fills well in advance.

Swayambhunath

In Kathmandu, the hilltop stupa of Swayambhunath is the centre of celebrations for the valley's Newar Buddhist community. From before dawn, devotees climb the long eastern stairway to circle the stupa and make offerings. Sacred images and relics normally kept out of sight are put on display, monks and priests conduct rituals through the day, and the whole hill is hung with flags. After dark the dome is outlined with lights and butter lamps.

Arrive early; by mid-morning the stairway is packed.

Boudhanath

The great stupa at Boudha draws the Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist communities. An image of the Buddha is carried in procession around the plaza, sometimes on the back of an elephant or a decorated vehicle, accompanied by monks with horns and drums. Throughout the day, people walk the circuit in huge numbers. At dusk, tables of butter lamps are lit and the stupa is illuminated. The evening here is the most atmospheric moment of the day in the capital.

Patan

The old city of Patan has a strong Buddhist heritage, with dozens of monastery courtyards. On this day, images of the Buddha are brought out for public viewing and carried in procession through the lanes with traditional music. The Golden Temple and the Mahabouddha temple are both worth visiting.

Other places

• Namobuddha, the hilltop monastery south-east of Kathmandu, holds prayers and receives many pilgrims.

• Monasteries in Pokhara, including those in the Tibetan settlements and the World Peace Pagoda, mark the day.

• Mountain communities across the Himalaya, from the Everest region to Mustang, observe it in village monasteries.

How to take part

• Dress modestly, in clothes covering shoulders and knees. Some devotees wear white.

• Walk clockwise around stupas and shrines.

• Light a butter lamp. Stalls at the major sites sell them for a small donation.

• Offer flowers or incense, available from vendors nearby.

• Sweet rice pudding is traditionally prepared and shared, recalling the meal offered to the Buddha before his enlightenment. If someone hands you a bowl, accept it.

• Give something. Donations to monasteries, or to the people who gather outside them asking for alms, are part of the day.

• Keep your voice low and switch your phone to silent inside shrine halls.

• Ask before photographing monks, nuns and people at prayer.

Practicalities

Government offices and banks are closed. Transport runs normally, though roads near the major shrines are congested and partly closed in the morning and evening. In Kathmandu, combine Swayambhunath at dawn with Boudhanath at dusk and rest in between.

The weather in the valley is warm, with a chance of late-afternoon thunderstorms.

Why be there

Nepalis are fond of reminding visitors that the Buddha was born on their soil. On this one day, that pride is expressed not through argument but through lamps, flowers and quiet circuits of a stupa. To walk round Boudhanath under the full moon with thousands of others, each carrying a small flame, is as serene an experience as the country offers.