Buddhists celebrate Prabarana Purnima

. BSS, Chittagong
Buddhists here yesterday celebrated their second largest festival Prabarana Purnima, in the city as elsewhere in the district with traditional enthusiasm and due solemnity.
The festival is also known as Ashvini Purnima that marks conclusion of the three months long seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self edification and atonement of their defilement.
The Purnima follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks for the welfare of every beings and whole humankind through a month-long yellow robes offering ceremony that begins from tomorrow.
According to the legend, Buddha once clipped some strands of hair from his head and said that if he were qualified to attain supreme wisdom and enlightenment, the hairs would not fall down but go up instead, in the long run which they did. To mark this event, the Buddhists released candle lit air balloons made of coloured paper and set free to flow towards the sky in the evening which is the chief attraction of the festival.
The Purnima was celebrated in all monasteries, respective offices of the religious organizations and educational institutions through day-long programmes.
The day's programmes heralded with hoisting of the national and religious flags atop all monasteries in the dawn and chanting of the sacred verses from the Tripitaka.
Breaking of fasting of the monks, mass prayer, blood donation, sangadana, discussions, panchashila and pradip puja were other highlights of the programmes.
In the city, the main religious congregations were held at Nandankanan Buddhist temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Shakkymuni Buddha Vihar at Agrabad. Purnachar International Buddhists Monastery at Devpahar and Sarbajanin Bouddha Vihar at Momin road. In Nandankanon Buddhist temple, its chief priest Dr Ganasree Mohathero led the mass congregation while Venerable Pragyanbongsha Mohathero, founder of Shakkymuni Buddha Vihar conducted prayer and part time meditation among the devotees.
To mark the day, local dailies brought out some articles while Chittagong centres of Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television also aired special programme highlighting importance of the festival.
Besides, a number of periodicals were brought out on the occasion.
Special prayers were also held in all monasteries seeking peace and prosperity of the nation as well as global peace.
Members of the law enforcing agencies have been deployed in and around all temples in the city and district.