Buddha’s Birthday – Buddha Purnima -Vesak
Stampdigest wishes all its readers a Happy Buddha Purnima or Vesak on 29th and 30th April.
Gautam Buddha’s Birthday is a holiday traditionally celebrated in East ,South and South East Asia. It is based on Asian Lunisolar Calendars and is primarily celebrated in Baisakh month of Buddhist Calendar and Bikram Samvat of Hindu Calendar and that is why called Vesak. It also falls on full moon Uposotha day in 5th or 6th Lunar Month. It is also celebrated on eighth day of fourth month in Chinese Lunar Calendar. Full moon is Purnima in Sanskrit and hence Buddha Purnima. It is celebrated in April,May orJune based on Gregorian Calendar. In 2018 it is being celebrated on 30th April.
Gautama was born in Lumbini in Nepal in 563 BC, attained Nirvana at Bodhgaya India and gave his first sermon at Sarnath India.
Nepal – Nepal issued a set of five stamps on world Heritage Site -Birth Place of Buddha -Lumbini in Nepal on 14 Sep 2009.
Bhutan – eight Auspicoius symbols of Buddhism
Bhutan issued a miniature sheet on 16 April 2016 depicting the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism.
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