Buddha’s Birthday – Buddha Purnima -Vesak -Stamps of Sri Lanka 2013

Stampdigest wishes all its readers a Happy Buddha Purnima or Vesak on 19 May 2019.

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 the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The full moon is Purnima in Sanskrit and hence Buddha Purnima. It is celebrated in April, May or June based on Gregorian Calendar. In 2019 it is being celebrated on 19th May.

In 2013 Sri Lanka issued a set of four stamps and a miniature sheet to celebrate Vesak. The stamps feature incidents from the life of Young Prince Siddhartha (Gautam Buddha). He goes out of his Palace in a Chariot accompanied by his Charioteer Channa or Chandaka. These are referred to as Four sights which led Buddha to enlightenment.

SL Rupees 4.00 – Prince Siddhartha encountered an Old Man.

SL Rupees 5.00- Prince Siddhartha encountered a Diseased Man

SL Rupees 15.00- Prince Siddhartha encountered a decaying Corpse.

SL Rupees 50.00- Prince Siddharth encountered an Ascetic.