Buddha’s birthday has been celebrated all week in most pagodas of Hanoi, but many Buddhist followers made a point of admonishing themselves to do good things by visiting pagodas again on May 28 (April 15 on the lunar calendar).
A grand ceremony was organised in the morning at the Hanoi Cultural Friendship Palace with a variety of activities: a procession of Buddha images and Buddha Blood relics from Quan Su pagoda to the Palace and a prayer to celebrate the day.
Buddha’s birthday is a grand annual holiday and an important religious event of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) at both central and local levels.
The celebration started with the Buddha Bath ceremony in which people sprinkled the Buddha statue with fragrant perfume.
The Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Deputy General Secretary of the VBS Executive Council, said the Buddha Bath is a very important element of Buddha’s Birthday. While bathing the Buddha Statue, people must put their mind at ease.
The Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang told the gathering that the VBS has obtained significant achievements thanks to the support of state agencies. He said the VBS will continue to uphold its tradition of defending Buddhist law and socialism.
Here are some photos :
Source : http://english.vovnews.vn
