VISAKHA BUCHA (Vesak) means the worship of the Buddha on the full moon day of the sixth lunar month. It usually falls in May. In the case of a year with an extra eighth lunar month–Adhikamasa (there are 13 full moons in that year)– the Visakha Bucha Day falls on the full moon day of the seventh lunar month
This is one of the most important days in Buddhism as it marks the three most important transitions in the life of Buddha: his birth, his enlightenment and his eventual death, all of which magically fall on the same month and date, during the Vesak full moon.
This is one of the most festive events in Phuket, and a number of the hotels in Phuket during the festival will be filled with large number of visitors flocking to the island to take part in the ceremonies. Participants will be leaving flowers, incense, and a variety of other gifts at the various temples throughout the city as they pay their respects to their spiritual leader, the great Buddha.
The exact date of Visakha varies year-to-year based upon the lunar calendar that is used in different traditions, usually falling on the full moon of the fifth or sixth lunar month, which in the case of 2010 is May 29th.
Residents and visitors throughout Phuket will be celebrating the enlightenment and remembering the passing away of Buddha, and with Thailand in particular the festival celebration’s history goes back 700 years, making this one of the oldest traditions that people regularly participate in.
Everyone in Phuket during this festival will visit the city temples and bring gifts to place at the various shrines, transforming Phuket into a religious hub for the entire event.
Source : http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
