Bangladeshi Buddhists Celebrate

Buddha Purnima

This month, on the full moon the Buddhists in Bangladesh will join millions of Buddhists around the world in celebrating the three most important events in the life of their leader, the Lord Buddha. It is the most hallowed of Buddhist festivals. It was on this day that the Buddha was born, the day he died and the day he attained enlightenment or Nirvana. It is the ultimate goal of all Buddhists to attain Nirvana (heaven) after completing many cycles of rebirth.

For the 780,000 Bangladeshi Buddhists, Buddha Purnima is a day to visit temples and offer pujas, as well as a time for social gatherings. Buddhism came to the ancient kingdom now known as Bangladesh with the conversion of the Indian emperor Ashoka in 262 BC. Ashoka travelled the area spreading the teachings of the Buddha. But after his death, his empire declined and Buddhist rulers were replaced by Hindus and finally Muslims. The remaining Buddhists retreated to the Chittagong area, where most of them still live.

In many parts of the country, there are remains of temples and monasteries containing statues and relics. There are also legends and songs relating to the life and teachings of the Buddha. The main Buddhist temple in Dhaka is in Kamalapur, near the main railway station.

Reprinted from WOMUN, Vol.27, Issue 2, May 2002

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