Khagrachari, Oct 17 (V7N)- The Buddhist community in Khagrachari celebrated the religious festival of Shubha Prabarana Purnima at the Young Budh Vihar on Thursday morning, marking the conclusion of the three-month monsoon retreat for Buddhist monks, from Asadhi Purnima to Ashwini Purnima .

The festival, which is of great significance to Buddhists, was observed with various religious activities organized by devout Buddhist men and women in different monasteries. The day’s events included prayers, Buddha worship, lighting of lamps, and several forms of donations. Among the offerings made were Panchasheel prayers , Ashta Puriskar , Buddha idol donations, Sangha donations, Kalpatru donations, the lighting of a thousand lamps, and the traditional Cheebar and Pinda donations to monks.

Buddhist monks conducted Panchasila prayers and delivered religious teachings to the community leaders, focusing on the spiritual importance of the Prabarana Purnima. In addition to prayers, discussions were held about the significance of the full moon, with collective prayers offered for the country's progress, prosperity, and world peace.

However, due to ongoing unrest in the hilly regions, some traditional practices associated with the festival, such as illuminating Buddhist viharas, flying lanterns, and floating water lamps in rivers, were not carried out this year.

During the three-month monsoon period leading up to Prabarana Purnima , Buddhist monks focus on self-purification through meditation and spiritual practice. They refrain from spending the night outside their own monasteries and guide lay Buddhists in religious teachings. With the conclusion of this retreat on Ashwini Purnima , the monks’ period of seclusion has come to an end for the year.

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