Monday, May 15, 2023

Meak Bochea at Phnom Penh Cambodia(Wat Langka Pagoda)

Cambodia Celebrates Meak Bochea Day

PHNOM PENH: February 16, 2022 marks Meak Bochea Day, otherwise known as 'Magha Puja' or 'Sangha Day' in other parts of the world. This is an important Buddhist festival celebrated in Cambodia and by Buddhists all over the world on the full moon of the third month of the traditional Khmer calendar, to commemorate the day when the Buddha declared the founding of Buddhism in India in 588 BC, just nine months after his enlightenment.

The formation of Buddhism as a religious organization took place among 1,250 monks, all members of a convention that had brought together people from all walks of life. According to traditional Buddhist history, the monks had gathered on this full moon day because it coincided with the day of Shiva in Hinduism. The monks traveled from different locations to see Lord Buddha, with the story being that all 1,250 had arrived separately without a summoning.

Celebrating Meak Bochea Day means that Buddhists:

Visak Bochea Day 2023

Imagine yourself among hundreds of Buddhist monks, carrying bowls of lotus flowers in a holy procession around the city. This is how Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated in Cambodia

Visak Bochea festival commemorates the anniversary of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. You can fully experience the celebration attending the ceremony near Preah Reach Mount (also known as Oudong), around 40 km away from Phnom Penh, where the relics of Buddha. People of all ages walk with candles, incense sticks and lotus flowers in hand. Thousands of lights create mystical atmosphere and unforgettable experience for everyone.

"Visak Bochea Day" is a day to commemorate the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death. It is a day to dedicate to his Dharma principles and adopt them into your everyday lives.This Cambodian public holiday is celebrated on the full moon of the sixth month of the Buddhist lunar calendar, which is usually in May on the Gregorian calendar.