Buddh Purnima (7th May)

The Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama in 544 BC, to King Shuddhodhana and Queen Mayadevi, rulers of Lumbini, Nepal. According to legend, Siddhartha's wife Yashodhara, his charioteer Channa, his disciple Ananda and his horse Kantaka were also born on Buddha Purnima day.

Rituals Buddhist rituals for celebrating the three-in-one occasion are naturally elaborate. The day falls in the Vaishaka month of the Indian calendar. For the Tibetans, it is the full moon day in the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar. Prayers, sermons and non-stop recitations of Buddhist scriptures resonate in monasteries, religious halls and homes. In monasteries in Sikkim, monks hold day-long readings of the scriptures before the Buddha's statue.

The lay people listen to these recitals, and also give gifts to the monks and the statue. The statue of Buddha, in fact, receives special attention everywhere, with people offering it incense, flowers, candles and fruits. The peepal tree - called the Bodhi tree for its part in Buddha's enlightenment - also receives a fair share of garlands and coloured flags adorn it. People also sprinkle milk and scented waters on its roots and light rows of lamps around it.