CHATTOGRAM, Oct 16, 2024 (BSS)- Probarona Purnima, the second largest
festival of the Buddhists, is being celebrated in the city as elsewhere in
the district today with traditional enthusiasm and due solemnity.

The festival is also known as Ashvini Purnima that marks conclusion of the
three months long seclusion of the monks inside their monasteries for self
edification and atonement of their defilement.

The Purnima follows a month-long preaching of sermons by the Buddhist monks
for the welfare of every being and whole humankind through yellow robes
offering ceremony that begins today.

According to the legend, Buddha once clipped some strands of hair from his
head and said that if he were qualified to attain supreme wisdom and
enlightenment, the hairs would not fall down but go up instead, which they
did.

To mark this event, the Buddhists from all monasteries sent up lighted
balloons made of coloured paper and set them free to flow towards the sky in
the evening as a symbol of lighting up the sky which was the chief attraction
of the festival.

The Purnima was celebrated in all monasteries, respective offices of the
religious organizations and educational institutions through daylong
programmes.

The day's programmes heralded with hoisting of the national and religious
flags atop of all monasteries in the dawn and chanting of the sacred verses
from the Tripitaka.

Mass prayers, blood donation, sangadana, discussions, panchashila and pradip
puja were other highlights of the programmes.

In the port city, the main religious congregations was held at Nandankanan
Buddhist temple, Katalganj Nabapandit Vihar, Purnachar International
Buddhists Monastery at Devpahar, Mugholtuli Shakkyamuni Swashan Vihar at
Agrabad, Sarbajanin (universal) Bouddha Vihar at Momin road and Biswamoitry
Buddha Vihar at Agrabad.

To mark the day, local dailies brought out some articles while Bangladesh
Betar and Bangladesh Television aired special programmes highlighting the
importance of the festival.