New Delhi: Buddha Purnima was observed today, May 12, 2025, in India and other parts of the world. The day marks the birth of Lord Buddha, and it is also observed that on this day, he attained Nirvana under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya. Buddhists and Hindus celebrate this day, a major festival in India, Nepal, Thailand, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the full moon of Vaishakha and marks the 2587th anniversary of Buddha’s birth. In this article, let us look at mesmerising pictures of how Buddha Purnima was observed in India.
A monk covers a statue of Lord Buddha with an umbrella amid rains on Buddha Purnima in Agartala (Photo credit: PTI)
A monk carries a statue of Lord Buddha (Photo credit: PTI)
People from the Buddhist community offer prayers to Lord Buddha on the occasion of Buddha Purnima in Mumbai (Photo credit: PTI)
Buddhist monks perform rituals during Buddha Purnima celebrations in Thane (Photo credit: PTI)
Buddhist monks attend a prayer at Maha Bodhi Society in Bengaluru (Photo credit: PTI)
Devotees gather to take a holy dip in the Ganga river at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar (Photo credit: PTI)
Devotees pray after taking a holy dip at the Sangam in Prayagraj (Photo credit: PTI)
Devotees have a glimpse of a relic of Lord Buddha at the Mahabodhi Society Temple in Kolkata (Photo credit: PTI)
People from the Buddhist community offer prayers to Lord Buddha on the occasion of Buddha Purnima in Chikkamagaluru (Photo credit: PTI)
People perform rituals on the occasion of Buddha Purnima in Ranchi (Photo credit: PTI)
Buddhist monks participate in a prayer during Buddha Purnima celebration (Photo credit: PTI)
Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha, was a wandering teacher and religious leader who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE. He founded Buddhism. According to legends, he was born in Lumbini, in present-day Nepal, to royal parents from the Shakya clan. He left his home to become an ascetic and sought a deeper understanding of life. After years of living simply, practising meditation, and seeking wisdom, he attained Nirvana at Bodh Gaya in what is now India. The Buddha then travelled through the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain, teaching others and establishing a community of monks. Tradition says he died in Kushinagar and experienced parinirvana, which means he was fully released from suffering.
The Buddha taught a Middle Way between excessive pleasure and rigid self-denial. This path leads to freedom from ignorance, desire, rebirth, and suffering. His main teachings include the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. This path guides people on how to train their minds through ethical behaviour, kindness, and meditation practices like mindfulness and focus. He also discussed concepts like the five skandhas and dependent origination, which explain how everything exists about other things and has no independent existence.
In the Nikayas, he often referred to himself as the Tathagata, but the term Buddha, meaning ‘Awakened One’ or ‘Enlightened One’, was first used in the 3rd century BCE. His followers recorded his teachings in the Vinaya, which includes rules for monks, and the Sutta Piṭaka, which holds his discourses. These teachings were passed down orally in Middle Indo-Aryan languages. Later generations wrote additional texts, such as detailed treatises called Abhidharma, biographies of the Buddha, stories of his past lives known as Jataka tales, and later teachings known as the Mahayana sutras.
Buddhism developed into different traditions, such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, and spread beyond India. While it declined in India by the 8th century CE due to reduced support, it became more widespread in Southeast and East Asia.
