The Crime Desk: Today Tuesday (September 17) is Madhu Purnima. Members of the Buddhist community will celebrate one of their major religious festivals, ‘Madhu Purnima,’ with deep devotion and traditional fervor.
Buddhists in the country, especially in Dhaka, Chittagong, and the three hill districts, celebrate the full moon day of September as the Madhu Purnima festival or the Madhu-Argha festival.
According to Buddhist mythology, Gautama Buddha used to collect fruits and give them to the Buddha every day during the rainy season in the Parileya forest. Seeing this service, even a monkey in the forest wanted to worship the Buddha. On Bhadra Purnima, he collects a beehive and donates it to Buddha. Buddha did not drink honey at first because there were bee chicks and eggs in the hive.
When the monkey realized this, he took the beehive and cleaned the chicks and eggs and again gave them to the Buddha; this time the Buddha drank the honey. Seeing that the monkey was drinking honey, he jumped from branch to branch with joy. Suddenly, due to carelessness, the branch of the tree broke, and the monkey fell to the ground, was injured at the base of the tree, and died.
This day is a memorable and joyous auspicious day for Buddhists because of the Buddha’s service to the elephants in the Parileya Forest and the offering of honey by the monkeys.
The program of the day includes early Tripitaka reading, collective Buddha Vandana, hoisting of flags of national, religious, and individual organizations, Buddha Puja, receiving Panchsheel and Shila, pindaan of Bhikshu Sangha, lunch of Shila holders, discussion on the significance of Madhu Purnima, lighting decoration, Buddha Kirtan, evening lamp pooja, and collective prayer for the peace and prosperity of the country and the welfare of the living world.
Major religious events will be held at other Buddhist temples in the city, including Kamalapur Dharmarajik Buddhist Vihar in the capital, International Buddhist Vihar in Badda, Ashulia Vidarshan Bhavana Kendra in Savar, and Adivasi Buddhist Temple in Mirpur. Apart from this, Nandankanan Buddhist Temple in Chittagong, Katalganj Navpandit Vihar, Purnachar International Buddhist Vihar in Devpahar, Mogultuli cremation ground Shakyamuni Vihar, Agrabad, and Chandgaon Vishwamaitri Vihar. Special prayers will be offered in all the monasteries for continued peace and progress of the country, nation, and the whole world.
