Waisak Festival (May 15, 2014): Birth, awakening and death of Buddha

It is at the time of the full moon in May that the most important Buddhist festival in Indonesia takes place each year on the fabulous site of Borobudur, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1991 and its temples secondary neighbors of Mendut and Pawon.

This day is particularly important for practitioners since it celebrates at the same time the birth, awakening and death (para nirvana) in India of Gotama Siddhârtadit the “Buddha”, more than 2500 years ago. It is of course the occasion of a large gathering of monks and believers from the four corners of the archipelago. It is under the immense and majestic banyan tree in front of the Mendut temple (3 km before Borobudur) which houses a magnificent statue of the Buddha seated on a throne, that offerings of fruits, flowers, water and fire are made in front of the statues of the Buddha accompanied by the exhibition of relics, sacred texts bringing together his teachings as well as the multicolored standards of Buddhist flags. The ceremony also includes moments of prayer and meditation and ends with a beautiful procession on foot, by candlelight and in the scent of incense and flowers from the Mendut temple to the stone hill and of mandala-shaped statues from Borobudur.

Most often in the presence of the Indonesian head of state (and sometimes neighboring Buddhist countries), the grand final ceremony at the foot of the Borobudur temple and under the sky lit by the full moon, includes music, dance, prayers and meditation.

An exceptional moment, which makes this magical night in the company of monks and faithful, an unforgettable moment of peace and harmony.

Jean-Pascal Elbaz, Former Director of the French Cultural Center living in Indonesia since 1991.