Lantern Release Performance

  Vesak Day ceremony in Borobodur Temple, Java, Indonesia last month. Hopefuly someday, I can have a chance to explain what was the show about. 

VESAK DAY 2016 at INDONESIA-JOJAR

 Vesak Day is a special ritual day that every Buddhist around the world celebrate to commemorate the birth, the enlightenment (nirvana) and the death (parinnirvana) of Buddha. Vesak happens on the full moon day of May each year according to Buddhist calendar when every Buddhism followers come together in the Buddhist temples to reflect the message of Buddha, and perform Pradaksina. 

     In Indonesia, the Vesak day celebration have never been apart from Borobudur, the world’s biggest Buddhist temple. Each year, there are thousands of Buddhist monks and followers come to Borobudur to celebrate Vesak Day. But this year, 2016, the Vesak day in Borobudur is very special unlike other previous years because this is the first time that Indonesia invited hundreds of monks from many countries including ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand to join the ceremony.

      In the afternoon of May 21^st 2016 was the start of the Vesak day when thousands of monks and Buddhist performed three hours procession from Mendut Temple to Borobudur temple where Vesak celebrated. After arrival, the monks and thousands of participants regardless their religion joint Vesak Dharma Santi ceremony attended by the vice President of Indonesia and enjoyed a very wonderful show,  “Journey of Buddha’’. After that, there was Lantern Release ceremony at 10pm that everyone participated and released the lanterns under the full moon shine. The celebration followed by the Pradaksina around Borobudur temple at 2am, Meditation at 4am of Sunday May 22^nd and finished with Namaskara and Lantern Release at 5:30 in the morning of May 22^nd 2016.   

    Vesak celebration in Borobudur is not just for Buddhists but for everyone who would love to join. Visitor can take the chance to experience the whole Vesak ritual ceremony overnight, especially the lanterns release, and observe the beauty of Borobudur temple during the very special full moon night and during the sun rise. You will never regret but thankful for such amazing experience in Indonesia. So grab the chance and join Vesak next year. -Vandara SIN

 

Contact:

Cultural & Tourism Office Central Java

Jl. Pemuda 136 Semarang, Central Java

Tel: +62243546001, +62243557647

Fax: +62243557119

Email: tourism@central-java-tourism.com

Website: www.central-java-tourism.com

Candi Mendut or Mendut Temple

Borobudur Temple

Do you know that Indonesia which is the country that holds the biggest Muslim population in the world is also the home of the biggest Buddhist Temple in the world, known as “Borobudur”.

 This amazing spiritual Mahayana Buddhist temple is located in Magelang, the central part of Java Island, and it was built in the late 8th century and finished in the 9th during King Syailendra Dynasty. The temple was one of the treasures of UNESCO world heritage. 

 

This Javanese’s priceless treasure was built to represent the nirvana of Buddha. There are six square terraces and three top round tiers. The fine low relief showing the story of Buddha was decorated on the wall of each terrace, plus there are also Buddha’s statues with different positions that represent the message of Buddha on each terrace as well. On the top tiers are 72 stupas containing Buddha’s statues inside surround the main big stupas in the middle. The main stupa has no Buddha statue inside, and it was believed to represent the nirvana. Altogether, there are 504 Buddha’s statues on the temple.

This spiritual tranquility temple is a place for pilgrimage, praying, and meditation that Buddhist around the world should experience. These activities demand no distraction; hence, the visit time is arranged separately from one who come for Buddhism practice and one who come for tourism purpose.

Golden sky combining with the picture of the green volcano in the fog during the dawn pushes the heart of one who is experiencing the sunrise moment on the top of the temple to fall into Borobudur even more. In addition to the beauty of the amazing temple, the natural park with big trees surrounding the temple is also a green heaven of Java where people can enjoy walking down from the temple and feel the clean fresh air.  Besides observing the temple and the park, visitors can also go to the museum that located in there or buying souvenirs from local sellers as well. The price in the tourist area such Borobudur is really reasonable; however, you will need to bargain hard.

Visiting Borobudur temple, watching the sunrise, and walking around the park is such an amazing time, yet it is not the best experience; there is one more special thing. Buddhist’s Vesak ceremony that happens in May each year in Borobudur is the best moment that not only Buddhists but every visitor should join. Guarantee! Everyone will forget the heart there in Borobudur. -Vandara SIN