This year, Walubi and Permabudhi will commemorate Vesak Day in Borobudur Temple together after two years without public commemoration due to the pandemicMagelang, Central Java (ANTARA) - Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, will host the Vesak Day commemoration organized by the Representative of Indonesian Buddhists (Walubi) and the Indonesian Buddhists Association (Permabudhi) on Monday (May 16).
"This year, Walubi and Permabudhi will commemorate Vesak Day in Borobudur Temple together after two years without public commemoration due to the pandemic," Vesak Day 2566 BE commemoration event coordinator Tanto Soegito Harsono stated here on Thursday.
Harsono remarked that due to pandemic-related capacity restrictions, the organizer would allow only up to 1,200 Buddhists to join the commemoration at the temple.
"We coordinated with the relevant institutions two days ago. (They instructed that) participants that could enter the first zone (of the temple) during the Vesak Day commemoration be capped at 1,200 people, with health protocols enforced," the coordinator stated.
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Apart from Borobudur, the authority has also restricted participants that will join the Vesak Day procession from Mendut Temple to Borobudur Temple, he noted while admitting that restricting participants on public roads and open spaces will be challenging.
Harsono affirmed that the Vesak Day commemoration had commenced on Saturday (May 7) when Buddhists participated in devotional works organized at the heroes' cemeteries in every provincial capital in Indonesia.
"We had also organized another procession at the three temples of Mendut, Pawon, and Borobudur," he noted.
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He stated that on Saturday (May 14), the Vesak Day commemoration would continue with the distribution of essential items to the poor at the Borobudur Temple and the holy flame taken from Mrapen, Grobogan District, will be kept in the Mendut Temple.
On the following day (May 15), Buddhist monks will draw holy water from Umbul Jumprit, Temanggung District, and the sacred water will then be kept in Mendut Temple, the coordinator added.
He revealed that this year's Vesak Day celebration is themed "The Road to Wisdom towards True Happiness."
"Through the theme, we wish to portray the message that we must remain compassionate (to others) despite the pandemic, and we hope that through the compassion, we would be able to achieve true happiness," Harsono remarked.
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Translator: Heru Suyitno, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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