Buddha Purnima

Buddha Purnima — also called Vaishakh Purnima or Vesak — is observed on the full moon (Purnima) of the Vaishakh month and is among the most sacred days in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The Hindu tradition reveres Gautam Buddha as the ninth avatar of Vishnu (Bhagavata Purana 1.3.24), and on this single day, three of the most pivotal events in his life are remembered: his birth as Prince Siddhartha in Lumbini, his attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, and his mahaparinirvan at Kushinagar. Three lifetimes folded into one full moon.