Vesak Day

Here's all you need to know about the history and significance of this sacred Buddhist festival and how it is celebrated across Malaysia.

In the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, devotees also go to the Buddhist Maha Vihara Temple in Brickfields at sunrise to take part in the celebration and meditate. In Malaysia, people visit the Malaysian Buddhist Association building and wait in a queue to pour water over the shoulders of the Buddha statue there as a symbol of cleansing one’s soul and mind. This is symbolic of the fact that nothing is permanent in this worldly life. So one night, he denounced all his wealth and worldly pleasures and left the palace to live the life of a homeless hermit. About two and a half millennia ago, in 623 BC, Siddhartha Gautama was born as a prince in the palace of Lumbini in Nepal. It is believed that Gautama realised money and riches do not ensure ultimate happiness and peace. It is celebrated annually at the UN headquarters and other UN offices as well.