Ponorogo Buddhists Hold Rupang Budhha Bath Ritual

The congregation performed the "mandody of Budhha" ritual by cleaning the Budha statue and the Dharma Dwipa Vihara complex in Pulet Kulon Village, Sampung, Ponorogo, Saturday (3/6/2023) (ANTARA/HO - SDP)

PONOROGO - Dozens of Buddhists in Ponorogo Regency, East Java, held a "bathing in a budhha" ritual, a spiritual activity to clean a house of worship as a symbol of outer and outer self-cleaning and cleansing ahead of the Vesak Day celebration.

The worship activity was held at the Dharma Dwipa Vihara which is located in Sodong Hamlet, Pusangkulon Village, Sampung District, Ponorogo.

"This ritual was indeed carried out to welcome Vesak Day. In this ritual, residents cleaned Buddha statues in the temple (complex) as a symbol of self-sufficiency," said one of the administrators of Vihara Dharma Dwipa Suwandi, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, June 3.

The plan is that the peak of the Vesak celebration will be held on Sunday (4/6) afternoon at around 10:41 WIB. Buddhists will usually gather first to carry out worship together in the temple.

He explained, there were three major events in the Waisak seconds. The three major events have a spiritual meaning related to the journey of the founder of Buddhism, namely Sidharta Gautama.

The three major events are about the birth of then enlightenment and "parinibbana" (death) from the Buddhist.

"Later, after the Vesak commemoration, like the tradition here, we will conduct friendship and sung to the older ones," he said.

Suwandi said, although in Sodong Hamlet the majority were Budhha, the level of religious tolerance was already very high. Because, like the previous year, the Vesak worship procession always went safely and conducively.

"This tolerance is not fabricated, but there is indeed awareness of the Sodong community of togetherness. Respect each other, there are no barriers even though there are different beliefs," he said.